No mother is perfect. That in mind, the truest test of a mother’s love is what will she is willing to do in order to get her child back. Directed by David Hackl (Saw V 2008, Into the Grizzly Maze 2015) and written by Nika Agiashvili (A Green Story 2012, Tbilisi, I Love You 2014), Gina Carano (Fast & Furious 6 2013, Deadpool 2016) stars as the mother in question in the new film Daughter of the Wolf.
Set for release in theaters and VOD on Friday, June 14th through Vertical Entertainment, the story begins when Clair Hamilton (Carano) returns home from a military special forces assignment to bury her father who has passed away. Also returning to take care of her son, Charlie (Anton Gillis-Adelman: Odd Squad 2016, Birthmarked 2018), she had been away for awhile due to her military career, and as a result, her relationship with her son is strained.
Then, not long after the funeral, everything changes because Charlie has been kidnapped by a character named Father (Richard Dreyfuss: Jaws 1975, What About Bob? 1991) who has put a ransom on his head. Clair knows that she must do whatever it takes to get him back, even if that means hunting down the men who took him. She must trek through the icy unforgiving mountains with one of Father’s henchmen Larsen (Brendan Fehr: Rosewell series, The Night Shift series) in hopes of finding her son. She must brave not only the elements and the dangerous men she is hunting, but also the wildlife. Will she be successful, or will she become a victim of the wild?
An intense Action Thriller, the scenery in Daughter of the Wolf is breathtaking with everything covered in snow and ice. That said, even though the characters have lived in the mountains for the majority of their lives, the time of year is important because it not only serves as a beautiful backdrop of the story, but as a character itself. With terrain that is now even more treacherous than it would be at any other time of the year, there is the possibility of avalanches, breaking ice, frostbite, and other winter dangers looming heavily. All of this adds to the extreme measures Clair must go through in order to restore what is left of her family.
As far as the wild, the presences of wolves, brings even more danger; after all, they are wild animals. Known to hunt in packs, a sighting of one wolf means there are likely more hiding in the shadows. Furthermore, it is clear that Clair’s dad was a salt of the earth outdoorsman as well and the wolves almost act as an extension of his soul watching out for his beloved daughter and grandson.
Having a child kidnapped for any reason is a situation that no parent ever wants to even consider. While most are never properly equipped for the carnage that might fall trying to get the child back safely, Carano’s Clair is the perfect target to take on. Her military background allows her the skills and training necessary to do whatever it takes to get her son back. Couple that with pure maternal instincts, and this character is unstoppable.
Doing a great job with her leading role, Carano’s portrayal of Gina is strong, powerful, and determined. As she stoically stomps through the snow covered mountains in search of her son, there is no doubt that she could survive all of the dangers blocking her path. As for Dreyfuss’s Father, a talented actor, his role is the perfect foil to the unwavering nature of Clair. Father is and eccentric mountain man who is distrustful of everyone, even those lost “children” he has taken in over the years and commands with an iron fist.
Overall, Daughter of the Wolf is an action packed but deeply moving film that tests the strength of a mother’s love. Matching great filming locations with actors tailor made for their roles, the only thing you will be left wanting is to see Gina Carano star in more Action films! That is why Cryptic Rock gives Daughter of the Wolf 4 out of 5 stars.
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why call it the daughter of the wolf?