WEREWOLF CASTLE ** UK 2021 Dir: Charlie Steeds. 92 mins
I would like to open by saying when I saw the first frames of this film, I thought this is like something from Tyburn films or Amicus. Dull down the colour palette, punch up the music and you would have the late Hammer Films look around the time of Scars Of Dracula (1970) or Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974). This could be fun, and it is if your brain is disembodied in a jar, lived the fiction of Piers Anthony or you have played quest video computer games.
Writer/Director Charlie Steeds Werewolf Castle (2021) is a ‘safe horror’ film till it gets to the gore along the lines of 300 (2006). The picture opens with a lovely cut-grass medieval village that looks like they just asked tourists to leave so they could shoot or ‘Hey you have long hair, smear dirt on your face, put this tunic on and be an extra’. A young boy is out for a walk in the fields, and he meets Wolfstan (Reece Connolly) in some rather effective limited makeup with teeth. The scene is quite effective in the tone and dialogue especially when the young fellow turns to see wolves behind him that have morphed into standing creatures in the style of Rick Baker and crews’ creatures in The Howling (1981). These creatures are attacking all the villages and they do just that in the town. They kill everyone they can find, in an odd manner of mauling including young girl Maggie (Emma Spurgin Hussey) who is making spontaneous love in a stable with Thorfinn (Peter Lofsgard). Thorfinn hides in the stable while the slaughter happens outside beckoning Maggie to hide which she does not do. She is mauled or forcibly face-touched with a blood stick. and dragged off. I make fun of the effects which was doubly a budget consideration. Beloved Hammer Films got away with a few like the Gorgon’s decapitation and head at the conclusion of The Gorgon (1964) or the spider sequence in To The Devil a Daughter (1976).
Three knights Thomas (Greg Draven), Osmund (Derek Nelson), Hamelin (Tim Cartwright) and Hal (Jay O’Connell) arrive on foot even though they are proficient horsemen to deal with the problem. Once it is resolved they must go to the castle of the King to seek help in this plague that is destroying the countryside. Thorfinn tags along as a guide and wants to atone for his cowardice,
What follows is their quest to journey to the castle filled with chase moments, fights, and moments of male bonding, and sorcery. The monsters are practical, a person in a suit, the effects which is what budgets allow. Judging by the credits of the creatures, not many detailed suits were made even though there are some crowd scenes obscured by distance. Nothing wrong with this idea that has long been pioneered by enterprising filmmakers of the past to create some beloved films. Unfortunately, this is today, and the corners cut to afford this end up hurting the film. The werewolf scenes are set during the day, probably to avoid a night shoot. The cuts show more of the imperfection of the monsters which could elicit groans from the audience of even the most ardent young or old audience person.
The Medieval village and some caves and trail settings are used well even if the journey is quite short. The actual Castle are recovered ruins which unfortunately have clearly visible handrails in the walls. The torture scenes are somewhat brutal in intent, yet they do come off as face slaps with a club sold by the actors again which is what one does when you have limited resources. You do get to see some grand deaths with swords again sold by the actors.
Script wise one of the most intriguing characters of Wolfstan (Reece Connolly) who in makeup similar to a zombie from Hammers The Plague Of The Zombies (1966) plays the flute bringing to mind a sort of cross between a wolf trickster and the recorder playing Ygor in Universal’ Studios Son Of Frankenstein (1939). Wolftan is also the only one we see that can turn people into a werewolf by attacking and licking them in a bloody animalistic orgy that is one of the most effective moments.
Werewolf Castle (2021) is a safe film to watch with only a hint of sexuality and some bloody gore fights that many have seen worse in video games where you can lessen or turn up that factor. The story looks like it was to have a bigger budget but was cut back not unlike again what happened with the later productions of Hammer films that this does parallel particularly the swashbuckling Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974). Films are hard enough to get made and get released and promoted today, the big caveat is that this is today with today’s audience that has seen more. It may make someone want to join the Society for Creative Anachronism or something of that nature where countries are divided into kingdoms etc. and learn medieval, skills and fighting, attend festivals, craft materials all without dying of a plague, drinking wine with sticks and leaves in it and poor hygiene.
Review by Terry Sherwood
WEREWOLF CASTLE is available on DVD and also on Amazon Prime Video in the UK and Amazon Prime Video in the USA