MY CALL: Despite some over-the-top death scenes, this is much more of a crime thriller mystery than a death or gore-rich horror flick. While not so rewatchable, it offers an “off the beaten path” genre experience I found quite novel. MORE MOVIES LIKE Wolfen: For more Native American horror of the era, I’d recommend Scalps (1983), Poltergeist II (1986), Creepshow 2 (1987) or The Manitou (1978).
Okay, begin movie. So our wolf—and we know it’s a wolf because of the movie posters and title—sneaks up on a guy as we see through his POV predator vision. Guy pulls a gun and… THWOP! The wolf cleanly “chops off” the guy’s hand somehow? Whaaaaa? Did the wolf use… a sword? Well, however silly it may sound, the bloodletting is gruesomely heavy and the horror scenes offer a well-executed intensity as two more people are massacred. So there’s that. But be warned that this is not at all the silly 80s horror fare that my description of the opening scene may suggest. Quite to the contrary, this is a very serious, plotty, and humorless affair in the horror genre… with a rather over-the-top execution of horror effects.
Investigating this slaughter is New York cop Dewey Wilson (Albert Finney; Looker). With some insight from his stylish coroner (Gregory Hines; Eve of Destruction), Wilson comes to find there is no sign of a standard weapon use in these murders. A curious case indeed. And as Wilson digs deeper into a series of similar murders, these wolves slit throats (somehow) and then carefully hide the bodies to be later discovered enshrouded by maggots far from the murder scene. The “wolf bite decapitation” scene was a splendor, however silly. Delivered all with a very straight face. This is a very serious movie without much in the way of jokes or tongue-in-cheek horror humor.
Wilson is led to an animal specialist indicating wolf attacks, and even humorous radical hypotheses of Native American shapeshifters. And who could blame Wilson? He literally speaks to Native Americans claiming to be able to shift form and later has an interesting encounter with one such naked Native (Edward James Olmos; Blade Runner) frolicking and snarling around the beach like a wolf in the moonlight.
This is a well-made film. I’d say it’s pretty good. But I’d warn that the pacing leaves something to be desired in terms of blood and horror. Director Michael Wadleigh’s only horror movie is really more of a mystery crime thriller revolving around a horror theme. It’s not the kind of “fun rewatchable” horror movie to which most fans flock, and it lacks the quotables and visuals that would otherwise keep it regular in online conversations. But it offers an “off the beaten path” experience that I found quite satisfying.