Released digitally on September 20, 2024, through Quiver Distribution, Lord of Wolves is the newest installment from director Charlie Steeds (Deadman Apocalypse 2016, Vampire Virus 2020). Keeping busy over the last decade, Steeds also served as a writer on the project and provides a refreshing take on not quite the werewolf subsection of the Horror genre, but rather, the character-driven, almost documentary-type film that the industry has been lacking for many years.
Beginning with the untimely death of a friend, Nic Cross (Joshua Tonks: The Society mini-series, The Latent Image 2022) happens upon a foreign and mysterious device in the form of a pyramid. Unbeknownst to Mr. Cross, the object brings forth a hideous cultish group of wolf-people residing in the slums and sludge of London, England. Mr. Cross eventually comes upon several traumatized figures (played by Jake Watkins of 2021’s The Gardener, Rosie Edwards of 2023’s Gods of the Deep, and Michaela Longden of 2018’s Book of Monsters) who form an unlikely team of renegades to defeat the cult of wolf-people that are working, to not only terrorize but also conquer London.
Quickly becoming apparent that it is not simply a single-protagonist-driven film, Lord of Wolves is the delightful product of an ensemble cast. Through the tireless efforts of Mr. Steeds’ character development, the film morphs into a team-driven production that relies on the slow-burning development of each individual involved in the story. The information regarding origins is critical to the progression of the film, and it is the patience that Steeds employs that cement the motif surrounding the work. As the production becomes more centered around the collective rather than the individual, the audience realizes that the story is of human dependency; the dependency within the interpersonal relationships established between cohabitants daily in this world.
Additionally, Lord of Wolves reaches far beyond the typical werewolf slasher-type deal. Vaulting above the simple violent eradication and hellish screams that populate the generic Horror films of today, it successfully incorporates critical human elements to illuminate the audience to the true theme behind the film – darkness will always remain unless you choose to band together and fight.
With this in mind, the characters in Lord of Wolves are not perfect, and neither are their individual choices throughout the film. However, the camaraderie, persistence, and overall gumption and dedication toward a greater cause allowed for victory; a lesson that each audience member should cling to. As the movie progresses toward its conclusion, it becomes apparent that the dedication and loyalty of which we provide those we strive to succeed is paramount to the success or accomplishment of any task.
Overall, the individuals brought together in Lord of the Wolves combined their makeup into something that works well as a group. Charlie Steeds informs the world, once again, that the true measure of something is not in the individual, but rather in the collective. A slow-burning story leads to monumental rewards, Cryptic Rock gives Lord of the Wolves 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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