Now would really be as good a time as any to release a werewolf movie considering that one-which-shall-not-be-named, the ‘Twilight’ series, is perhaps the last one in my recollection. Coming off the 2018’s critically well received indie hit ‘Thunder Road’, Jim Cummings once again directs, pens and stars in The Wolf Of Snow Hollow. It finds his character, officer John Marshall and his co-workers, dealing with a series of murders in a small town of Snow Hollow in Utah, only to realise that they might be looking for a werewolf instead of a person or an animal. Switching gears from simple dramedy to also adding horror and thriller to that mix, there’s quite a lot of charm found in the process which can help you look past some weaker elements.
Everything moves forward constantly with good momentum thanks to the fine-tuned cast and smooth dialogue they’re working with. Cummings himself has the biggest moments to showcase just that but Riki Lindhome (as detective Julia Robson) takes the spotlight as the movie keeps ramping up, she offers a rare outing in a supporting role which naturally turns into a leading role with plenty of wit and correct comedic timing. With only 85 minutes to talk through the story, there’s a requirement for precise dialogue and that is precisely what ”Snow Hollow” gives you. Not a moment is spared to set up jokes or plot movements which works for balancing multiple genres in this juggler’s act. Horror influenced werewolf murders actually counterbalance the more clear comedic moments here.
Something that the quick delivery dialogue is covering for is the fact that the latter parts of the film take on a bit more than they can handle. We kind of start rushing into Marshall’s personal life with his daughter Jenna (Chloe East) and father Sheriff Hadley (Robert Forster in his last role before passing away) and those relationships don’t necessarily play out in any way. Marshall as a character (and main character to be specific) feels to be a slight letdown considering that in ‘Thunder Road’ the character work for especially outstanding. Marshall seems like a sketch version of Jim Arnaud from that film which inherently makes you care less about the personal dealings and outbursts towards co-workers. All that to say, even succeeding in making an entertaining werewolf movie in 2020 with one stand out performance is something to appreciate.
Smileys: Riki Lindhome, dialogue, tone
Frowneys: Pacing, characterisation
Are you fur sure?
