Wolf Garden (2023)

When was the last time a werewolf film gave you the chills?  Exactly.  Well, prepare yourselves then because Wolf Garden has arrived and it is ready to leave you howling at the moon with its moody, atmospheric mystery.

Released from Gravitas Ventures and Lightning Strike Pictures, Wolf Garden is a horror film with more than its fair share of meditative and hair-raising moments.  In fact, don’t let the rural setting fool you.  There’s a lot more to this flick than you might expect.

"a unique horror film which offers its audience more than well-worn tropes from the realm of werewolves"


With a backstory that I won’t spoil, this entry into werewolf lore is a challenging one as it pushes its viewers to question the sanity of its characters, especially when one, William (played by the writer and the director of the movie, Wayne David), finds himself routinely feeding an unseen creature locked inside a dilapidated shed in the woods.

Wait. What?  Exactly.  Welcome to the meditative madness of Wolf Garden, a unique horror film which offers its audience more than well-worn tropes from the realm of werewolves.  This one bites for more than just bruising.  It’s down for nasty business thanks to its forward-thinking

Quiet in its execution, yet unnerving in what it reveals, Wolf Garden is a thriller that will strike you with both its poetry and its guttural punch as hints of the violence which has been inflicted comes seeping into one man’s waking world.  Scratches on wrists leads to moments of isolation as he tries to put together the shocking events in this forward-thinking puzzle of werewolves.Wolf Garden (2023)

Wolf Garden is an extremely interesting offering of hairy, sharp-toothed monsters.  It is not a straight-up horror film and it is to be applauded for not just giving the audience what they think they want when it comes to werewolf flicks.  No, you have to earn it and David offers bits and pieces of the narrative as the true story of William and his isolation is slowly peeled back. 

Presented in such a manner that has even the audience questioning the events of the film (thanks to its sharp and keyed-in edits), Wolf Garden is a movie about a man coming to terms with the striking rawness of reality as it involves the woman whom he loves, Chantelle (Sian Altman).  He’s promised to look after her and she wants to be safe, yet the fact that William has gone into hiding should tip us off.  All is not well.  Has he failed in keeping her safe?  All these questions come to mind as we watch the flashbacks pile up.

Beware the next full moon!  Wolf Garden will be released on digital platforms February 28th from Gravitas Ventures.

4/5 stars

Film Details

Wolf Garden (2023)

MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime:
89 mins
Director
: Wayne David
Writer:
Wayne David
Cast:
Wayne David; Sian Altman; Grant Masters
Genre
: Thriller | Horror
Tagline:
Love. Despair. Darkness.
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor:
Gravitas Ventures
Official Site:
Release Date:
February 28, 2023
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:

Synopsis: Tells the blood-curdling story of William (Wayne David, Containment), a young man who disappears upon experiencing haunting visions of the woman he loves and a mysterious creature in the nearby woods. You can’t escape fear.

Art

Wolf Garden (2023)