Inspired by a true crime that gripped a whole nation for more than a decade. In the spring of 1999, the body of a 16-year-old girl was found on the outskirts of a small village in The Netherlands, next to an asylum seekers' center. ‘The Hunt’ depicts how the long and frustrating search for the perpetrator confronted the inhabitants and asylum seekers of this little Dutch town with xenophobia, racism, and bizarre and persistent conspiracy theories, fueled by social media. The crime remained unsolved for more than 12 years, until an unprecedented use of a large-scale DNA investigation finally solved the case.
The downtrodden alcoholic Herman needs professional help, and he never gets it. He decides that he should go to jail so that he will be taken care of there. He kills a local criminal but when he then tries to confess to the police, nobody believes him. Herman goes in search of a second victim. How far will he have to go to end up in jail?