Wolf
Directed by Mike Nichols
- horror
- drama
- romance
The story
An aging publisher becomes a demon wolf and, with this newfound youthful vigor, fights to keep his job.
What it’s like
Cool, muted New York and Vermont greens, with lamplit Manhattan offices and snowy woodland, give Wolf the look of a prestige drama that has wandered into a fable. Mike Nichols frames his people in long, unhurried compositions, letting Jack Nicholson's weary publisher and Michelle Pfeiffer's restless editor sit in rooms of wood, glass and dim amber lamplight while conversations drift and tension builds in what is not said. Its score is sparse and melodic, with soft strings and piano that give way to restrained, moody silence, and the werewolf transformation is shot with grit and practical effects rather than slick digital spectacle. The vibe is wry, sensual and faintly melancholy, a midlife fable with a sly grin. It suits a late, quiet evening or a rainy weekend with a glass of something strong. The horror is physical but not relentless: a few sharp, bloody bites, a violent confrontation or two, and a handful of frank sexual scenes, all deliberately restrained. Its people are older and slightly lost, working toward a jolt of renewed appetite for life. It is for viewers who like adult, literate character studies with a touch of genre bite.
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