- Director: Jim Cummings
- Writer: Jim Cummings
- Stars: Jim Cummings, Riki Lindhome, Robert Forster
Review
In the formula infested industry we experience on a daily basis, we could confuse the inherently different with the original and effective. It doesn’t mean we should blame someone for this, since even in the golden eras of horror, formulas tend to be popular and very attractive to hordes of fans looking for their fix. However, when a new movie arrives with an aura of authenticity that’s hard to overlook, it’s mandatory to take notice.
Genuinely funny and spooky, The Wolf of Snow Hollow is a rare case of a horror film that looks and feels like no other. The film was a surprise in every territory it was released on, and it didn’t even matter if the final result didn’t end up awakening a personal effect on audiences. The film is not even scary if you think about it. But it’s a fine entry in the world of the weird, the bold and the undeniably unsettling.
I guarantee you: this is a movie you will not expect and, in this case, that’s a good thing.
A whole new genre perspective
Welcome to Snow Hollow, a small town where everyone knows each other, and the police consist of only a handful of idiots. A young couple arrives to spend a few days apart and that same night, the girl is brutally murdered. A few days after, another mangled body appears. This is not a random series of events. A sheriff’s deputy starts investigating while trying to keep the press silent about the strange features of the murders. It appears as if a wolf is responsible. When someone mentions “werewolf” the situation gets worse. In Snow Hollow, these things don’t happen. The sheriff is an old man whose health is fragile and his son must protect him at all costs. He’s also a father, an ex-husband and an alcoholic. The stressful events are an additional ingredient in a probable nervous breakdown. Perhaps, the only thing he must do is acknowledge there is something out there in the dark, and it’s not as natural as he thought.
Throws structures in the trash
Jim Cummings stars as Officer John Marshall. He also writes and directs The Wolf of Snow Hollow and he does a great job at it. The film’s focus points make it an authentic twist on the werewolf fable. In its final minutes, there’s a beautiful confirmation of being in the presence of a great talent.
The film lacks the dramatic structures of the genre and simply shatters the expectations by displaying weird characters in a weird film. They don’t act like your typical horror protagonists. They’re consistent with the style and method of a writer/director who decided to portray horror as a backdrop for something definitely funny: a life crisis of some kind. I don’t believe I’ve seen this insight before in this kind of film.
The value of variant outlooks in horror
The Wolf of Snow Hollow is a gem. It’s a film that works as a display for Jim Cummings as the new guy in town who is capable of creating different worlds and characters. It’s also pretty funny film about stupid people trying to deal with a horrific situation. And finally it is a horror film about a monster wreaking havoc. Do you need anything else? Go watch it.
Federico Furzan | Twitter: @federicofurzan
You can read more from Federico at https://screentology.com/
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