by Shane Conto
Who is ready for a long string of horror flicks coming this October? Halloween might not be the same this year, but one thing that is for certain is that there will be plenty of horror flicks all over streaming and VOD. One of the more interesting twists on the horror genre is the idea of a horror-comedy. What could be more fun than mixing your thrills with plenty of laughs? The Wolf of Snow Hollow is a new horror-comedy coming your way this October in cinemas and VOD alike. Take an isolated little town where everyone knows everyone and the local police is led by a father and his son. Then…weird occurrences begin to happen. Women are turning up not only dead, but completely mutilated. They find wolf fur at the scenes of the crime. Could it be a werewolf? Will this town give in to these crazy theories of mythical creatures? Or will they find out the truth to be much more obvious?
The Wolf of Snow Hollow is a pure creation from the mind of Jim Cummings.
Cummings not only wrote and directed the film, but always starred as the police officer leading the case. Cummings gives the film a quality look to it as they take the time to capture the beauty of this Utah town in the snow. These shots aid the film in creating this isolation needed. The tension really works for it as we sit on the edge of our seat wondering when the violence will strike next. Cummings delivers in quite a few areas behind the camera. He is able to balance the darkly funny moments pretty well against the more emotional and serious moments, even if those laughs feel too sporadic. The pacing of this 85-minute feature is lacking though. There are a few moments in the second act that feel like they suck the energy out of the film. Those scenes do not deliver on the same level as the rest of the film.
From a writing perspective, Cummings is able to spin a strong story.
The mystery around what is going on keeps you on your toes. Honestly, the film arrives at a surprising ending to this mystery while also delivering a thrilling conclusion. The issue is that the final build in the third act feels a bit rushed. Cummings does deliver some solid dark laughs, but the film doesn’t deliver them consistently enough to make this work as a comedy. Too many of the laughs are also delivered in obnoxious and over-the-top ways that really take you out of the movie. Can there possibly be more yelling in this film? Our protagonist has plenty going on in his life which builds sympathy, but the script could have given more time to let these dramatic elements flourish and grow in the narrative.
Then there is the acting.
Cummings plays Officer Marshall as a yelling and aggressive jerk most of the film. His character turns out to be so hard to like that I struggled to connect and care for him. Cummings’ choices as an actor were bold and big in all of the worst ways. It got to the point that I wished the film focused on a different character. Case in point, Robert Forster. The late actor portrays Cumming’s father and he is relatable and engaging. His presence works so well that his lack of screen time made me long for his perspective instead. The rest of the cast is solid and plays the parts that they need to.
Where does The Wolf of Snow Hollow fall in the spectrum of horror flicks coming out for the Halloween season?
The film does a solid job of delivering both laughs and thrills which is a nice change of pace. The story will keep you guessing as well and who doesn’t enjoy that? In the end, the film struggles through to deliver more than just a B-genre film feel. The film definitely could have benefited from a more fleshed out narrative which was not possible in the 85-minute runtime. But I had a good time and you just might too!
Grade: B-