Entertainment, Manchester, Review

Manchester International Film Festival: Hunter Gatherer

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By Alice Denison


Joshua Locy’s feature film Hunter Gatherer premiered at the Manchester International Film Festival (MANIFF) this weekend.

This film tackles the notion of moving on. When Ashley, an African-American in his forties, played by Andre Royo, returns home after a three year prison term, he expects his life to be the same as he left it, but, in reality, it isn’t. His girlfriend has moved on and so, it seems, have his friends, failing to turn up at his welcome home party. Struggling to accept the situation, Ashley moves back into his mother’s house, leaving her frustrated at having him around again.With little left in the way of a life, he now has to face starting again.

As well as showing Ashley’s struggle to adapt to life outside, the film also follows his only friend Jeremy, played by George Sample. Helping Ashley begin to turn his life around, Jeremy’s character brings an innocence and vulnerability to the film whilst also tackling the sensitive subject of the human testing of medical products.

The confusing yet gripping plot of Hunter Gatherer draws in the audience and forces you to ask the question throughout the film: how will this end? Performances by Royo and Sample hold the film together and keep you hooked. As well as being an artistically edited film which is appealing to the eye, the script itself is well written and funny.


We teamed up with Intertainment Magazine to bring you complete coverage of the Manchester International Film Festival. You can view the full list of reviews which is being updated as we post new content here. For more information about Manchester International Film Festival, visit the MANIFF website.

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Alice Denison

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