Dog Soldiers

There is a little sub genre of horror that involves people with guns vs. monsters. The most famous are of course Aliens, but there are few others (28 days later is another example).

Soldiers are the people of our society to whom we give the latest technology for killing, train them in this art to basically make monsters out of men and then their job is defend civilization against the monsters (where it is Osoma Bin Ladin or Werewolves, it doesn't matter).

Having said or that, this low budget, but well made horror flick has a squad of soldiers wandering around Scotland on a routine training mission, only to find out they are really there as bait for werewolves.

Lots of guns, guts (sausages) and gory glory. Heaps of pop culture references, fine acting, some scares, but lots of action. The werewolves are cool, the military action is authentic enough, and the analogy of the pack of werewolves and the squad of soldiers is a good one. It never had theatrical release in America, but did very well for itself in the UK.

Overall a good movie, with some flaws such as plot twists either being obvious (but then I tend to get most of them right away) or just silly and much of the time they are playing the movie for laughs when the audience is more into the tension and is there for the scare.

You won't see many horror films like this, so if you like soldier movies, horror movies, low budget movies or just want something a little different, see it.

It's proof that a simple concept can be very entertaining when done well. A routine army training exercise in the remote Scottish highlands becomes a desperate fight for survival when the soldiers run across some werewolves. The plot's about as basic as it gets but the film benefits from good performances (the cast is particularly adept at conveying the grizzled camaraderie of the protagonists), intelligent use of practical effects, moments of understated humor and well-staged action. With the exception of one unearned and undercooked twist the script is tight and coherent.

Routinely and deservedly ranked among the best werewolf films, it's must-see for genre enthusiasts and should entertain general audiences too.

A group of squaddies are sent out into woods in the Scottish highlands to take part in a small practice operation against a group of special force soldiers. However when Sgt Wells' men locate the other unit they find that Captain Ryan is the only survivor and, appears to be mad, gibbering about "things". When the group are attacked by something else, they take Ryan and his array of weapons and flee. They find local girl Megan in a landrover and she takes them to the nearest shelter to attend to the wounded – an empty farmhouse. As Megan tells them of werewolves in the woods, and Ryan sits silent as to what his team were actually up to, the "things" start to gather and strike the house.

With comparatively no budget to speak of, it is no surprise that among the references, this film pays homage to the Evil Dead by calling one of its characters Corporal Bruce Campbell. Certainly with a group of people in farmhouse (cabin) in the woods fighting off an unstoppable supernatural evil is almost homage enough in itself although, for me, this didn't get anywhere near to the horror of that film. However it does still manage to produce quite an enjoyable film even if it isn't really scary in a true sense. The plot is simple and it is a good thing because the action bits are best, while the dialogue bits are less so. The film does pretty well to keep the tension up but I did think it could have been tighter and more suspenseful than it was at times. That said, the attacks are good and, as long as you aren't too demanding, it will do enough to keep you entertained. I must admit that the "Britishness" of it and the fact that it was such a low-budget affair may me more willing to forgive it such things – although some of the dialogue was so clunky and unconvincing that it was occasionally hard to get past – although I did get a big laugh out of the Matrix reference "there is no spoon".

The cast do pretty well, shouting and running around convincingly enough. I would have liked a bit liked a bit more humanity but in fairness the characters were pretty accurate for many squaddy types I know. Pertwee is fun and for probably the first and last time is the big name of the film. McKidd is OK but he has to carry a lot of the talking and it means his limits show up more than the others. Cleasby is pretty poor and she is lumbered with a poor character to boot. Cunningham was fairly obvious but I was constantly distracted by just how much he came across like George Galloway (minus the moustache of course). Lockyer, Robson, Simpson and others are pretty one dimensional but Morfitt had energy and manage to stand out with a bit of character. The direction is good and wisely keeps the camera fluid and the monsters hidden – although I personally though the costumes were good for the money they cost.

Overall this is an enjoyable film. It appears to homage other films as much as it borrows from them, but it does it well enough. It could have been tenser, more exciting and it certainly could have been scarier but it still works as an action/horror of sorts. Apparently a sequel is planned and I hope the bigger budget can improve it a bit but for now this is an enjoyable low-budget horror that is basic but fun and worth seeing.

I recently enjoyed the UK 🇬🇧 gem Dog Soldiers (2002) on Prime. The storyline follows a British military unit sent to the Scottish countryside for training exercises where they've heard stories of strange events they think are meant to scare them. Upon arrival, the discovery of scattered soldiers' corpses confirms the unsettling rumors.

Directed and written by Neil Marshall (known for The Descent) and featuring Sean Pertwee (from Event Horizon), Kevin McKidd (Trainspotting), Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones) and Emma Cleasby (Doomsday).

This British werewolf film stands out with its well-chosen settings that immerse you in the unfolding events. The cast is impeccably selected and deliver authentic dialogue making the circumstances feel believable. While the special effects and costumes might take some adjustment, they grow on you as the story unfolds. As every werewolf movie needs, the transformation sequence is excellent, and the action maintains its intensity until the last 30 minutes, which are a horror cinematic goldmine. The concluding werewolf sequences are elite, featuring exceptional gore, blood splatter, flying appendages, and more gore.

In summary, Dog Soldiers is an outstanding addition to the werewolf genre, earning a solid 8/10. I highly recommend it.

It's easy to make a bad horror film, and, sadly, not too many people have the drive or imagination to make a decent one. I heard about Dog Soldiers through Fangoria, and though they've been wrong before I thought it was worth a go. In a word, it was fantastic!! I was willing to overlook the slightly convoluted plot (especially when people turned into werewolves at any old time, as opposed to the beginning of the full moon...) for the action and tension. I rather liked the werewolf costumes, because even though their range of motion was limited they made for some divinely creepy silhouettes. I even got interested in and attached to the soldiers, action-film archetypes though they were. If you're not willing to follow the movie where it takes you, then I wouldn't recommend it. But if you're ready for a deliciously gory bit of fun, I doubt you'll be disappointed. 8/10