Wolves (2014) review

Reviewed by Kevin Scott
MoreHorror.com

Wolves (2014)
Written by: David Hayter
Directed by: David Hayter
Cast: Lucas Till (Cayden Richards), Stephen McHattie (John Tollerman), John Pyper-Ferguson (Wild Joe), Merritt Patterson (Angelina Timmins), Jason Momoa (Conner), Janet Laine-Green (Clara Tollerman), Melanie Scrofano (Gail Timmins), Adam Butcher (Deke), Philip Maurice Hayes (Kino)

I saw a random preview of this film at the theatre before the feature film that I was there to see. It was the climax battle scene between the two primary characters. Both were wolfed out and talking some trash. I never heard from “Wolves” again until I saw it streaming on Netflix. I reserve judgment as one should until I actually watch something. I always have a golden strand of optimism to grasp on to. When it comes to werewolf films, I’ve found myself becoming a little pessimistic. The last film that really nailed it was “Dog Soldiers”.

I love the werewolf genre and I think one of the best things to play off of is the human desire to be the alpha dog becoming fully realized by turning into a monster. The great characters in werewolf films are the ones that embrace it and have no remorse at all. It makes you hate them for their lack of compassion, but also question yourself as far as what you would do. “The Howling” with lycanthropy being the ultimate tool for a self-help group, how awesome is that? “Dog Soldiers” also mentioned that the people that lived in the cottage where they were held up in were usually good kind people. In my humble opinion, the dichotomy of the human nature has to be in there somewhere.

“Wolves” centers around a high school hero named Cayden Richards. He’s got a charmed life. Football star, popularity, a hot girlfriend, things just can’t get any better. All that disappears when his parents are brutally murdered, and he’s the prime suspect. He takes it on the run, and meets a mysterious stranger in a roadside tavern. He tells him that he knows what he is, and the place he’s looking for is called Lupine Ridge. It’s a town full of werewolves who have adapted and created a normal way of life. He finds work in Lupine Ridge with a kindly farmer played by Stephen McHattie, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lance Henriksen, and is just as good a character actor. There’s always gotta be somebody to try to mess things up for everybody else, and that somebody is Conner. He’s the leader of a pack of werewolves that live in the woods outside of town. They’ve gone native, and even feed on other werewolves. At the town bar, Cayden is sweet one of the sisters that own it. There’s only one problem, Connor wants her for some breeding stock. Because Connor is such a douchebag, the town has bowed to his demands and Cayden’s affections for her make everybody nervous. Tensions flare, everyone bears their fangs, and the fur flies when a DNA test could have solved all of these paternity issues.

I will say that Jason Momoa is an awesome dude, whose potential has not been fully realized yet. He has an awesome presence, and could have done so much more with this character. I think he has the range to be both heroic and diabolical. I’m not going to pan this film. It’s just not for me. I will say that if you like the “Underworld” series and “Skinwalkers”, give it a try.