Erik has spent several years working as a policeman in Stockholm. After a brutal shoot-out he decides to move back to his home village of Norrbotten in northern Sweden. His brother and many of his old friends still live there. Initially the homecomer is treated as a hero. But many things have changed over time. Erik is given a job at the local police department, but his hardened urban ways don't conform with the unwritten laws of the country. When he investigates in a hunting issue, his place of origin threatens to become somewhat lethal. Erik is no longer regarded as a hero, but an enemy. "The Hunters" has made a long-term impact on the Scandinavian crime genre. Director Kjell Sundvall has set standards with an unsparing depiction of crime and violence and a pinpoint portrayal of the local environment. He has succeeded exceptionally well in putting to use the regional geographical characteristics and psychological peculiarities of northern Sweden for this "hillbilly thriller".