Sometimes, all you want from a documentary is a glimpse at something you’ve never seen before. On that front, “The Python Hunt” undeniably delivers.
Xander Robin’s directorial debut follows the participants in a uniquely American tradition: the Everglades Python Hunt. In an attempt to cull the invasive Burmese python population that is wreaking havoc on the native ecosystem, the Florida government arranges an annual contest in which thrill seekers with varying levels of reptile control experience are invited to spend ten nights capturing as many pythons as they can find. As you might expect, it attracts some very colorful characters that end up inhabiting Robin’s film.
“The Python Hunt” premiered at SXSW 2025, where it was named one of IndieWire’s favorite films of the festival.
“The film features some impressive moments of snake spectacle, but the real attraction is the human drama that emerges from the larger-than-life personalities,” my review read. “Everyone has different motives, from principled preservationists to sadistic killers to observers who just look for different species like they’re playing a big game of Pokémon Go. And while it can be hilarious to see how much of their identity some people get from their status within a niche world of snake-hunting, the film does make space for some larger conversations about the role that extermination plays in preservation.”
The documentary is produced by Robin, Lauren Cioffi, and Lance and Mel Oppenheim. (Lance Oppenheim is a former IndieWire Honoree for his work on the HBO documentary “Ren Faire.”) Executive producers include Gillian Brown and Dani Bernfeld.
In a statement provided to the press, Robin explained his personal connection to the subject matter that stemmed from his childhood in Florida.
“I grew up in South Florida, thinking the lizards and snakes scurrying past my feet were a normal everyday occurrence. These days, the iguanas outside my front door are legal to shoot, and invasive pythons have apparently swallowed an entire ecosystem whole,” he wrote. “Out there, everyone has a theory about what’s really happening; about the snakes, about the state, even about the ecosystem itself. I love our whole cast for different reasons, and as we spent long days and nights together in one of the most beautiful and maddening places on earth, I was drawn to how each of their perspectives could be convincing. I still haven’t caught a snake, but thankfully for all of us, our cast had better luck.”
An Oscilloscope Laboratories release, “The Python Hunt” opens at the Angelika Film Center on Friday, May 8 with expansion to follow. Watch the trailer, an IndieWire exclusive, below.