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Wolf Garden 2023 ★★★
Let's be clear from the start: if you don't like slow burns, then you had better skip this review. You want movies to “make sense”? Same rules apply.
For the others: this is a well done slow burn werewolf horror. Particularly for what looks like a low budget affair.
We follow our main character William, as he and his girlfriend Chantelle retreat in a cabin in the woods. He seems to have some sort of issue with going into the public eye, but we're not sure why. At first, you think that he's on the run from criminals, but later, we find out that there are other elements at work.
I liked how this movie sets up an atmosphere where you're hardly ever really sure on what is real and what is not. Especially the scenes with Chantelle do a good job at gradually revealing what is really going on. Director Wayne David (William) and Sian Altman (Chantelle) give okay performances (certainly good compared to some of the wooden performances I've seen in other low budget horrors) and you can tell that they have a bit of chemistry. Would not surprise me to see that they are a real life couple as well. The only silly moment was the scream William gave at one point.
However... as daring as it is, the non linear storytelling is a bit off putting. If you rely on atmosphere as much as this movie does, then you are better off, in my opinion, with a straightforward storyline that keeps the viewer (more) invested.
That said, I still give it three stars. As a child of the era of Clerks and Blair Witch, I do have a certain fondness of these low budget movies that manage to pleasantly surprise you as a viewer. If you can feel that, give this one a check.
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