Out Come the Wolves pits man versus nature in a bloody and visceral fight for survival that doesn't quite pass the logic test. The simple premise has a journalist and his fiancé joining her best friend for a weekend wilderness hunting trip that goes horribly awry. Sharp camerawork, quick edits, and a literally growling soundtrack create tension when the script comes up lacking. The characters, initially thought out with believable exposition, fall into the mindless trap of genre idiocy that turns ostensibly smart people into lunch meat. An attempt at more cerebral underpinnings falls flat when common sense is chucked out the window.
Kyle (Joris Jarsky) drives his ATV towards a cabin in the deep woods. He's met at the door by Sophie (Missy Peregrym), his longtime bestie and also an experienced hunter. She's surprised to find Kyle alone. He was supposed to bring his girlfriend on the excursion. Nolan (Damon Runyan), Sophie's city slicker partner, isn't happy with this development.
Sophie and Kyle laugh and giggle while an increasingly jealous Nolan tries to write. The hunting trip was arranged because of his forthcoming article on getting out of your comfort zone. Nolan, a meat eater, wants the experience of killing his own food. Bacon comes from somewhere. It just doesn't magically appear on your plate.
Kyle's stunned to learn that Sophie is now a vegan. Her hunting days are over. This means Kyle will have to take Nolan on the deer hunt. Nolan proves to be a terrible shot with arrows and guns when Kyle tries to teach him. He dislikes Nolan and has always harbored a longing for Sophie. Her hope that they'll get along is entirely misplaced. Kyle and Nolan leave Sophie at the cabin the next morning. They embark on an adventure that will test everyone in unforeseen ways.
Strong Style Builds Tension Until It All Falls Apart
Adam MacDonald, an actor (Rookie Blue, Being Erica) turned director (Backcountry, Slasher), comes out of the gate swinging with visual cues. His opening shot of an upside-down, dense forest slowly turning into view grabs your attention before the nearly deafening sound of the ATV's rumbling engine envelopes the screen. He then goes full Michael Bay with 360 wrap around shots that circle the characters when they meet at the cabin. MacDonald captures a relatively straightforward environment with an ominous touch in a foreboding beginning.
This methodology continues inside the cabin. There are reaction shots aplenty as Nolan observes Kyle and Sophie's close relationship. The focus then flips to Kyle getting the same medicine with Sophie's clear love for a man he considers not worthy. MacDonald does an effective job filming palpable unease in a tight space. He creates an uncomfortable atmosphere when the film's script comes across as obvious and clunky. It's a trend that continues for the worse when the second act's savagery kicks into high gear.
Logic Flies Out the Window
Out Come the Wolves exhilarates and devolves at the same time. That's a bummer because there was meat on the bone for greatness. Kyle and Nolan's hunt goes exactly as expected when their differences are exposed during a critical moment. Each character plays true to form. This might not have been such a letdown if they hadn't lost their brains at the same time. The film takes a page from the 'dumb people in the woods' trope that tumbles the narrative south.
Kyle and Nolan are well-armed. This reviewer can buy Nolan stupidly fumbling with his weapons. Kyle, already established as an elite hunter who knows the terrain like the back of his hand, can't make the same mistakes. How can a guy who can easily hit a bullseye be so inept when it's time to pull the trigger? MacDonald wants the viewer to believe that fear leads to devastating ineptitude in a fight or flight situation. That reasoning may have worked if the men hadn't acted so unrealistically when their lives were in danger. They have guns, bows, and knives. Wolves are ferocious predators but aren't bullet and arrow proof.
Out Come the Wolves Is Stylish Nonsense
Sophie getting off the bench and into the game also smacks silly. How she ends up in the woods is head-scratching. It really can't be discussed without spoilers. But like Kyle, she's supposed to be a badass crackshot. How can a gun-toting, expert hunter on a motorbike be so easily outmatched by wolves? These aren't genius lupines tactically outwitting humans. In fact, the wolves behave completely out of character by ignoring easy prey and targeting the cast. That behavior in itself is nonsensical.
MacDonald deserves credit for his stylized approach. He adds sizzle to a rote, predictable script that goes exactly where you think. Out Come the Wolves can be enjoyed for cheap thrills, but wastes a golden opportunity to competently explore its early themes of man's true nature and the often performative phoniness of male competition. Willing suspension of disbelief is the only way to buy this story.
Out Come the Wolves is a production of December Films and High Park Entertainment. It will have a concurrent theatrical and VOD release from IFC Films and Shudder. You can watch it on digital platforms like Apple TV, YouTube, Fandango at Home, or on Prime Video through the link below:
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