Controversial Netflix show 'banned' in US after riling up Trump is streaming in UK

A Netflix horror film that was originally banned in the US and sparked a political firestorm is now available to stream in the UK. The Hunt, directed by Craig Zobel, caused major controversy upon its release in March 2020, drawing backlash from Donald Trump himself. The film’s plot revolves around a group of liberal elites who kidnap Trump-supporting “deplorables”, release them in a remote location, and hunt them for sport.

However, their plan takes an unexpected turn when Crystal, played by Glow star Betty Gilpin, refuses to be a victim and instead flips the script, becoming the predator rather than the prey. The official synopsis for the film states: "Twelve strangers wake up in a clearing. They don't know where they are or how they got there. In the shadow of a dark internet conspiracy theory, ruthless elitists gather at a remote location to hunt humans for sport. But their master plan is about to be derailed when one of the hunted, Crystal, turns the tables on her pursuers."

Co-written by Watchmen creator Damon Lindelof, the film satirizes modern political and cultural divisions, delivering a blood-soaked commentary on woke culture while embracing gory action.

The film’s politically charged premise didn’t just stir up debate—it landed on the radar of Donald Trump, leading to widespread controversy.

Director Craig Zobel later admitted he was still "struggling to explain how that even feels" after the film became a talking point in US politics. However, he insisted that "angering US politicians was not the goal", clarifying that the movie was intended to highlight how "people rush to assume something" about others "just based on them being 'the other team'".

Trump’s outrage was largely fuelled by the fact that the captured characters in the film are labeled “deplorables”, a term famously used by Hillary Clinton in 2016.

During a campaign fundraiser in September 2016, Clinton stated: "To just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump's supporters into what I call the 'basket of deplorables'." The phrase sparked backlash at the time, and its use in The Hunt only added fuel to the fire.

Adding to the film’s troubled history, The Hunt was originally set to hit theatres on September 27, 2019, but its release was delayed following two mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas.

At the time, Trump made his stance clear, stating: "Liberal Hollywood is Racist at the highest level, and with great Anger and Hate! They like to call themselves 'Elite', but they are not Elite. In fact, it is often the people that they so strongly oppose that are actually the Elite. The movie coming out is made in order to inflame and cause chaos.

"They create their own violence, and then try to blame others. They are the true Racists, and are very bad for our Country!"

The Hunt was then released six months later in March 2020.

The cast of the film features American Horror Story actress Emma Roberts, My Name is Earl's Ethan Suplee, Bad Neighbours actor Ike Barinholtz and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Glenn Howerton.

The Hunt is available to stream on Netflix now.