A good werewolf film is hard to come by these days. While their bloodsucking brethren, vampires, have enjoyed a long cinematic life, it generally seems to be accepted that werewolf films peaked in 1981 with the release of John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London and Joe Dante’s The Howling, both of which are considered to be the two best werewolf films of all time. While one cannot deny the romantic allure and elegance of a good vampire film, sometimes it’s fun to just sit back and enjoy the pure carnage that a werewolf film can bring to the table. There’s also an element of tragedy in a good werewolf film, as many of them revolve around characters fighting against their inner monster or trying to free themselves from a curse. Enter Wolf Hollow from director Mark Cantu, a roller coaster ride filled with all of the blood, guts, and werewolf fun that a viewer could ask for while also telling an intimate story of trying to pull away from a toxic family.
Wolf Hollow follows a film crew going on a location scout to the titular town. One of the crew members, Ray, grew up in Wolf Hollow and has a rather strained relationship with his family, who still reside in the sleepy town. Not only are egos clashing among the crew, but tensions quickly rise with Ray’s family as well, some of whom are happy to see the prodigal son return and others... not so much. While the producer, Alex, who is dating Ray, attempts to wrangle her crew, she very quickly discovers that her boyfriend is hiding one hell of a red flag: that his entire family is a pack of werewolves. Things escalate very quickly as the crew soon finds themselves fighting to survive the night against the bloodthirsty pack.
At a lean 1:20, Wolf Hollow is all killer, has no filler, and wastes no time getting to the werewolf action. It’s a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously and knows that everyone is there for the blood and guts. Speaking of blood and guts, if it’s gratuitous violence you’re looking for, then Wolf Hollow has it in spades. After the werewolf effects, it seems that most of the budget went towards the gallons of fake blood that get splattered across the screen. Needless to say, Wolf Hollow is not for the squeamish but gore-hounds will find plenty to enjoy as both humans and werewolves alike come to violent ends in the film. Another thing about Wolf Hollow is that viewers will definitely never be bored as it’s a fast, fun, roller coaster ride of a film, and while it’s certainly not Shakespeare, it’s not trying to be. Some refer to horror films of this nature as “fast food” and while Wolf Hollow is far from the cinematic equivalent of filet mignon, there’s still artistic merit in a film that just wants to be fun. That said, there is some heart to Wolf Hollow, and at the center of all of the violence and monsters is a story of someone trying to escape their toxic family. Past werewolf films have presented lycanthropy as a curse, and Wolf Hollow uses the curse of the werewolf as a metaphor for the burden of a strained family life and the extremes a family goes to in order to maintain control over someone, even if it means murdering their closest friends.
That all said, if there’s a flaw in Wolf Hollow it’s that it sometimes moves too fast for its own good. In fact, at times the film seems almost too impatient to get to the good parts, and it comes at the expense of character development. While most of the characters are likable enough, the film never stops to let the audience really get to know them beyond surface-level traits and it’s very obvious from the get-go who will be werewolf fodder and who will make it to the final reel. There’s something to be said about enjoying watching people get ripped limb from limb, but a horror film can be more visceral and impactful if an audience can form an attachment to the characters and sees them as actual people, not caricatures waiting for the slaughter. Thankfully, the cast of Wolf Hollow is its strongest suit, and actors Brian Ceponis, Noah Welter, Jess Uhler, Christina Krakowski, and indie horror mainstay Felissa Rose are all the clear standouts and bring depth and humanity to their parts. There’s also a subplot about the town of Wolf Hollow merging with a neighboring community that could have been cut entirely as it adds very little to the story and lacks the emotional investment of the estranged family plot line.
Flaws and all, Wolf Hollow is a supremely entertaining horror movie that revels in its schlockiness. There’s a sense of fun and heart throughout the film, and by not taking itself seriously, it’s giving the audience permission to sit back, relax, and enjoy some mayhem. While Wolf Hollow lacks in the character development department, it’s a film that knows to stick to its lane had has a good time while doing so. Vampires have had their time in the spotlight for far too long now, and with last year’s Werewolves Within and now Wolf Hollow, perhaps it’s time for the lycanthropes to have their chance to play. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to werewolf lore, but if you just want to enjoy some Grand Guignol-style violence, or if you’ve just been missing a good werewolf film, Wolf Hollow has you covered.
James Reinhardt