Heart of the Hunter Movie Review: A political action thriller with good acting but average writing

Heart of the Hunter is based on the novel written by Deon Meyer. It certainly helps that he serves as one of the film’s two screenwriters (Willem Grobler, being the other). As far as action thrillers go, it does fairly well (even if it is a bit formulaic, overall). Set against a precarious South African political landscape rife with corruption and conspiracy, the premise is far from new. And the plot arms itself with the known devils of the political thriller genre – trust no one, the target on your back doesn’t disappear even once you step away from the thick of things, insidious forces being used to manipulate an already-flawed system, the general populace at large being the ultimate sufferers, a complicated antihero forced to the do the right thing for the greater good of his country and his people. Not all that original, let alone ingenious. But where Heart of the Matter does score points is in the ability of its cast to come up with true-to-life performances. Each character does the job they are assigned, and rather well, at that. The lead, Bonko Khoza (playing Zuko) has a simmering intensity to his person. A former assassin tasked with taking out “bad” choices for the leadership of South Africa has walked away from that life. He now lives a quiet existence working at a high-end motorcycle dealership and staying with his wife and stepson. Having such a chequered past comes with consequences, of course, and living on the straight and narrow doesn’t entirely absolve you of your actions. When he is forced by circumstance to return to extinguish an entitled and power-drunk Presidential hopeful sure to win a dummy election, it is the sudden change of demeanour that makes an impact. Zuko’s choice of being a conscientious family man is admirable but his true métier lies in employing violence for the greater good, violence to even the scales of power, if you will – however ridiculous that philosophy sounds. The switch from being one (a good man) to the other (a highly trained contract murderer) is intriguing, no doubt, thanks to a worthy central performance from Bonko Khoza. It’s the eyes that can be deceiving. One moment, he’s discussing farming with his stepchild, and the other, he’s zipping across the karoo on a motorbike to evade capture.

Director – Mandla Dube  

Cast – Bonko Khoza, Connie Ferguson, Tim Theron, Nicole Fortuin, Masasa Mbangeni, Sisanda Henna, Peter Butler, Deon Coetzee

Streaming On – Netflix

The primary antagonist, Mtima (Sisanda Henna), is a caricature through and through. And for that, there can be only one thing to blame – the writing. Making him a more rounded individual instead of entitlement/corruption personified may have been the better way to go. That this kind of entity does exist in the South African set-up (all political set-ups, for that matter) isn’t beyond reproach. But how about showing what got him to be this way, in the first place? All one gets to see is him taking the system for a ride. Eating, drinking and making merry at the Government’s expense, using the country’s intelligence agency as his own, personal security firm, destroying political opponents by indicting them on trumped-up charges. I understand the need to make him appear evil, but that doesn’t mean you have to fall prey to the cliché. The film would have done well to show extended scenes with Johnny Klein (Peter Butler), Mtima’s former rival. After all, it is his big revelation to Zuko (of having corroborated evidence to end Mtima’s presidential bid) that sets the plot in motion. In the same vein, Nicole Fortuin’s and Deon Coetzee’s respective characters deserved more screentime. The former’s association with Zuko is neither explained nor explored, neither is the latter’s (a once-prominent journalist) backstory. Some of the potential is lost in these missed opportunities, where the action and chases take precedence over deeper character development.

The acting prowess of several members of the cast makes up for a script that flatters to deceive. It’s not just the intense Zuko but others such as Johnny Klein, Naledi (Nicole Fortuin) and Mike Bressler (Deon Coetzee) who rightfully demand our attention. The moments that lead up to the narrative’s predictable conclusion take the sheen of these performances. And, yet, despite its flawed nature, Heart of the Hunter earns a watch for all that it attempts to say about South Africa’s current political climate, one that is largely connected to the shadow of its Apartheid past. Zuko contemptuously accuses Mtima of being “an enemy to our ancestors”, alluding to the fact that the latter is acting in the same manner as his erstwhile white masters.