There are not too many slow burn werewolf movies out there. Wolf Garden switches things up with its story about a man named William (Wayne David, who also wrote and directed the film) who is hiding in isolation. All the while, he is haunted by visions of the women he loves while living in fear of a creature in the nearby woods.
Even creature features that are not frenetically paced move at speed that conveys chaos and confusion. There are plenty of questions in Wolf Garden, but the story is a methodical one. The atmosphere is not so much about creating fear as it is mystery. What happened to Chantelle (Sian Altman) and why does William live by himself?
One way Wolf Garden separates itself is it is more of a character study than similar films in the sub-genre. William is off-putting at first, responding to everything Chantelle says with a snarky remark and coming off as a disagreeable person in general. As the plot progresses, he seems to care about more, but it is hard not to wonder how much of that is due to terror and guilt.
This takes away from the viewing experience as the best werewolf stories introduce an element of love that is lacking here. Wolf Garden tries its best in the third act, but never captures the emotional toll lycanthropy has on its victims and loved ones. The revelations that should impact the audience most do work, but only in the most perfunctory way.
Wolf Garden takes the classic werewolf story and attempts to tell it with more nuance and character. It is a good idea in theory that does not play out as well as intended. Still, it is never aggressively bad and the closing song is perfect for a werewolf flick.
Wolf Garden will be available On Demand beginning February 28
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