Hunting Season

Hunting Season has quietly become one of the more dependable crime dramas currently available in the US on Kanopy, and in the UK on Amazon Prime Video. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. 349 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Mel Gibson's performance alone is worth the time investment. Put it on tonight on Kanopy and see for yourself.

There is a reason Hunting Season keeps coming up in conversation. The plotting gives Hunting Season its backbone, but it is the characters you come back for. When a reclusive survivalist and his daughter rescue a mysterious, wounded woman from a river, they become entangled in a deadly web of violence and revenge, forcing them to confront a brutal criminal to survive. Credit to Mel Gibson and Shelley Hennig for grounding it — this is a cast that earns the twists. It was released in 2025. What makes Hunting Season hold up is that the resolution matters less than how the characters get there. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

For anyone who wants their crime drama to earn its twists, Hunting Season delivers. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Mel Gibson carries scenes that would sink a lesser production. The resolution feels inevitable rather than arbitrary, which is rarer than it sounds.