Yes. Finally. What a delicious flick. Howl, written by Mark Huckerby and Nick Ostler and directed by Paul Hyett, is probably the best werewolf film since Dog Soldiers. Werewolf films, like their zombie and vampire cousins, are a dime a dozen. Most of these hairy horrors are frightfully forgettable. Howl manages to crawl its way right out of that den of disasters and instead becomes a pack leader in the genre.
Ok, done with the puns. In all sincerity though, there was not much I could find fault with. The acting was top-notch throughout the flick and all the actors were very well cast. The score was intense and the film kept a fantastic pace without feeling too rushed or over-edited. The characters were well written and believable; some likable and some downright detestable. There was a sense of constant dread and tension rather than the usual reliance on jump scares (there were some great ones though). The plot followed a pretty standard formula, but it did so well.
The film follows our protagonist, mild-mannered Joe (Ed Speleers), on the night after he has just been turned down for a promotion and is forced to work a double shift. His love interest, Ellen (Holly Weston), ends up on the same train for the evening, but turns down our hero’s insecure advances. Things go quickly downhill after the train hits something on the tracks. Carnivorous carnage careens through the train’s carriages, leaving Joe with some tough choices to make.
There was nothing new in this movie. No spectacular CGI transformations or massive explosions, no giant plot twists or sudden revelations. It was just a good, well made, well acted and well done monster movie. Highly recommended if that’s your thing. Catch the trailer below.
