The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020) Review

Tagline: “Welcome to Snow Hollow.”

The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020) Review

 

Werewolf films frequently end up treading a lot of the same territory. Obviously they are most often about the horror of the protagonist turning into a monster on a full moon, and the threat to others of being killed or turned into one, as well, but sometimes the concept is played up for comedy. When it’s not a comedy or tragedy, it’s often tied to the mystery genre. Who is the werewolf? If you’re tired of the same old schtick when it comes to werewolves, consider The Wolf of Snow Hollow, a film that proves there’s still plenty you can do with the classic creature to make it feel fresh and entertaining.

Jim Cummings plays John (he also wrote and directed this whole thing), a deputy sheriff with three big problems. 1) He’s an alcoholic, 2) he doesn’t get along with many people in the small town of Snow Hollow, Utah, and 3) he has to deal with the brutal murder of a young woman, which may have been by either a man or a wolf…or a wolfman? In just the same way Jim tells his police department, the movie tells us any rational person knows werewolves are imaginary, but some are not so convinced, especially when subsequent full moon murders take place. Jim has so many problems that he becomes distracted from other familial concerns, like the angst of his teenage daughter and the health of his father the sheriff, played by the late great Robert Forster in one of his last roles. Forster’s presence lends a bit more credibility to the cast, but is he the werewolf? It seems unlikely since there are multiple times when John has to literally hold him up just to keep him on his feet. John’s frequently unhinged behaviour makes you question early on if he is the werewolf, and the mystery becomes the focus of the plot, but unravels at a great pace and keeps you going right to the last scene.

The Wolf of Snow Hollow is not your typical werewolf movie, but I can’t say exactly why without spoiling a fun aspect of the story that isn’t apparent for most of the runtime. What it really comes down to in terms of entertainment value is whether or not you vibe with Jim Cummings and his brand of humour. I’d call the movie a horror-comedy-ish, leaning more toward the horror and mystery with injections of black comedy, dry humour, and deadpan delivery throughout. There’s some very crisp, creepy cinematography of the snowy, mountainous locales, and while you don’t see too much of the werewolf throughout, there are a few satisfactory glimpses of it in the midst of several brutal murders. Most of the violence is offscreen, likely because this was only a two-million-dollar production (very low budget by modern standards), but Cummings was clever in how he shot not only the horror scenes but also the mundane details, like John’s AA meetings, where we hardly see any of the other people he’s speaking to, but never question why.

Even though we don’t see much of the killings, the aftermath of each is pretty well documented, and there are simple, unsettling visuals placed throughout the runtime to stoke the flames of the mystery, but at no point does it ever get truly scary. Intentionally disorienting editing is used at a few points, which is fairly effective, but everything is shot pretty conservatively, without any real standout visual tricks or some of the usual werewolf eye candy. Don’t expect a transformation or even a closeup of the creature; the focus is squarely on the characters, but it works to the desired effect, and the humour comes primarily from how the protagonist deals with the disturbing case and the difficult people around him. Cummings delivers some great, exasperated lines throughout, which often leave other characters looking baffled.

I won’t say much else about The Wolf of Snow Hollow to preserve the mystery on which the foundation of this somewhat unconventional werewolf tale is built, but in terms of modern takes on one of cinema’s oldest movie monsters, I think this is one of the best, though only if you’re open to a tale that is simultaneously more grounded but also quite idiosyncratic by its very nature.