The Scream of the Wolf (2023) Sounds More Like a Whimper
Title: Scream of the Wolf
First Non-Festival Release: January 9, 2023 (Digital/Streaming Platforms)
Director: Dominic Brunt
Writer: Joel Ferrari, Pete Wild
Runtime: 85 Minutes
Starring: James Fleet, John Henshaw, Nicky Evans
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
A film crew is shooting a vampire B-move in an abandoned house a few miles away from a lonely village. On the night of the full moon, a creature descends from the shadows and begins picking off the cast and crew one-by-one. Once they realize the true danger that they are in, the remaining survivors work together to defeat the werewolf and make it out alive.
Milquetoast werewolf horror Scream of the Wolf can’t be saved by its great practical effects and polished look.
What starts as a promising premise slowly devolves into a torrid werewolf affair stretched out over the course of 85 minutes. Beginning with a fun enough riff on vampire films, Scream of the Wolf struggles to maintain interest as it shuffles between characters. Without any special element to lean into, Scream of the Wolf opts for making a safe and familiar werewolf thriller. There is nothing wrong with going back to basics, but something needs to back that up. Unfortunately, there isn’t anything that gives Scream of the Wolf enough kick for it to fully work, lacking the scares and the humor of its predecessors.
The biggest issue with Scream of the Wolf comes down to its inability to extract tension out of its premise, particularly with its odd pacing. As the body count rises, Scream of the Wolf falls into a familiar pattern where various characters wander outside before meeting their doom. Their deaths are typically quick and choreographed in a way that lacks foreshadowing, suspense, and creativity. While the execution of most of these moments isn’t technically bad, it just leans into the generic so often that it becomes indecipherable from other films.
Its large cast does well enough in their roles to be believable despite not getting much in terms of characterization. With such a high body count, Scream of the Wolf focuses on giving audiences the B-movie experience as much as possible. Unfortunately, none of the characters are interesting enough to make an impact when they inevitably meet their violent ends. Washed up diva movie stars and overworked crew members band together, but their scheming results in nothing more than sitting around and waiting for the inevitable. The actors do a well enough job selling their demises, but it still feels empty when all is done.
A largely capable film in terms of production values, Scream of the Wolf makes its werewolf carnage look better than expected thanks to smart camerawork and lighting. Typically, the death knell for most indie werewolf movies comes in the form of the wacky, unconvincing, or otherwise cringeworthy design choices. Making a werewolf is difficult but Scream of the Wolf gets as close to making a studio quality suit to change that reputation. Not only that, but it also has a confident grasp on effective lighting and camerawork to highlight its advantages. The silhouettes and half glimpses make for some creepy imagery, even if the scares go by quickly.
For a low budget werewolf film, Scream of the Wolf does about as much as it can to differentiate itself from the mass of similar B-movies that populate Tubi’s streaming algorithm. Strong practical effects and decent lighting allows the central beastie to emanate an appropriate amount of ferocity. Unfortunately, poor writing, dull characters, and an inability to maintain tension from its setup is the downfall of Scream of the Wolf. It clearly wants to pay homage to the beloved horror classic An American Werewolf in London, but there is only so much it can do when it refuses to take any risks. The werewolf lovers who have no control will inevitably seek it out anyway, but if you are more discerning in your pursuits of lycanthropy, Scream of the Wolf may not be for you.
Overall Score? 4/10
