Werewolf

Beautiful scenery and swell filming locations contrast with the horrors of war and genocide - and that's just the setting. Factor in the fundamental elements underlying the story - isolation, hunger, desperation - and creeping, quietly searing music from composer Antoni Komasa-Lazarkiewicz, and the tension is palpable before the plot even meaningfully begins. 'Werewolf,' or 'Wilkolak,' is not a movie that wants its audience to truly sit back and relax.

Acutely jarring moments are sparing, to effect. The emphasis here is on a pervasive, pensive mood, with risk of violent death both in the past and always waiting to burst through. This is bolstered by a color palette dominated by dull, bluish-gray, and tasteful lighting that allows deep shadow to feel ponderous. This is to say nothing of the clashing personalities of the children - disparities that grow more severe as conditions persist and worsen - nor the growing withdrawal of eldest Hanka, whose initial effort to assume responsibility becomes a burden that somewhat builds to detachment.

The small, young cast is superb, but this especially goes for those most prominent - Sonia Mietielica, as Hanka; Kamil Polnisiak, as Wladek; and Nicolas Przygoda, as Hanys. They in particular seem to bear capability of range and nuance befitting the darkness and intensity of the roles, and perform admirably. I hope we get to see more of them all some day.

The atmosphere 'Werewolf' endeavors to fashion isn't wholly enveloping, but ably keeps us on edge. Any viewer specifically looking for a concretely visceral tale with recognizable horror concepts may well feel put out, and possibly deceived by the title and premise. But if you're able to simply let the movie be, and appreciate it without or regardless of presuppositions, the result is highly satisfying as a tale of perseverance and and fortitude in the face of dire circumstances.

It's perfect neither generally nor in how well it keeps us engaged, but 'Werewolf' is a finely crafted, tense feature, well worth checking out for anyone who appreciates more underhanded approaches to their cinema.

Absolutely stunning movie! Really good acting, these children are haunting me for days now. Children who have been liberated from a concentration camp are left at in an abandoned palace in a forest without food and water. But the real nightmare starts when the house is besieged by hungry wild dogs that were used to guard the nazi camp.

The underlying meaning in this film is the actual truth of humanity n not like Lord Of... The premise is a bit similar, in fact even more harsher than Lord Of... Children r saved from a Nazi concentration camp but they encounter hunger, thirst and dogs in a hostile war ravaged environment.

The best part is the acting n the child actors nailed it. The film does have some brutal n dark scenes, lil suspense n heart pounding tension.

The actual truth about humanity: v aint fighters, bt lovers. Our internal default is 2 work 2gethr. Despite everything, humanity is actually decent - Rutger Bregman.

Not the horror you think it is. Dealing with young children rescued from a concentration camp by the Russian forces at the end of WW2. Taken to a country house with limited food and water. Their situation deteriorates dramatically when they find themselves surrounded by vicious guard dogs from the very death camp they escaped from. Part Lord of the Flies, part Cujo, the tradegy of their existence is brought home time and time again - be it fighting for a simple potato peeling, or the stories they tell of the sights they witnessed. The struggle here is for them to hold on to the slender thread of humanity they still have within them, or decent into a vicious existence, that matches the dogs that threaten them.

Another really overrated movie, nothing special to see if you ask me. First of all the title is misleading and stupidly chosen, Werewolves or Wilkolak whilst it has nothing to do at all with werewolves. A pack of dogs terrorizing a bunch of kids, that's about it. It's long, slow and boring. I wish it was something else but unfortunately it isn't. The acting is okay though, even from the kids, but the story just lacks of everything interesting. If you want to watch a horror movie, like I did, you'd better skip this one because there is 0% of horror in Wilkolak.