It Hunts (2026) Review
Written and directed by Gabriel Black, It Hunts gets off to an impressively brutal start, opening with a couple of brief but effective kill scenes before settling into a more psychological supernatural mystery centred on Casey, a call-centre operative working from home on the graveyard shift.
Casey’s life is going nowhere. His diet is poor, his dead-end job offers little fulfilment and his relationship is beginning to fall apart. Then, one night, he suddenly wakes with the unsettling feeling that something—or someone—is coming for him. What follows is a descent into recurring nightmares, disturbing visions and an increasingly debilitating sense of paranoia as Casey attempts to unravel the mystery before it consumes him.
For much of its running time, It Hunts remains focused on Casey and his deteriorating state of mind. His girlfriend initially comes across as somewhat whiny and self-absorbed, particularly in her frustration over a computer he has yet to fix, but as Casey’s predicament becomes increasingly apparent, she develops into a more sympathetic character and eventually encourages him to seek professional help.
Shot in Miami, the film benefits considerably from a crisp visual presentation, with some pleasing use of primary colours and framing that is considerably more accomplished than its modest budget might suggest. There is also a decent, retro-sounding score that complements the film’s brooding atmosphere and gives proceedings an appropriately unsettling edge.
The screenplay is another of the film’s strengths. Once Casey begins seeing a psychotherapist, we learn more about his troubled background, including his experiences in foster homes and his chronic lack of sleep. There is considerably more characterisation here than is often found in low-budget horror, and Black deserves credit for taking the time to give his protagonist some depth rather than simply using him as a vehicle for a succession of scares.
Unfortunately, the film occasionally becomes bogged down in exposition, particularly when it delves into medical detail. There are lengthy discussions concerning what might be required to stop someone’s heart and the medication Casey may need to help deal with his hallucinations. Some explanation is necessary, of course, but at times entire dialogue scenes feel consumed by information that could have been conveyed far more economically.
The biggest issue for me, however, is the film’s lack of incident once that promising opening has established its supernatural credentials. The initial thrills are largely sidelined in favour of dialogue-heavy scenes, and although the character development and mystery are worthwhile, I found myself wishing for a better balance between the two. The film has a good central idea, but it might have benefited enormously from a tighter edit, greater restraint with the exposition and more frequent supernatural thrills.
Towards the climax, the dramatic elements also become somewhat over-egged, with the film occasionally sagging at precisely the point where it needs to build momentum towards its conclusion.
There is plenty to admire in It Hunts, particularly its atmospheric presentation, stronger-than-expected characterisation and the intriguing premise at its heart. Black clearly has an eye for composition and demonstrates a confidence behind the camera, while the screenplay is more considered than the film’s budget might suggest. Ultimately, though, the movie would have been more effective had it trusted its supernatural elements a little more and spent less time explaining them. A tighter, more restrained approach could have turned a promising low-budget horror into something considerably more potent.
“IT HUNTS” IS AVAILABLE TO WATCH ON PRIME VIDEO