Jim Cummings' The Wolf of Snow Hollow (Review)

PLOT: After the brutal attack on a woman in a small town in Utah, the local police force find themselves confounded with a mysterious killer on the loose. The question is, what kind of monster are the fine folks of Snow Hollow dealing with, a man or something far more nightmarish?

REVIEW: Classic horror monsters will never die. DRACULA and NOSFERATU have forever cemented the idea of vampires in cinema. The 1941 classic, THE WOLF MAN, ushered in the timeless story of a man turning into a beast. And while we've seen many takes on all the classic frights, it was 1981 that gave us two of the best werewolf tales ever crafted. After the double punch of THE HOWLING and AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON, it was impossible to imagine another film capturing this tale of terror with such heart and genuine scares – Neil Marshall's excellent DOG SOLDIERS also rose to the occasion in 2002. All of that leads me to a not so little film written and directed by Jim Cummings. THE WOLF OF SNOW HOLLOW examines the man/beast tale with scares, humor, and intriguingly, poignancy. Let's take a bite into this fine new feature.

THE WOLF OF SNOW HOLLOW centers on John Marshall (Cummings), a local police officer in a small mountain town located in Utah. After the mysterious and brutal murder of a young woman, John finds himself struggling to identify the killer. Unfortunately for the officer, he's also dealing with his aging father, Sheriff Hadley (Robert Forster), and a broken family that includes his rebellious daughter Jenna (Chloe East). As the bodies begin to pile up, along with the stress of catching a vicious killer that appears to be something more than human, Marshall must also deal with anger management issues and his struggle with alcohol addiction. Will they catch the Wolf of Snow Hollow? Or will John Marshall's demons stand in his way?

Jim Cummings has written, directed, and starred in a feature film before. The critically acclaimed THUNDER ROAD proved the filmmaker had a uniquely confident skill of balancing it all together. Yet as good as it was, it's still impressive how he's grown with SNOW HOLLOW. At the beginning of this review, I mentioned the classic films THE HOWLING and AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON. Both took the werewolf legend in an excitingly inspired direction. You can say the same about Cummings latest. While the new feature may not be your typical werewolf flick, it examines the tropes of these stories in a refreshingly fun and inventive way. Played out as a mystery, there is much to delight in with the colorful characters. The film is missing one key ingredient to the werewolf sub-genre, yet even mentioning the specifics of it would reveal far too much about the plot. Either way, it wasn't necessary for the story at hand.

Duality is a significant theme in SNOW HOLLOW. Even in the opening credits, the way we first see this snow-covered town essentially gives a clue into what we are about to witness. Creating such a beautiful image that is distorted and turned upside down speaks volumes. As well, Cummings makes a bold choice with the very character he portrays. John Marshall is a complicated man; his anger issues, his problematic relationship with his daughter, and his frustration with his subordinates detect a man who is barely hanging on. Marshall is a good police officer. He's trying to be a good man as well, but he struggles daily with his addiction as well as his problematic relationship with the world around him. It's a complex and layered role, one that you'd probably not expect in a horror film. That is one of the many reasons the film works as well as it does. We all struggle with the beast inside, and Cummings interpretation of the wolfman story is a near-perfect take on the legend.

While Cummings' performance is excellent, the filmmaker has a gift of surrounding himself with other, very talented performers. Riki Lindhome is fantastic as a sympathetic officer who is concerned about Marshall's mindset during the investigation. Chloe East plays the rebellious daughter effectively well without devolving into a forgettable stereotype. And it's a real treat to see the very talented – and hilariously funny – Jimmy Tatro in a more dramatic role. Opposite Cummings is the legendary Robert Forster in yet another stunning performance. In his final film role, the actor brings warmth and heart to Sheriff Hadley. The emotional connection between both Cummings and Forster is rare in a movie such as this, which makes the human aspect of this surprisingly inventive feature all the more apparent.

THE WOLF OF SNOW HOLLOW is a breath of fresh air. Instead of crafting a predictably modern monster flick, Jim Cummings has given us a classically inspired, yet reality-based horror film that is likely to be as timeless as the those that came before. The cast is inspired, the score by Ben Lovett is effectively spooky, and Cummings' work with cinematographer Natalie Kingston feels as beautifully bold as it is personal. While this may not be your typical werewolf flick, it manages to bring that legend to life once again without sacrificing the humanity of it all. Grounded yet gorgeously shot, disturbing yet still with a sense of humor and heart, this WOLF is one well worth viewing for your October movie marathon, and for the one after that and the one after that. SNOW HOLLOW's werewolf legend opens this Friday in theatres and on-demand!