Directed by:
Paul HyettCinematography:
Adam BiddleComposer:
Paul Edward-FrancisCast:
Ed Speleers, Amit Shah, Elliot Cowan, Shauna Macdonald, Sean Pertwee, Brett Goldstein, Ross Mullan, Robert Nairne, Miroslav Zaruba, Ania Marson, Duncan Preston (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
Ticket collector Joe is overseeing the last train out of London on a dark and stormy night when suddenly the train screeches to a halt in a forest after hitting something on the tracks. When the investigating driver fails to return, Joe is left to protect the passengers. Realising an unknown and dangerous threat is lurking in the woods the disparate group of strangers must work together in order to survive a common feral enemy. (Eagle Entertainment)
(more)Reviews (3)
Paul Hyett should receive more attention in the future. He did a decent job with the exploitation flick The Seasoning House, he’s done a great job with the Howl, undoubtedly one of the best additions to the werewolf subgenre, and he has another upcoming release called Its Walls Were Blood. Howl definitely has a lot to offer. Great gore (although again there could have been more given the number of characters), likeable young actors, working suspense, perfect visuals, a closed subway location surrounded by a dark forest that creates a creepy dark atmosphere, and bad ass werewolf make-up effects that you give goosebumps and clutch your heart in your chest with every appearance. There's also a very unexpected surprise ending. My only complaint is that the pacing isn't as engrossing as it should be, there is the occasional dead spot, but I left a greasy spot when it was over, which makes for a satisfying experience. The film lived up to high expectations and won't miss the top spot this year. 80%
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For me, considering it's a werewolf horror gem, I'm starting to feel that this genre still has something to say. But that's just because it needs to be taken on by fairly capable creators. It seems like there are such creators here, and that's great. If only there were such people in the zombie genre. I can definitely recommend Howl, and even though the transformation isn't portrayed as perfectly as elsewhere, the film simply has a great atmosphere.
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In terms of atmosphere and quality, Howl reminded me in many ways of the 2004 film Creep, only in this case the subway is replaced by a train. I like films with werewolves, whether they are horror or fantasy, and Howl is unfortunately one of the less accomplished ones. Half of the characters are downright unlikeable, making it impossible to root for them, you wish they’d be taken down by one of the voracious creatures roaming the woods around the train. The visuals of the werewolves weren't exactly a winner either, many earlier films had much better make-up effects. There are a couple of jump-scares, and there is some tension, too, but even then I just felt like they just half-assed it.
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