The latest short film from writer/director Ralph Hutchins, Huntsman, shot in the rolling landscapes of Somerset, has already begun making the rounds on the festival circuit.
It is a thoughtful and visually assured piece of filmmaking, even if its subject matter may leave some viewers, myself included, feeling deeply conflicted.
As someone passionately opposed to hunting, I found it difficult to fully accept the film’s suggestion that killing animals for sport can coexist with a genuine respect for nature.
Hutchins deliberately avoids taking a clear moral stance, preferring instead to observe the traditions and rituals of rural life from a measured distance. That neutrality is both the film’s defining strength and, at times, its greatest limitation.
Set against the quiet beauty of the English countryside, the story centres on Harry (Tomas Baines) and Sophie (Bella Salmons), whose relationship (part friendship, part romance) is in danger of collapse. Harry is clearly reluctant to lose Sophie, yet he struggles to embrace her enthusiasm for the hunt and everything it represents.
The image of the stag standing on the hillside works effectively as a metaphor for loss, regret, and emotional distance, though the symbolism occasionally feels a little detached from the drama unfolding beneath it.
One of the film’s frustrations is its refusal to fully unpack the events of the previous New Year’s Eve, which hangs over the narrative like a shadow.
There is a sense that flashbacks, or even a few more scenes exploring that history, might have deepened both the emotional stakes and the ethical tensions at the centre of the story. At its current length, Huntsman sometimes feels as though it is circling ideas rather than fully confronting them.
The performances, however, are consistently strong. Baines brings a quiet vulnerability to Harry, portraying a young man torn between affection and conscience, while Salmons brings an enigmatic confidence to Sophie that keeps the audience guessing.
Hutchins also deserves credit for capturing rural Somerset with genuine affection and atmosphere. The landscapes are beautifully photographed, evoking a world that feels ancient, isolated, and not entirely knowable.
Like his earlier film short Scrutiny of Friendship, Hutchins once again shows a talent for depicting overlooked corners of modern Britain.
Huntsman may not entirely satisfy either side of the hunting debate, but as it stands, it is an ambitious short film that might benefit from a longer running time, allowing its characters and ideas a chance to fly and connect.
You can follow further release information on Huntsman on its Instagram or on Ralph Hutchins’s website.
My thanks to Ralph Hutchins for providing a screener for his film.