has become one of the most well-known movie stars in the world, thanks in part to his many roles in different franchises. He's been in a Mission: Impossible film, he's been in a few seasons of The Witcher, and, of course, he's played Superman. Iconic characters like Napoleon Solo, Sherlock Holmes, and Theseus have all been played by Cavill. He's even starred as The Hunter in Little Red Riding Hood.

Cavill has proven that he can handle all kinds of roles, and he has the physicality to tackle any stunt or fight scene that might be required. He's worked with Matthew Vaughn, Zack Snyder, and Guy Ritchie multiple times each, all of whom are directors who know their way around action stars. But there's only one movie that features Cavill as a police officer. Many people have never heard of Night Hunter, which came out in 2018. It was panned by critics and bombed at the box office, all for a few good reasons.

Night Hunter was written and directed by David Raymond in his first feature-length film as a director. Cavill stars as Detective Walter Marshall, a Minnesota cop who stumbles upon a case that involves sexual predators and serial killers. He is tasked with trying to track down a person who is abducting young girls. What he uncovers is that there are more people involved than the police originally thought.

As the film goes on, it fails to establish enough credibility or depth of character to warrant what it's asking the audience to believe. The big twist doesn't quite land because the audience doesn't know the characters well enough to really care. Not only is it a grim film, but it fails to differentiate itself from other serial killer films or even vigilante films, as Ben Kingsley plays a former judge turned vigilante trying to also track down the same killer Marshall is chasing, as he kidnapped the former judge's ward.

The climax of the film is anything but climactic, as Cavill's character makes the killer make a decision but then almost washes his hands of the entire situation. It was an easy out for the main character, especially one who is a detective, that it just feels cheap. The script is rife with things that have been done better in other movies.

It is impressive that Raymond was able to get such a terrific cast, having been a first-time feature director. Besides Cavill and Kingsley, there are numerous well-known actors who show up in the film. Alexandra Daddario plays a psychologist who works with Marshall on the case and gets kidnapped. Stanley Tucci plays the police commissioner who oversees Marshall's department. Minka Kelly has a brief role as Marshall's ex-wife and the mother to his daughter. Nathan Fillion stars as a technician who worked with Marshall.

Other actors in the film include Brendan Fletcher, Emma Tremblay, Mpho Koaho, and Eliana Jones. Despite being made in 2018, many of these actors were established. Cavill had already played Clark Kent three times by the time this movie came out. Kingsley had won an Oscar. Tucci had been nominated for one. Kelly was in the middle of a run on Titans, and Daddario had been in many big-budget action films by then.

The problem with having this many good actors in a middling film is that none of them really get to use their talents to the fullest. Cavill got to play a more human character than he really had before. But Daddario, Tucci, Fillion, and Kelly all feel a bit wasted because of their characters' lack of development.

One of the things that hurt Night Hunter's box office returns was the fact that it premiered on DirecTV video on demand a full month before it was released in theaters. This means that people could watch the movie at home right away, rather than have to go see it in theaters. It's not uncommon these days that a movie premieres on VOD shortly after its theatrical run. But having a movie premiere on a video platform a month before it can be watched on the big screen is uncommon. Part of that is because it premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival a full year before it made its way onto DirecTV.

The film grossed just over $1 million globally. While it wasn't marketed heavily, so the production budget wouldn't have been massive, there's no doubt that the movie cost more than $1 million to make, although exact numbers are unknown. Since it premiered on Paramount+ last fall, it surged up the streaming charts. As it is an original script, which is something that is rare in Hollywood these days, fans are willing to give it a try. The audience score on Rotten Tomatoes is much better than the critics', as it holds a 50% Popcornmeter score and a dismal 14% Tomatometer rating.