THE PYTHON HUNT -- Florida Man vs. Snakes

Review by Steve Barton II

The vast, sprawling world of nature documentaries has become a popular genre over the last 10 years. With high profile releases like the many BBC’s Planet Earth series or the variety of releases from National Geographic, a few of them were destined to find their way into the mainstream consumer’s consciousness. While many viewers report that they turn on Planet Earth to relax and take in nature at its purest state, they may find it difficult to find any moment of peace and relaxation while watching The Python Hunt. The Python Hunt follows several groups of unique people from different walks of life that share one common goal…killing as many pythons as they can! The documentary follows an annual event in the Everglades called The Python Hunt where the local government offers a monetary reward for whoever harvests the most pythons by the end of the 5 day hunt. With the incentive of small riches, many colorful characters show up to live out their strange desires to kill, while others are doing it to save the wildlife.

The strongest aspect of The Python Hunt is the variety of subjects the audience is introduced to throughout the runtime. During your watch, you’ll hear from the locals who directly deal with the fallout from this invasive species, tourists who are purely present for money and others who are battling with themselves over the ethics of the whole event. The variety of viewpoints/perspectives makes this a unique and interesting experience to watch. Throughout the quick paced 90 minute extravaganza, you hear and see different points of view that may cause an internal conflict of which side you’re really on, with convincing arguments on the ethics of killing these animals who are only acting in their nature. In the same breath, you also hear some borderline conspiracy theories, but that comes with the Florida man territory.

When The Python Hunt first begins, it can be mistaken for a narrative feature rather than a documentary purely from how it’s shot and edited. The cameras and lenses that Xander Robin and his crew shot with gives the film a polished look and can quickly make you forget that you’re watching real footage of snake hunters. Unlike many documentaries that rely on B-roll and assets that fill in gaps of moments or subjects they couldn’t film, The Python Hunt rarely has to cut away. The subjects let these cameras in all aspects of their lives during this hunting week without bias and it gives the feeling that you’re along for the wild adventure. They use extreme close-up shots a few times throughout the emotional beats of the film and while they could come across as comical, the music embedded underneath helps it stay grounded.

In the end, The Python Hunt is a uniquely beautiful and insightful documentary that’s as informative and intriguing as it is disturbing. During the runtime, you hear first-hand accounts of how the pythons are destroying the ecosystem and killing wildlife, but you also know that it’s a man-made issue and the snakes didn’t choose to live in the Everglades. Some of the people participating are doing it to help nature and to save their home, while others do it purely for a payday and to act on their desires to kill. Strong art and films will inherently cause debate and The Python Hunt shows both sides of the ethical dilemma and leave the audience to choose their side. Even though we all have our own opinions on the ethics of the hunt, we can all agree that Granny Anne is absolutely terrifying! 

The Python Hunt slithers its way into select theaters starting May 8th! 

Rating: 4/5