"It isn't that the good guys always have to choose to do the right thing. It's that choosing to do the right thing makes them the good guys." - Millie Morris
Creator: David Weil
Release Date: February 21st, 2020
Where Available: Amazon Prime
Summary:
In 1977, in New York City, a troubled young Jewish man bent on revenge is taken in by a secret group of Nazi hunters fighting a clandestine war against the cabal of high-ranking Nazi officials in hiding who work to create the Fourth Reich.
Review:
There is a special place in my heart for historically based movies and shows. The most recent movies I have watched fall under the WWI and WWII category. Hunters is specifically focused on WWII, but set 30 years past its end. We follow Jonah Heidelbaum (Logan Lerman) as his world is flipped upside down when he learns his grandmother Ruth (Jeannie Berlin) is a member of a Nazi hunting group, and vows to help them just like she did. They already know thousands of Nazi's are living in the US, but soon find that they are up to more than hiding their cruel pasts. The Nazi's are on their way to creating a "Fourth Reich."
Character Review:
Jonah Heidelbaum, played by Logan Lerman: I am confident that Logan Lerman's performance in Hunters is by far the best I have seen of him. (Other credits of his include Percy Jackson, The Perks Of Being a Wallflower, Stuck In love, and Indignation) Jonah is a beautiful combination of strength, kindness, and determination. His experiences in the show are unlike anything a 19 year old in 1977 sees on a normal day. I was captivated by the character development that spread across the 10 episodes, and I guarantee you will fall more and more in love with Jonah after each one. His knack for investigation passes down by his grandmother help the group track down these Nazis living in America.
Meyer Offerman, played by Al Pacino: Now, I know we all cherish Al Pacino from his roles in Scarface and The Godfather. These movies might not be a teenagers cup of tea, but Hunters is a production that adults and teens will both certainly enjoy. My feelings on Meyer changed at multiple points in the show. I do not want to spoil too much about him before you watch, but Al Pacino amazes the entertainment industry yet again. It would also be good to mention that Al Pacino puts on an amazing Yiddish accent the entire world needs to hear, and nails it in every scene. Meyer really does throw you for a loop in the end, but makes the show infinitely more entertaining to watch.
Millie Morris, played by Jerrika Hinton: You may remember Jerrika from a few seasons of Grey's Anatomy, and you're right: she does save lives! (Be prepared for some cheesy jokes in all of my reviews) Millie is one badass cop, and from the beginning of the show she pushed off straight away, never loosening a grip on her case. Being a female black cop in the 1970s is a battle that she faces throughout the show as her superiors do not think she is able to take on a real case alone. By the end of the show, she completely proves them wrong. Her perseverance and heart right from episode one makes her one of my favorite characters in the show.
Ruth, played by Jeannie Berlin: The history of this character is what most influences the show. There are multiple flashbacks to Ruth's personal experiences in the Holocaust that are sprinkled throughout the show. In the case of the Hunters and many other WWII shows, we can't forget that events similar to these flashbacks happened to actual people. Ruth knew the world as it was, and showed us how she imagined it to be. Watch Hunters to see her in action!
Lonny Flash, played by Josh Radnor: One of my absolute favorite TV characters of all time was Ted Mosby from How I Met Your Mother, and Lonny Flash wholly reminds me of Ted, minus the murdering Nazis part. He is a struggling actor with a Nazi hunting job on the side, bringing comedy to an otherwise very serious show. When they are working investigations in the real world, Lonny only stops being the characters he puts on in different situations when other members of the group say "scene." Actor turned killer, Josh Radnor puts a unique twist on the failed artist cliche.
Travis Leich, played by Greg Austin: Greg Austin is a new actor to me, but I can decidedly say that Travis is one of the craziest characters I have ever seen on screen. Greg and the writers created one of the most mad, insane, and psychopathic characters in entertainment, and I mean it. Unless you want a lot of spoilers, all I can say is Travis keeps you on your toes every single second of the show!
Those are just a few characters that made Hunters 100% worth the watch. It is an investigative journey from start to finish, making the hour long episodes feel like you are living their intense lives right alongside them.
I truly enjoyed every minute of this series, and ended up binging it in 2 days. One of my favorite parts of the series were these unique ways they filmed these "breaks" from the action. One specific scene in the second episode was an animated movie trailer that introduced all the members of the group to Jonah an the viewers. They each had their own little action film title screen that summed up their position in the squad. There were also a few made up game show clips and commercials that were extremely funny, giving you a small breather from the fairly depressing WWII content.
My theatre background also tells me to analyze all parts of a production to review it as a whole. So, I would like to congratulate the costume designers, prop designers, makeup designers, set designers, directors, and script writers for creating a beautiful piece of artwork that would be a shame to miss. The story of the Hunters makes you see the world around you differently, and I can't wait to see more in season 2!
Thank you all so much for reading my first post! I am very excited for the reviews coming up next, so keep your eyes open for new content. Please fill out the contact form and recommend some shows/movies for me to check out. I am always looking for new things to watch during quarantine! Also, leave a comment down below if you watched the show and want to chat about it, I would love to fangirl with you all:)
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