There’s not a whole lot of genuinely great werewolf films out there, think about it. The Howling, An American Werewolf in London, and maybe a handful of others at best. Which makes it such a big deal when a film like The Wolf of Snow Hollow comes along and vaults itself into the top of the genre with a wholly original spin on the cult favourite monster; a unique blend of horror, police procedural and black comedy from the mind of writer, director and star Jim Cummings. While its distinctive tone, which fluctuates between the serious case of a wolf preying on the people of Snow Hollow and the jarring yet hilarious meltdown of Cummings’ police deputy John, may not be for everyone, if you lean into the madness you will be rewarded with a hilarious, creepy and touching film that launches itself to the top of 2020’s considerable horror offerings and is primed for future cult classic status.
When a young woman is brutally murdered at an idyllic rental property in Utah’s Snow Hollow, the town’s deputy, John (Cummings), arrives late to the crime scene, having been notified midway through an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. That addiction proves to be one of the least of John’s problems as he inspects the gruesomely disfigured body, while also juggling the care of his father Sheriff Hadley (Robert Forster) who stubbornly refuses to retire as he battles health scare after health scare, leaving John barely able to hold it together to manage his staff. Promising his ailing father that he will catch the killer, who he refuses to accept may in fact not be human, John’s mental state descends into madness as he struggles to juggle being a single father to teenage daughter Jenna (Chloe East), managing an increasingly restless police force who don’t respect his authority, severe anger management issues and a potential relapse into alcoholism due to the stress of it all. Sounds like a lot right? That’s without including the violent beast which continues its streak of killings on the increasingly frightened townspeople, who begin to doubt the effectiveness of the officials devoted to protecting them; a theme that hits especially hard given the events of 2020.
At first it is difficult to pin The Wolf of Snow Hollow’s tone down. What begins as a chillingly effective horror sequence that slowly builds the sense that someone or something is lurking in the shadows then takes a sharp left turn with the introduction of John. Jim Cummings’ performance is something of an oddity within the film, a tonal mismatch that can at first feel like it does not belong within this grounded and violent horror film. His character moves at a mile a minute, constantly murmuring about the problems in his life as he investigates the case, eventually boiling over into frequent, often hilarious, full-blown breakdowns as he erupts at his staff or ex-wife, ripping them a new one before his attention is suddenly diverted by an errant thought in his overcrowded head. Cummings does an excellent job of portraying the extreme stress John is under and the multiple parts of his life vying for attention through a constant stream of subconscious dialogue which, at times, moves almost too quickly for the audience to keep up. Most of the time this just means the odd joke or two goes unappreciated – which is fine given this is such a fun movie that it will likely become a Halloween staple – but on a rare occasion or two it does result in an important piece of the case being overlooked, especially as clues are seemingly pulled out of nowhere towards the end of the film if you haven’t been laser-focused.
Cummings also manages to instil a whole lot of heart into the proceedings, as we come to understand the frustrated yet loving bond between father and son. Robert Forster is fantastic in one of his final roles as the over-stressed police chief who refuses to quit and always manages to distract his son in one way or another from discussing his health in order to stay on as sheriff for a little bit longer. In his stressed out, confused state, John often overlooks this bond with his father, instead seeing him as a cause of stress to be retired and pushed aside so he can focus on the bevy of other tasks demanding his attention. The rare tender moments between the two feel especially earned and pack a genuine impact, given the complete tonal change from previous conversations, as John and the audience both come to realise the damage caused by sacrificing such an important personal connection. This theme extends to John’s relationship with his daughter Jenna, who is constantly pulled from John by her mother but who refuses to give up on him, choosing to live with him even though she will be left alone in the house as he investigates the killings. It is a cry for help that John again refuses to acknowledge, seeing Jenna only as someone to protect but not actively engage with. Chloe East is brilliant here, acting stand-offish to her father as an attempt to mirror his attitude but breaking completely when his alcoholism resurfaces and the future of their family looks uncertain. It’s heartbreaking stuff that lands even if Cummings does immediately switch the tone up again with a joke or descent back into horror.
With these horror sequences, Cummings chooses to adopt a less-is-more approach, focusing on creating an atmosphere of tension and dread rather than gory, over-the-top mauling scenes. A simple shot of the beast towering over a car pre-kill is just short enough to keep the mystique of the animal (and reduce the focus on the low budget wolf costume), while still conveying the very real threat to its victim. It’s a refreshing take on horror that doesn’t rely on jump scares to create fear, instead utilising glimpses of the carnage left behind at crime scenes and infrequent shots of the attack in action. An almost slapstick sound design to these attacks also contribute to the mythicising of the threat of the wolf, with plenty of 80’s B-movie squelches and frantic screams as limbs are torn apart and littered all over the place. When Cummings wraps things up he does so in thrilling fashion, with a bare knuckle chase sequence that still manages to pack in the odd low-key joke whilst keeping you glued to the screen.
While the rest of the world was going to hell in 2020, the horror genre continued to, well, do just that in a good way and The Wolf of Snow Hollow rightly earns its place as one of the best horror films of the year. Unlike his character, Cummings proves incredibly adept at juggling multiple balls at once; from the constantly shifting tone and multiple genres the film draws from to a perfectly manic lead performance at the centre of it all. You’ll come for the promise of werewolf shenanigans, but you’ll stay for Cummings’ unique blend of acerbic wit and an intriguing police investigation that will keep you guessing right up to the very end. A must-watch.
The Wolf of Snow Hollow stars Jim Cummings, Riki Lindhome, Chloe East, Will Madden, Jimmy Tatro, Annie Hamilton & Robert Forster – Available to buy or rent on iTunes now.