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Hunter Gatherer

Play trailer Poster for Hunter Gatherer Released Nov 16, 2016 1h 28m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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96% Tomatometer 25 Reviews 59% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Ashley Douglas (Andre Royo) thinks everything should fall into place when he's released after three years in prison. He thinks his friends should come to his welcome home party, and his girlfriend, Linda (Ashley Wilkerson), should greet him with open arms. When things don't go as planned, Ashley, a 40-something African-American, restarts his life with next to nothing.
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Hunter Gatherer

Critics Reviews

View All (25) Critics Reviews
Clayton Dillard Slant Magazine A deliberately offbeat characterization of mental illness, Hunter Gatherer is ultimately a failed act of empathy. Rated: 1.5/4 Jan 30, 2018 Full Review Andrea Gronvall Chicago Reader By turns whimsical and touching. Feb 2, 2017 Full Review Adam Graham Detroit News Locy's good intentions and optimistic worldview take him only so far, and he struggles to find a fitting capper for his story. But the performances and the characters linger in your mind. Rated: B Jan 13, 2017 Full Review Don Shanahan Every Movie Has a Lesson These are deft artistic choices from Josh Locey in a hidden gem built of character-driven motivations. Rated: 4/5 Oct 18, 2024 Full Review Allen Almachar The MacGuffin I am glad to have seen this, if only to witness Andre Royo once again prove his incredible range as an actor. Rated: B Jul 13, 2020 Full Review Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com Hunter Gatherer ascends to an unexpected eloquence in its final moments, a poignant elevation from the draconian designations heralded by its title. Rated: 3/5 Oct 3, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member “Small”, everyday tale of ordinary people that holds you till the end. A master class in subtlety. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/09/19 Full Review Audience Member this almost fell thru my radar! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Unlike most sci-fi dystopian film &/TV, I found this to be a window on real-time horror that society has come to expect as status quo... Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member Hunter Gather marks Joshua Locy's first venture as both a writer and a director after formerly working as an art director. This encouraging debut is an understated and quirky comedy about surviving in a lower-class black neighbourhood whilst finding glimmers of joy in the simpler things. Although far from perfect, it certainly broadcasts Locy as a capable director and is a refreshing break from the filmmaking norm. Returning to live with his mother following a three year stint in prison, Ashley (Andre Royo - The Wire) is looking to continue his life exactly where he left off. Except everyone around him has moved on. This does little to affect his infectiously positive outlook on life, rather it gives him new life goals. Firstly, to win back his sweetheart Linda, who has since moved on to a local garbageman, and secondly, to hustle enough money to treat her how he feels she deserves. His escapades lead him into the refrigerator disposal business, one that gives short term financial gain in return for a garden full of broken refrigerators that he lacks the ability to shift. Enter Jeremy (George Sample III). Around half his age, this curious initial encounter blossoms into a charming friendship with each providing the other with their most urgent needs. Ashley, with a truck to transport his fridges and a first friend after his release from prison and Jeremy, with an important father figure as his only referenced family is the grandfather who's nursing home room he sleeps in. The feeling of renewed childhood is used consistently throughout the film with this being the source of many hilarious moments. During an exchange at a school supplies store, Ashley asks the worker to give him recommendations and ultimately critique his look wearing different backpacks. The effortless manner this scene plays out cements it's place as perhaps the best in the film. Later on, a situation that is all too familiar for those in the audience, the 'but mum' moment. Where one child receives a stern telling off from his mother in the presence of a friend. It's highly entertaining to watch this unravel with a forty something year old man as the target. Humour lies at the core of this film, whether whimsical like those mentioned or deadpan, like Jeremy reminiscing about the time his pinky toe was removed and reattached using a laser. Locy manages to integrate bizarre elements into his scenes without losing the realistic foundation he has made. Unconventionality is embraced by Locy in various aspects of the film, for example the camera is used in ways not often seen on the silver screen. One in particular which worked each time it was utilised was the 'blur to foreground, blur to background' technique. Whether to emphasis loneliness or show different character's exploits in a single shot, this stood out as interesting and incredibly well implemented. The same cannot be said about everything Locy attempts. At several points the film strays into surrealism with the main characters faces overlapping and passing through each other. This seemed out of place but also a step away from style of work that suits Locy best. Hunter Gatherer excels in making the abnormal normal with situations that seem ludicrous in real life feeling utterly everyday through Locy's directorial style. Occasionally it may wander beyond its boundaries but the poetic beauty and ever-positive Ashley make this film one you won't easily forget. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Audience Member so much promise but bad acting and weak script Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member If you were to read the description of the basic plot outline of Hunter Gatherer it might sound like a straightforward and mundane comedy/melodrama but this is not the case. The central characters are so eccentric in their behaviour that every interaction seems odd or surreal, the touches of magic-realism only add to the weirdness. Andre Royo, who is best known for portraying Bubbles in 'The Wire' is excellent in the lead role. The rest of the all African-American cast also put in great performances. This film is probably going to recieve a lot less attention than the much hyped Denzel Washington drama 'Fences' which has a similar ethnic focus, personally I find Hunter Gatherer to be a much better film. 3.5/5 Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Hunter Gatherer

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Hunter Gatherer

Hunter Gatherer: Official Clip - The Power of Positivity Hunter Gatherer: Official Clip - The Power of Positivity 2:59 Hunter Gatherer: Official Clip - Visiting Santa Claus Hunter Gatherer: Official Clip - Visiting Santa Claus 2:40 Hunter Gatherer: Official Clip - Everybody Dies Hunter Gatherer: Official Clip - Everybody Dies 2:24 Hunter Gatherer: Official Clip - Lab Rat Hunter Gatherer: Official Clip - Lab Rat 1:58 Hunter Gatherer: Official Clip - Losing Everything Hunter Gatherer: Official Clip - Losing Everything 2:29 Hunter Gatherer: Official Clip - Are Those Panties? Hunter Gatherer: Official Clip - Are Those Panties? 2:34 Hunter Gatherer: Official Clip - The Other Man Hunter Gatherer: Official Clip - The Other Man 2:33 Hunter Gatherer: Official Clip - Lesson Learned Hunter Gatherer: Official Clip - Lesson Learned 2:10 Hunter Gatherer: Official Clip - Follow Me Hunter Gatherer: Official Clip - Follow Me 2:59 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Ashley Douglas (Andre Royo) thinks everything should fall into place when he's released after three years in prison. He thinks his friends should come to his welcome home party, and his girlfriend, Linda (Ashley Wilkerson), should greet him with open arms. When things don't go as planned, Ashley, a 40-something African-American, restarts his life with next to nothing.
Director
Joshua Locy
Producer
Michael Angelo Covino, April Lamb, Sara Murphy, Isaiah Smallman
Screenwriter
Joshua Locy
Distributor
The Orchard
Production Co
Mama Bear Studios, Rough House Pictures, The Orchard
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 16, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 7, 2017
Runtime
1h 28m
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