Synopsis
A group of British soldiers are attacked by werewolves in the Scottish Highlands.
Thoughts
Are you ready for some werewolves? This 2002 British horror film was directed by Neil Marshall in his filmmaking debut. Right from the start, you know this is going to be a straight up, no doubt, monster movie. You can pretty much see all of the little twists coming--but the film is so well paced and enjoyable, it's hard to really be cynical about its predictability.
It begins with an opening stinger (that actually has quite a payoff in the end) involving a couple spending some quality time together in the Highlands, camping. In the middle of their...copulation, they are attacked by something. You'd think it's a bear--but are there any grizzlies out there in Scotland? Do they have Scottish accents? Would they be attracted to kilts? Would Timothy Treadwell have gone there instead of Alaska?
None of these questions, sadly, are really dealt with in the movie. Because it's not about grizzly bears at all. No, a lowly private named Cooper (Kevin McKidd) is being tested by his commanding officer, Captain Ryan (Liam Cunningham), for British Special Forces. I'm guessing this is something like an equivalent to our marines. He "fails" Ryan's test by not shooting a dog in cold blood. I think he and Michael Vick would get along.
Cooper, then, joins the regular British Army, and is on a training mission with five other soldiers, in the Highlands. While they're on their "mission", they come across human remains and an animal carcass. There's only one survivor left--Captain Ryan, who has been attacked by something but they're not sure what. He keeps saying "There was only supposed to be one" (because there can be Only One, usually), but they don't know what he's referring to. NOT Highlander, by the way.
This complicates their mission, especially when they are attacked as well, and are bailed out by a girl named Megan. The soldiers get very weary of this situation very quickly, especially since one of them really wants to watch a football (or as we call it, soccer) match between England and Germany. It helps to know the history behind these two national squads to understand this little joke. But it also has a pay off at the end. And unlike werewolves, that match really existed.
The soldiers start getting picked off one by one as the werewolves trap them all in a seemingly abandoned house that night; and the sergeant, Wells (played by Sean Pertwee, son of John Pertwee the Third Doctor), is nearly torn apart. His insides come out, but he's still alive. So they hole up in the house and try to wait for morning.
An escape plan doesn't go very well, and it costs the lives of a few more soldiers. By the morning, the numbers of human characters has dwindled a bit.
One of the best scenes of the film comes at this time, the breaking of dawn, with Megan playing the piano while all of the remaining soldiers sit solemnly, just listening.
Then, it's back to the action when it's discovered that the morning has not brought any fortune to the men. The werewolves are still affected by the full moon, and it becomes clear to them why the house is not really "abandoned".
Ryan transforms into a werewolf due to his injuries, and it's revealed that Wells is most likely going to have the same fate. Meanwhile, Cooper and the rest of the men have discovered they really have no way out.
The action is this film is very well done, and the werewolf effects, make-up and design are all strong, as well as the gore (which gets quite gruesome at time). The performances of the main cast are also top notch, and the characters are well drawn. The most interesting and satisfying relationship is not, thankfully, the one between Cooper and Megan who obviously have an attraction for each other. But it's Cooper and Sgt. Wells that is the strongest, and carries the film into its climax. There's a lot of depth given by Pertwee, and we feel for him when it's clear he is going to wolf out eventually.
For a relatively low budget independent film, this is certainly more compelling and a more rewarding experience than some big budget horror flicks. It's a little over a decade old, but it's not a dated film by any means.
Definitely worth seeing, along with Marshall's subsequent (and best) film, The Descent.
IMDB: 6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 6.8/10
WeFLM: 8/10
-Zack
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