Wer (2013)

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

It's Just Okay Nothing More Nothing Less, I Read The Reviews And Well "The HOWLING Pt 1 (1981) Starring Dee Wallace And Her Ex Husband Christopher Stone Is The Best Werewolf Movie Ever Made And From The Looks Of It Will Be The BEST EVER Made With "WOLF" (1994) Starring Michelle Pfeiffer And Jack Nicholson Coming In 2nd!

There have been a few good werewolf movies recently and this is one of them. The plot is logical but unpredictable enough to keep you guessing, the action scenes are well staged and the blood and violence are laid on nice and thick. The shaky cam wasn't too annoying (or it might have gotten a nine) and the story structure, pace and editing are well judged. It takes a few liberties with porphyria (you can't catch it off somebody and you don't detect it with a corneal impression, actually it's a stool sample but that would have been a different movie) but otherwise it all makes enough horrible sense.Brian Scott O'Connor as Talan Gwynek is a living special effect, the man is huge, like a hairy Lurch. I hope there were at least some prosthetics gone into making his captive scenes otherwise I don't know how he gets about in public. He is one scary MF.Yet another different and interesting take on the traditional movie monster.

To start of with: this is NOT a found footage film. Some footage is found of the brutal slaying of a family on vacation in France, and it's analyzed and sets of the rest of the proceedings. The film is presented in a documentary style, nothing to do with found footage..And this doesn't make any difference since it's quite a brilliant film. Or maybe it does since some of those found footage films tend to take pretty illogical steps just to keep the FF gimmick alive. This is just a great, extremely original and thankfully very realistic take on the werewolf saga, slowly built up as a mystery murder thriller."Experienced" experts are brought in to examine this apparent brutal animal attack, however who could be prepared for what's to follow. Okay, the ending might have been slightly predictable but it is done with such vigor and ferociousness it's still highly enjoyable and very exciting to watch.Very well done, very well played by all, absolutely stunning make up- and gore effects, an excellent choice to let it play out in a different country and oh so original. It reminded me of that other very original genre film of late: "Afflicted". Iff you enjoyed that, you will absolutely love this! 8/10

Wer isn't a pseudo-documentary or a "found footage" film, but it holds its narrative on similar techniques, employing hand-held camera and "improvised" video sources, such a security systems and TV news. For the rest, I found it an excellent horror film, which offers us a werewolf perspective which is simultaneously classic on its mythology and innovative on its presentation. Director William Brent Bell achieved a tense atmosphere, where the contrast between modern civilization and archaic folklore obstructs rational thought and confuses "reality" with myth. A.J. Cook brings a solid performance in the leading role, and I also liked the work from the rest of the cast, highlighting Brian Scott O'Connor, who is appropriately threatening in his character, and Vik Shay, who makes something completely different to what he used to in the TV series Chuck. The special effects studio Almost Human complements the realistic tone of the film with a creature who is simultaneously credible and respectful of European tradition, besides of delicious gory moments and some disturbing corpses. In conclusion, Wer is one of the most innovative werewolf films I have seen a long time. Its combination of traditional and documentary techniques was a valid decision which intensifies the suspense and the energy of the film without confusing its narrative. Bell's previous films had been the execrable Stay Alive and the mediocre The Devil Inside, but he has fully redeemed himself with Wer, and I will definitely be looking forward to his next film, with the hope of finding out that this film wasn't an accident, but the start of a new tendency in his career.