Howl (2015)
Review by
Jude Felton
Peruse any
number of horror movie groups or forums online, and it probably won’t take too
long to find the inevitable question of recommendations of good werewolf
movies. Now, unlike vampire or zombie flicks, there aren’t all that many. Sure,
there are a few but not that much in comparison. Fortunately you can now add
Howl to the list of good ones.
I’ll admit to
not having heard much, if anything, about the UK lensed flick before the press
release hit my inbox. However, with Sean Pertwee attached in a don’t blink
because you will miss him role, who also graced the screen in the mighty Dog
Soldiers, and Shauna McDonald also starring, I had high hopes.
The plot of
Howl is in effect a staple of many, many horror flicks; stick a bunch a people
in an isolated and confined space, and then let the carnage begin type of
affair. It’s a staple that has worked untold times, and no doubt will continue
to, and does here as well. Joe, played by Ed Speleers, is a ticket collector for
a railway company and he’s just found out he’s been overlooked for a promotion.
Luckily for him an obnoxious shit of a man did get the job, and straight away
tells Ed he has to pull a double by working the late night train to the ass-end
of nowhere.
Add in a
motley assortment of passengers, or fodder as they are commonly known, and it’s
not long before the horror begins.
Howl is
definitely a good, fun movie. It’s one that relies on the characters and
situation they find themselves in, rather than focus on the creatures themselves.
In fact these are left very much in the shadows, rather than appear full-on in
your face, for the majority of the film. This works very much to the films
favor, allowing the filmmakers the freedom to not over-stretch themselves.
The cast all
do a solid job, with Speleers a worthy lead backed up by a strong supporting
cast. Throw in a decent amount of blood and carnage, and you have yourself a
quite enjoyable movie.
The one minor
gripe I did have was the mixture of passengers, on the train, played at odds
with my memories of getting the late train home. I always recalled it being a
mix of obnoxious business types and even less pleasant drunks, both who are
represented here incidentally. However, the older couple seemed to be a little
lost, as it must have been well past their Ovaltine and bedtime, with the train
having departed at midnight. Everyone else seemed to be travelling alone.
Granted, this is a movie and not a slice of life, or death, so it probably won’t
affect your enjoyment.
Overall, Howl
is most definitely worth your time checking out. There’s a good solid mix of
tension, dialogue and action, and I had a blast with it!
7.5/10
Howl was
released by Alchemy on January 12th and is available on Blu-ray and
DVD.
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