Wolf Hollow

Mark Cantu's low-budget lycanthrope romp plays like background noise for a pizza-and-soda sleepover: glossy CW-style twenty-somethings, minimal menace. In the beginning, the werewolves barely show-a blessing, given their party-store masks-so most of the runtime is banter, flirting and shaky flashlights. Effects are serviceable, gore restrained, pacing brisk enough that you won't resent the clichés piling up alongside the empty popcorn bowl. Harmless, disposable fun for baby horror fans; seasoned werewolf devotees will crave a meatier bite. Stream it once, then let it drift away with the next full moon.

I cannot think of anything good to say about this film other than it is mercifully short. The sound quality is dreadful so it is hard at times to make out what is being said. The camera shots are at weird angles. The acting is dire. The story doesn't make sense and apart from werewolves being able to be killed with silver had very little to do with normally accepted werewolf folklore. The special effects are especially awful. If you value your sanity then don't watch this movie, there are much better ways to spend 90 minutes - you could for example break out a can of paint put some on a wall and watch it dry!

I've seen lots of movies in my 56 years, but I have never seen one this awful. I barely made it past the opening credits. I have zero artistic talent of any kind, so I've never before said "I could have done better," when it comes to a movie. Unfortunately, this one actually made me say that out loud. The acting? There isn't any. It's just some amateurs wandering around making inane conversation. The writing? There isn't any. I'm convinced they just made it up as they went, and it wouldn't have mattered because the sound mixing is so bad you can't make out any of the "dialogue" anyway. The special effects? Well, that's pure Spirit Halloween store on a very low budget. Save yourself! I cannot imagine how this movie was even made, let alone released.

Based on the editing nightmare opening scene, I thought this flick would be bottom-of-the-barrel garbage. But once it properly begins... well... the sound mix is off, the lighting is inconsistent, and the actors are all in different movies.

However, as a comedy and a werewolf movie, there are some genuine laughs and fun gags. It's just not consistent enough for the fun bits to overwhelm the amateur and boring bits. Because, yeah, despite everything both positive and negative, its biggest sin is bogging down in its second half.

The practical effects are a mixed bag. The gore and splatter isn't bad, especially when used for yuks. The werewolf could have been ok if it didn't look like a particularly expensive inanimate Halloween mask.

I've seen worse movies and this honestly should be among them. But it tries real hard, I genuinely laughed a few times, and I kind of admire what they managed to pull off. If only they had the talent and the money to do better.

I was initially lured in to watch the 2023 movie "Wolf Hollow" as it was a werewolf movie that I had already seen. And the movie's cover definitely did a fair job in making me stop up and pick up the movie. Without ever having heard about director Mark Cantu's 2023 movie, I didn't know what I was in for, aside from it being a werewolf movie, which essentially was all I needed to watch it.

Writers Mark Cantu and Brian Ceponis put together a script and storyline that wasn't particularly impressive. The movie starts out okay, but quickly settles into a slump from which the narrative never really recovers. And the movie advances at a sluggish pace, without much excitement or thrills.

The acting performances in the movie were fairly rigid for the most parts. There were some pretty awful performances, but also some fair enough among the actors and actresses. I've seen enough low budget horror movies to be familiar with Felissa Rose, whom happened to be the only familiar face on the screen.

The special effects in the movie were actually good, taking the rest of the movie into consideration. And truth be told, the special effects do actually carry the movie a long way. The werewolves, though, well they were inarticulate and looked nothing more than what they actually were; and that was Halloween latex masks. That just doesn't cut it, the werewolves should be able to close their mouths, which they couldn't do in this movie.

If you are a diehard fan of werewolf movies, then check out "Wolf Hollow". I do like werewolf movies, but the majority of them are subpar movies, and "Wolf Hollow" fell into that category for me.

My rating of director Mark Cantu's 2023 movie "Wolf Hollow" lands on a generous four out of ten stars.