Film review - Rain Likely

I look forward to new hunting films with varying levels of excitement. Rain Likely has been on my radar because I happen to like Stone Glacier films and my buddy Jesse Knock was in it. So it had an unfair advantage. Why and how much were the only variables.

Jesse is not the type of person who is looking for a camera to get in front of, but he is good and knows what he’s doing. It’s an ever so slight detail but makes a difference. Here he is, a resident of Alaska, with an impressive hunting resume, yet he doesn’t have the intolerable arrogance of some Lower 48 hunters or Alaskans who try to have pissing contests through YouTube. He’s a husband, dad and job-having resident first as he says in the beginning. That honesty can’t be replicated by someone who is a career hunter and it sure as heck can’t be faked. That’s not to say that those who hunt to make their nut are fake, but some are. I really enjoy the work of many hunters who have been able to leverage their experience to make hunting more than just a hobby. But it is nice to see an elite-level company do an elite-level film with an elite-level hunter who doesn’t have the elite-level status in the industry.

The camera work is exceptional and the editing suburb. There isn’t redundancy in the walking or landscape clips. The angle, focus and distance all change and there is a myriad of shots. There is no indication they just waited to get all the shots in one day while they waited for the kill shot. The vibrant colors of the landscape aren’t ignored and instead provide an element often dismissed by those who are overly focused on travel and kill shots.

The music has more of a function than simply being background noise and it seemed to be picked with more purpose. Rather than have that feel of someone taking 15 minutes to search through free clips, choosing three then holding a quick vote, more care seemed to be taken with the selection. A score adds tremendous value to a Hollywood film, but doesn’t seem to be taken as seriously in hunting films. I don’t think it matters a bunch, but it does make a difference. Anyone can get a kill shot, but telling a well-rounded hunting story that introduces the hunter to the audience, the hunter to the habitat and doesn’t cut corners is much more difficult to do.

I do like some falling action, so the packing of the meat and quick fly out left me wishing for a little more, but this is definitely an exceptional film.