In its opening minutes, “The Hunter” feels familiar. This is going to be one of those spare, stylish films about a loner mercenary-for-hire. Not quite. “The Hunter” is spare: Its characters don’t always say a lot, and some plot elements are left to the viewer to figure out. But partly set in the Tasmanian wilderness, there’s a beauty here when the atmosphere seems to take over the drama from the people.
The title character, played with finesse by Willem Dafoe, is certainly a man for hire, and he definitely prefers his solitude. As his mission is helpfully explained in an overly expository opening scene, the middleman tells him the client would like him to take on a partner. This is difficult terrain, the guy explains. The hunter, Martin David, will have none of it. “Two men is a security risk,” he declares. But we know that’s not the real reason he refuses help.
