Night Hunter 

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• Photo Courtesy Of Arcola Entertainment And Arise Pictures
• IN PURSUIT Henry Cavill stars as weathered detective Walter Marshall, who struggles to unravel the mystery of a serial killer, in Night Hunter, an underrated Canadian crime thriller available on several streaming platforms.

What's it rated? R

When? 2018

Where's it showing? Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Vudu, and YouTube

If you're like me, you probably missed the Canadian crime thriller Night Hunter when it premiered at the LA Film Festival in 2018 under the name Nomis. Written and directed by David Raymond (The Other Man), the film had a very limited theatrical release in 2019 and only grossed a little more than $1 million. It's now available for free with your Amazon Prime subscription or for a fee on other streaming services, and while it's not amazing, it's certainly a lot better than the poor reviews it received.

The story centers on detective Walter Marshall (Henry Cavill) and vigilante Michael Cooper (Ben Kingsley), who become entwined in a dangerous game involving Simon Stulls (a very effective Brendan Fletcher)—recently arrested and linked to a number of female abductions and murders. The stellar (and somewhat underused) cast also includes Alexandra Daddario as psychologist Rachel Chase, who's trying to get Simon to open up about what he's done; Stanley Tucci as Commissioner Harper, Walter's boss; Minka Kelly as Angie, Walter's ex-wife; and Nathan Fillion as Matthew Quinn, Walter's co-worker. Also caught up in the action is Walter's underage daughter Faye (Emma Tremblay), and Lara (Eilana Jones), who vigilante Cooper uses as bait to trap sex predators.

Filled with twists, turns, and gritty action, it's a serviceable thriller that becomes somewhat convoluted plot-wise, but it pays off with an effective conclusion. With nods to The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Se7en (1995), it aspires beyond what it reaches, but if you've got a hankering for a twisty thriller, it fits the bill. (98 min.) Δ