The film, aloof and repetitive, follows Mohammad (Gallo), an Afghani fighter from the Taliban, as he attempts to dodge the U.S. Army. The topic is news-worthy and that can help a movie nowadays (“The Hurt Locker”)—or not (“In the Valley of Elah”). But rather than provide the thrills of a hunt movie “Essential” leaves you cold--it’s as if you’re watching a video game of a hunt stuck on autoplay. And a prerequisite of hunt movies is that they desperately need you to connect with the guy being chased--otherwise the movie bombs.