Coming off Backcountry and Slasher, Canadian director Adam MacDonald returns to the thriller genre with Out Come the Wolves. The story follows Kyle (Joris Jarsky), who visits his childhood best friend Sophie (Missy Peregrym) and her fiancé Nolan (Damon Runyan). Kyle is helping Sophie by assisting her fiancé in writing an article for his magazine on hunting—specifically, his reaction to going hunting for the first time. However, things take a dark turn when they encounter a pack of predatory wolves.
The practical effects in Out Come the Wolves are the film’s standout feature; every bite and teeth pull is visceral! The use of real wolves on set truly heightened the horror for the actors. The wolves featured in the movie were provided by Instinct Animals for Film, the same team that worked on HBO’s Game of Thrones and the History Channel’s Vikings series. While it would have been easier to use CGI/VFX wolves, doing so wouldn’t have conveyed the same fear and intensity from the actors.
The blood, bruises, and missing chunks of human flesh were also standout features, earning major kudos for the makeup and props department. These elements allowed the actors to convincingly portray the pain they experienced from each wolf attack. All three main actors endure a rough time, and they do a great job of selling every vicious wolf pack frenzy.
The downfall of Out Come the Wolves is its inability to stay interesting for the full 1-hour and 28-minute runtime. The characters were also a bit annoying for all the wrong reasons; while the tension between the three of them was adequate, it wasn’t compelling. Thankfully, the dialogue wasn’t cheesy, but the b-plot involving the tension between the characters became clichéd once the first conflict arose. Its saving grace was that the buildup led to a payoff, though even that was somewhat stereotypical.
“Despite the rocky camera work and story troubles, Out Come the Wolves kept it simple.”
The main issue with the story is how it initially sets up some of the characters as skilled hunters, but this comes off as slightly lacklustre. Films like The Grey or The Revenant depicted their protagonists as competent in dealing with the wilderness. In Out Come the Wolves, the characters talk a big game but don’t really show it. It’s an unfortunate case of telling rather than showing.
The cinematography was inconsistent. The opening shot of the film was daunting, with the classic Ontario overcast and dreary grey skies. Overall, the shots of Dundas, Ontario, and Red Deer, Alberta, were pleasant and relatable for those familiar with these sceneries. If only the camera could stay still.
Potentially, MacDonald was trying to show the humans’ shakiness and their abilities to keep their calm in the elements. However, the concept was not executed well—it was almost a little too shaky and could make audiences nauseous. It worked in some moments, but many fast sweeping shots and quick cuts were debilitating.
Despite the rocky camera work and story troubles, Out Come the Wolves kept it simple. The plot was not convoluted or filled with much dead time. Shots of the characters struggling to survive were grueling to witness. Again, the practical effects heavily carried this film. The actors played their parts well, despite their characters being poorly written. It is not on the level of Jaws, Crawl or some of the other notable animal attack films—but was thrilling enough to watch the gore against a familiar backdrop.
