The Wolf of Snow Hollow directed by Jim Cummings is a movie that I have been trying to see since it came out! This movie was getting a lot of buzz and a lot of attention within the film community and I had to check it out. The trailer enthralled me and gained my interest immediately. This movie is about a fellow police officer who is tasked to find a killer who leaves absolute carnage every full moon night in a small snow mountain town. This leads to them thinking it may be a werewolf. This leads John Marshall, the officer, to try and figure out this mystery. The main star in the movie also so happens to be the writer and director of this movie! The person behind this great soon to be cult classic is none other than Jim Cummings! Also stars Riki Lindhome, Robert Forster, Chloe East and Will Madden creating an amazing ensemble.
The movie is honestly one of the nicest surprises of 2020 and brought something new and refreshing! Now let’s talk about the filmmaking of this movie. Beginning with the score, the music is really engaging and caught my attention right from the opening. What beautiful opening shots by the way! Very unique way to open the film! We start off with some great cinematography and editing right out of the gate. We get a great look at the setting of the film and where everything will take place. The dissolve tactic in the transitions are seamless and the use of the upside down shots allows the viewer to understand that this will not be your typical movie! This movie is directed very well and we see that with the great use of tracking shots and panning shots in each scene. Natalie Kingston who is the cinematographer for this movie did an excellent job! We can tell that they put a lot of effort in framing their shots and showing the viewer exactly what they want us to see. The use of lighting is brilliant as well. The use of headlights, the moon and other natural light sources worked extremely well. The pacing of this film is pretty flawless as well. Nothing felt rushed or felt like it was beginning to drag. The way the story telling is told, we get introduced to new characters throughout the film and it does not feel forced or unnecessary. This movie is very well cut together. There are also multiple genres which are immaculately blended and compliment each other. We see a little bit of everything, from horror, comedy and even bits of drama. The movie is written in a way that most of the characters especially the main character are very over the top but it is done on purpose. It is very clear from the very beginning that the movie is very self aware of itself.
The Wolf of Snow Hollow really shines based on its social commentary and deep underlying themes. There are so many layers to this movie! On a surface level its a silly over the top comedy about a cop who is trying to disprove that a werewolf is killing the victims. A bunch of professional people who are really not acting professional trying to figure out what is happening in this small town. Beneath the surface we get themes of loss of a loved one, relationships with our peers, family drama and even darker themes such as alcoholism and the fact that there are predators within our society out there in the world. Wolves among us. Subtle story telling that reveals more and more throughout the movie. Comedy is what drives the movie but there are many moment of emotional impact. Jim Cummings is truly the star that delivers many great moments. There is an amazing scene he has with his daughter in the film that was very emotional and impactful. The ending of this movie was one I did not expect! It also delivered the final blow with a great line before the credits start rolling that basically summarizes what the movie has been trying to show us this entire time! We can see that we all have moments where we as people can be monsters some times. We all have our inner demons and sometime project that on others. Also the fact that we do live in a very dangerous world that many women fall victim too.
Final thoughts! This movie is a great ride! The movie is probably not gonna be everyone’s favorite, but it is brilliantly done. A movie that is right up my alley and delivers many great messages that don’t feel forced. It’s very charming and has some great laughs. Horror fans will not be disappointed! There are some intense scenes and some great body horror. Comedy lovers will get a kick out of this as well! So many one liners and the deliveries on these jokes in the film, land every time! Honestly a great story with some excellent film work and pacing. This movie flies by! Super layered film for those who like to look into deep social commentary and symbolism. I highly recommend people checking this now out!