Rooted in History, Told Through Exploitation Cinema
The series, set in 1970s New York City, follows a group of Nazi hunters (the titular Hunters) who set out to hunt and kill Nazis that were safely brought over after World War II before they can start a Fourth Reich. Perhaps the scariest part of the show is it’s inspired by a real event: Operation Paperclip. From 1945 to 1959, the United States government brought over roughly 1,600 scientists from various disciplines who had worked for the Third Reich. Hunters’ tone is deeply rooted in ’70s exploitation films and, as the first season progressed, it gradually shed its Jewsploitation front in favor of a profound and moving (albeit controversial for some) analysis of Jewish life and existence. What’s more, is that Nazi hunters really did exist. Only, instead of exacting violent vengeance for their crimes, the Hunters would bring them to stand trial instead. One of the most famous Nazi hunters was Simon Wiesenthal (1908–2005), an Austrian Jewish Holocaust survivor who was portrayed by Judd Hirsch in season 1.Also joining the cast this season is Jennifer Jason Leigh as Chava Apfelbaum who we saw briefly in a flashback in the very first episode of the series, “In the Belly of the Whale.” The character was originally played by Cassidy Layton as a young woman in Auschwitz.
‘Hunters’ Season 2 Adds Emily Rudd, Tommy Martinez, And The Legendary Udo Kier To Its Ranks
By Ariel Fisher/July 20, 2021 2:12 pm EST
Rooted in History, Told Through Exploitation Cinema
The series, set in 1970s New York City, follows a group of Nazi hunters (the titular Hunters) who set out to hunt and kill Nazis that were safely brought over after World War II before they can start a Fourth Reich. Perhaps the scariest part of the show is it’s inspired by a real event: Operation Paperclip. From 1945 to 1959, the United States government brought over roughly 1,600 scientists from various disciplines who had worked for the Third Reich. Hunters’ tone is deeply rooted in ’70s exploitation films and, as the first season progressed, it gradually shed its Jewsploitation front in favor of a profound and moving (albeit controversial for some) analysis of Jewish life and existence. What’s more, is that Nazi hunters really did exist. Only, instead of exacting violent vengeance for their crimes, the Hunters would bring them to stand trial instead. One of the most famous Nazi hunters was Simon Wiesenthal (1908–2005), an Austrian Jewish Holocaust survivor who was portrayed by Judd Hirsch in season 1.Also joining the cast this season is Jennifer Jason Leigh as Chava Apfelbaum who we saw briefly in a flashback in the very first episode of the series, “In the Belly of the Whale.” The character was originally played by Cassidy Layton as a young woman in Auschwitz.
