SGM Month of Halloween Horror Movie for Oct. 16

"Brotherhood of the Wolf" (2001)


Themes: Horror of the unknown
Synopsis (from the back of the box): When a mysterious beast ravages the countryside, two unlikely heroes are called in to fight the evil. The only way they can save the land from this unspeakable terror is to face their greatest fears, unearth a dark power and reveal a deadly secret.

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Really, they aren’t that unlikely a set of heroes. And honestly, if you can’t figure out the villain’s identity by the first third of the film – and I’m being generous there – then I fear for you.

The strength of this film is its period setting. Some dude named Fronsac and his hetero life partner Manny (who I kept wanting to call “Manny Fernandez”) are called upon to investigate a series of grisly murders. Now, for being a smart couple of guys in the king’s court, instead of saying “Aw naw, hell naw,” they’re actually fighting to stay a part of the investigation by the middle of the movie. Man, first time I saw someone’s insides on the outsides, I’d be out like a scout on a new route, guillotine or no guillotine.

Granted, if Monica Bellucci showed me her tig ol’ bitties as a means of prophesizing the insane goings-on, I would probably be talked into staying too.

The film has a very acceptable blend of kung-fu, fantasy, horror, and political intrigue to keep it fresh and interesting. The mystery of the Beast of Gevaudan is set up quite nicely, as there are few clues given to suggest the nature of the monster. Either the town is dealing with a wild animal, a maniacal killer, or something otherworldly. Like I said earlier, you can guess one of the villain’s identities almost immediately, but getting to the denouement of the tale is by no means diminished by this.

Rating: 2 3/4 count