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The 2024 South African political thriller film, Heart of the Hunter, based on the book of the same name by Deon Meyer, premiered on March 29, 2024.
The director of the SAFTA Winning Silverton Siege, Mandlakayise Walter Dube, helms the project, with Meyer and Willem Grobler taking over the screenplay. Dube is additionally in charge as the producer, co-screenwriter, and cinematographer of the Netflix production.
The plot of the film has been outlined in the synopsis, which reads,
"The quiet retirement of a once-feared assassin in South Africa is interrupted by a desperate call from the daughter of an old and trusted friend whose father has been kidnapped. He uncovers a conspiracy at the heart of the government."
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The trailer for the political drama was released on March 11, 2024, and has gained over 130,000 views.
What is the plot of Heart of the Hunter?
Based on the book written by South African novelist Deon Meyer, Heart of the Hunter is set in post-democratic South Africa, wherein Zuko Khumalo (played by Bonko Khoza) makes it his life's mission to prevent a corrupt politician from becoming president.
Khumalo is a retired assassin and a family man with a troubling past. An old colleague calls upon him to act on his oath to save his country from dishonest political inclinations. As duty calls, he explains to his wife:
"I need to leave town for a few days. It's better if you don't know. The life that Paka and I have is the life I've always wanted. If I do this, we can continue to live that life. I'll be back. I promise."
In due course, he is pulled back into his past life, which brings more trouble to his present life. As Khumalo works on the mission at hand, he finds his recent life to be clouded with threats and terror that put his family at risk. The trailer shows Zuko receiving instructions.
"We can stop Mtima from becoming president. You're the last man standing. It has to be you. There are files… that will expose everything. Get these files to Mike Bressler, at the Cape Sentinel."
Zuko's sense of patriotism lands him in a dilemma while he is tasked with preventing the dangerous conspiracy at the heart of the South African government.
Who stars in Heart of the Hunter?
The Netflix suspense thriller stars Bonko Cosmo Khoza, popular for his portrayal of Mqhele Zulu on the Showmax original series The Wife. Bonko Khoza plays the lead character of Zuko Khumalo, who comes from a troubled past.
The rest of the cast features actors from South Africa, including Connie Ferguson (The Queen) as Molebogeng Kwena, Masasa Mbangeni (Scandal) as Malime Mambi, Tim Theron (Hunting Emma) as Tiger de Klerk, Deon Coetzee (Silverton Siege) as Mike Bressler, Peter Butler (Maze Runner: The Death Cure) as Johnny Klein, Sisanda Henna (Griekwastad) as Daza Mtima, and Connie Chiume (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) as Thandiwe Makeba.
Heart of the Hunter is streaming on Netflix.
