My goal was to bring everyone to the edge of their seats till the very last frame.
Adam MacDonald, director
It’s not very often that you come across a film with just three credited actors and a runtime of 87 minutes these days. So, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect jumping into Out Come the Wolves. What I did know was that Missy Peregrym killed it in Rookie Blue and I was willing to give anything she was in a chance. I found myself pleasantly surprised.
I’ll start by saying that I have certain expectations when I see Shudder associated with a film. If, like me, you’re a huge fan of Shudder, then you know what I mean. You should, in my opinion, put those expectations aside for this film. This film falls firmly in the thriller category and, while it contains a jump scare or two, it definitely doesn’t fit my definition of horror. With that said, I enjoy a good thriller and I feel like MacDonald accomplished his goal – I found myself shift closer and closer to the edge of my seat as the film progressed.
I actually have to give a lot of credit to the tension building that happens in the film. We’re talking about a rather basic concept – man versus beast, but there’s nothing basic about the work that is done to build tension over the film. In some ways, it is a bit of a sleeper and I think that adds to the overall tension. The film starts slowly and steers you down a completely different direction. I spent the first 30 minutes expecting a love triangle to escalate to violence and that the wolves weren’t going to be the main attraction. Eventually, however, the wolves are involved and from that moment, I was hooked.
Eventually, you will find yourself in a situation with our cast riding an ATV and a dirt bike and the combination of their engines and the music builds tension in a way that music alone cannot. Whoever decided to put those together at the moment they did was a genius. Once you add the frantic camera movements, you find yourself completely drawn in, unable to look away as you eagerly await the outcome of the film.
While I’m very familiar with the work of Missy Peregrym, who plays Sophie, I was not familiar with either of her male co-stars – Joris Jarsky, who plays her friend, Kyle, and Damon Runyan, who plays her fiancé, Nolan. I was impressed by both of their performances as they managed to nearly keep pace with Peregrym who is, without a doubt, the star of the show. It is easy to tell that Peregrym is the one with the established career and her performance, particularly in the final act of the film, just continues to help the tension build.
In my mind, there’s no downside to watching this film. The runtime is damn near perfect – I wish more movies would aim for that classic 90-minute mark these days. The acting is excellent and the tension will keep you on the edge of your seat. The only downside I see for this film is promotion. Last weekend was Fan Expo Canada, a major Canadian pop culture event that, in the past, has featured screenings for new television and films. A film like this would have found a following at an event like that and a screening would have made an excellent addition to their schedule. Shudder has a huge following at events like these, so anything with the Shudder brand attached is bound to be popular. So, a missed opportunity that I hope won’t prevent too many people from seeing this film because I have a feeling that anyone who watches it is going to leave satisfied that their time was well spent.
IFC Films will release Out Come the Wolves in Theatres and on VOD on August 30.
Out Come the Wolves
Movie title: Out Come the Wolves
Movie description: Retired hunter Sophie invites her fellow hunter and childhood best friend Kyle to her family’s secluded cabin deep in the woods. There, she plans for Kyle to meet and teach her fiancé Nolan how to hunt for an article he's writing and to share the news of their engagement. Tensions flare between Kyle and Nolan over their shared history with Sophie, escalating during the hunt that goes awry when they are ambushed by a vicious pack of territorial wolves. As alliances fracture under the pressure of survival, Sophie is forced to rely on her long-abandoned hunting prowess to face the deadly predators and save the one closest to her heart.
Date published: 2024-08-30
Director(s): Adam MacDonald
Actor(s): Missy Peregrym, Joris Jarsky, Damon Runyan
Genre: Thriller
Overall
4-
Overall
-
Nightlight Required
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White Knuckle Flick
-
Jump Scare Usage
