Mel Gibson is experiencing renewed streaming momentum with Hunting Season, an action thriller that has surged to the upper ranks of Amazon Prime Video's domestic chartsnearly a year after its initial theatrical and digital rollout. Originally released on December 5, 2025, through distributor Samuel Goldwyn Films, the feature found a second wind among home viewers in early November 2026. Directed by RJ Collins (also credited as Raja Collins) from a screenplay by Adam Hampton, the survival drama places the 70-year-old actor back into familiar territory as a hardened father forced to use lethal skills to protect his family from ruthless cartel operatives.

Tracking data from streaming analytics firm FlixPatrol shows the project quickly capturing viewer attention across the platform, though industry outlets note varying snapshots of its peak placement. According to FandomWire and an IMDb news report, the film climbed to No. 2 on the United States Prime Video movie chart and No. 4 overall on November 9, 2026—a No. 2 movie ranking also reflected in a weekly platform roundup for November 9–15 by Yahoo Tech.

Meanwhile, MovieWeb reports that the thriller reached the No. 1 top spot on Prime Video within just three days of arriving on the service.

Wilderness Survival and Cartel Confrontations

The narrative centers on Bowdrie (Gibson), a taciturn, reclusive survivalist living off the grid in the remote woods of rural Oklahoma with his resourceful teenage daughter, Tag, played by Ozark alum Sofia Hublitz. Having spent years shielding the girl from the dangers and conveniences of modern society, Bowdrie's quiet routine is shattered when Tag discovers a badly wounded stranger named January (Shelley Hennig) washed up along a local riverbank after being shot, beaten, and left for dead.

What begins as an act of reluctant compassion quickly turns into a siege. By bringing January into their cabin for sanctuary, father and daughter draw the attention of her pursuers: a violent drug cartel led by a merciless kingpin named Alejandro (Jordi Mollà).

Supporting roles include SEAL Team actor A.J. Buckley as Davenport, one of Alejandro's operatives, alongside Tulsa King actress Scarlet Rose Stallone as January's roommate, Lizzie.

In a December 2025 interview cited by FandomWire, Collins noted that the core tension stems from the family's conflicted instincts, explaining that while Bowdrie and Tag do not fully trust the mysterious woman, they still want to help her. That moral dilemma separates the plot from standard rescue missions, forcing Gibson's character to weigh whether extending grace to an outsider compromises his primary duty of keeping his child alive.

Why the Compact Action Format Works on Streaming

Critics and entertainment outlets have largely framed the movie's streaming appeal around its lean, traditional execution, comparing its protective-parent premise to Liam Neeson's Taken and its stubborn, grizzled protagonist to Clint Eastwood's Walt Kowalski in Gran Torino.

Unlike Neeson's globe-trotting former intelligence operative, however, Bowdrie relies strictly on firearms, wilderness survival tactics, and an intimate knowledge of the surrounding Oklahoma terrain.

According to a review by Litehouse Media, Collins stages the set pieces with practical restraint, favoring short, grounded shootouts over heavy computer-generated imagery. The outlet notes that while the plot follows a formulaic genre template, Gibson anchors the material with quiet conviction and an understated intensity, matched well by Hublitz's grounded performance. A separate December 3, 2025 review from Heaven of Horror similarly graded the crime thriller at 3 out of 5, calling it a pleasant surprise for viewers seeking a straightforward survival story.

That low-commitment, brisk pacing is a frequent hallmark of home-video hits, even if outlets differ slightly on the exact clock time. While MovieWeb's headline bills the project as a 93-minute thriller, its article text describes the film as 99 minutes, whereas Litehouse Media lists a tight 93-to-100-minute range.

Regardless of the exact cut, the sub-two-hour format has proven effective at drawing home audiences despite mixed critical grades. MovieWeb notes that Hunting Season holds a 53% critics score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes alongside a more favorable 62% audience rating on the site's Popcornmeter.

Gibson's Broader Career Slate

The chart performance of Hunting Season underscores a steady stream of genre work for Gibson, who saw his mainstream Hollywood footprint shrink in the mid-2000s following a series of high-profile personal controversies and remarks. In recent years, the Oscar winner has remained active in mid-budget action and thriller titles—echoing his earlier protective-father role in Blood Father—with recent credits including the crime thriller Boneyard, the adventure horror film Monster Summer, and the Mark Wahlberg-led action vehicle Flight Risk.

Looking ahead, Gibson is preparing to pivot back to major studio directing and franchise tentpoles.

According to MovieWeb, he is slated to helm a two-part biblical follow-up to his 2004 box office hit The Passion of the Christ. Titled The Resurrection of the Christ: Part One and The Resurrection of the Christ: Part Two, the sequels are scheduled for theatrical release on May 6, 2027, and May 25, 2028, respectively.

Additionally, Gibson has outlined plans to return to his signature role of Martin Riggs alongside Danny Glover's Roger Murtaugh in Lethal Weapon 5. Describing the long-gestating sequel's tone, Gibson noted that the story picks up with the duo older and slower—one retired and the other working a desk job—in an installment that retains the classic elements of the earlier films while focusing more closely on the characters.

What is the exact runtime of Hunting Season?

Published reports conflict slightly on the exact length of the film. While some promotional headlines and reviews cite a 93-minute runtime, MovieWeb's coverage states the movie runs 99 minutes, and Litehouse Media gives a range of 93 to 100 minutes.

Did Hunting Season hit No. 1 or No. 2 on Prime Video?

Different media outlets captured different chart snapshots via FlixPatrol. FandomWire, IMDb, and Yahoo Tech recorded the movie at No. 2 on the US Prime Video movie chart (and No. 4 overall) as of November 9, 2026, while MovieWeb reported on November 10 that the film had claimed the No. 1 top spot.

Has Amazon released total viewership numbers for the film?

No. As FandomWire points out, third-party FlixPatrol rankings track daily chart popularity and platform visibility rather than official Prime Video view counts, total hours watched, or viewer completion rates.

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