The Hunt is a film that achieved a remarkable level of notoriety during 2019, in the months before its original release date – making it the quintessential modern cinematic example of the sociological phenomenon known as ‘moral panic.’ A moral panic is a fear that becomes increasingly exaggerated as it spreads among and between whole communities, triggered by concern that a particular issue is threatening the moral fabric or structure of society. They often begin with a nugget of truth that is taken out of context, distorted, amplified, and transformed into something else. Generally, they serve a purpose related to social control.   

There have been many large-scale examples of moral...

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