Teen Wolf
2011
Original language: English
- sci-fi & fantasy
- drama
- comedy
The story
Scott McCall, a high school student living in the town of Beacon Hills has his life drastically changed when he's bitten by a werewolf, becoming one himself. He must henceforth learn to balance his problematic new identity with his day-to-day teenage life. The following characters are instrumental to his struggle: Stiles, his best friend; Allison, his love interest who comes from a family of werewolf hunters; and Derek, a mysterious werewolf with a dark past. Throughout the series, he strives to keep his loved ones safe while maintaining normal relationships with them.
What it’s like
Warm, saturated teen-drama daylight gives way to blue-black night scenes lit by car headlights, porch lamps and the flat glow of a phone screen, with the deep forest around Beacon Hills looming in wide, damp, green-and-grey shots. The camera is mostly conventional and mobile: handheld in school corridors and lockers, steady two-shots in kitchens and parked cars, with fight and transformation sequences using quick cuts and slightly over-lit digital glare. The soundtrack leans on indie-pop and alt-rock needle drops, punctuated by synth pulses and a rising, slightly cheesy horror sting when something is hunting. The vibe is earnest, bright and a little goofy, with a current of anxiety that tightens late in the night. Episodes move at an easy, chatty pace, with plenty of banter between friends and a steady drip of creature-of-the-week danger. Violence is regular but mostly stylised: claw slashes, bloodless impacts, occasional bloodier kills and some dark, threatening scenes, with sexual content limited to kissing and crushes. The emotional register runs from playful to wistful, following a teenager learning to hold together his friendships, his first love and a secret he can't share. It suits a comfort rewatch, a weeknight binge with friends, or a rainy afternoon for viewers who enjoy teen melodrama with a supernatural edge.
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