This is far better than I could have ever imagined. It surely seems poorly labeled and marketed - or then again, maybe the effort to attract young, curious, horror-loving audiences was entirely intentional? But more on that later: 'Wolf girl' is surprising in the overall quality of its craft, and also in how much it does while seeming to do so little.
The writing is strong enough to provide most characters with unusual depth, allowing the cast some minor exploration of their roles. The plot initially seems fairly direct, with some predictability and familiar tropes; in that relative simplicity this is recognizably a "made for TV" movie. Yet there's considerable intelligence here that exceeds expectations of that genre, and the story takes a few turns that foil our best guesses.
Just look at the cast! Especially for the nature of the production, the names assembled here are extraordinary. Tim Curry! Grace Jones! Lesley Ann Warren! Darlene Cates! Shawn Ashmore! Dov Tiefenbach I recognize mostly from 'Jason X,' and his performance here as major supporting character Ryan Klein is decidedly different - and strong. I'm less familiar still with star Victoria Sanchez, appearing as Tara, "the wolf girl," but the part is written strikingly well, and she demonstrates a capability that's entrancing. Every single person on camera, even those with few or no other credits, offer compelling, eye-catching portrayals.
Then there are those aspects that present additional flavor - music, choreography, set pieces and decoration, wardrobe, makeup, prosthetics. For all the superficial humility, and especially the trappings of what we anticipate from TV movies, everything here looks and sounds pretty incredible. There's no reason anything in 'Wolf girl' should meet such a high level of quality, yet that's exactly what we get. It's a fantastic bonus that we're also treated to scenes of Curry and Jones singing.
These are just the obvious elements, though - the things we immediately see and hear. It's what lies under the surface that makes 'Wolf girl' altogether exceptional.
Themes are never shoved in our face, yet are readily apparent for anyone honestly engaging with the picture. We're entreated to ponder the meaning of family, the nature of friendship, and the value of self-love. We also look in the mirror and see the difficulty of self-love; the things we dislike, fear, or loathe about ourselves; the terrible ease with which we ridicule and persecute anyone different. Freak shows, as a cultural relic, showcase disabilities, conditions congenital and otherwise, or injuries or illness, and the broad societal response is derision, or revulsion. Yet the ugly veneer that's painted onto such fare by our judgment belies a wonderful, beautiful diversity, and a strength of community outside the bounds of "normalcy."
'Wolf girl' touches on all this, and more, yet that last bit deserves further mention. This feature was released in 2001, barely out of the 90s when lesbians and gay men in media were little more than stereotypes, or a joke. "Transgender" had scarcely entered our cultural lexicon, and cisheteronormativity was so pervasive, and dominant - and toxic in that dominance - that any meaningful representation or general visibility of a marvelous identity outside strict convention was practically mythical. And yet in this era, 'Wolf girl' dared to give us scenes, however passingly, with characters that pointedly, poignantly, expressly flout the presumption of a gender binary - not with intent to shock or frighten, but as though to say, "We're here. This is who we are. This IS normal. Deal with it." It dared to suggest, however fleetingly, lesbian or bisexual undertones. These things seem passé in 2021, and a movie that's similarly indirect with these notions would quite reasonably be waved off today as queer-baiting. But 20 years ago, it was slyly provocative, and defiant.
And in one final, reverberating sting, there's a wordless, admittedly heavy-handed commentary on the tragedy of pretending to be someone else - of denying who we are, and trying to blend in with a false presentation. The more we push ourselves to fit an arbitrary social norm, the more harmful and destructive it may become for us, our loved ones, and anyone around us. We can try to fit in - but at what cost? 'Wolf girl' advances ideas of self-acceptance, and rebuffing aggressive societal pressure, that outpace what most major media content was willing to promote at the time. And it does so with a narrative - with an outward appearance of pablum bizarrerie and popular genre film appeal - that cleverly disguised the messages it had to impart.
Yes, it's quite possible that I'm reading an intent into this movie, based on my own experiences, that isn't actually there. But I think the scenes speak for themselves. And if what I suggest, the underhanded way of encouraging pride and diversity, seems far-fetched? Consider that it echoes the manner in which some broader themes are presented: There are times where the most antagonistic characters have a moment of reflection, seemingly on the cusp of some greater realization - but that epiphany never quite comes for them, and the picture doesn't linger. The punch of these instances are ever so plain for the audience, though not for the characters, and the film moves on so quickly that a less attentive viewer may not even have noticed the concept. The purpose is served, and the idea is conveyed, but with deft subtlety.
It's worth noting that 'Wolf girl' essentially has two versions: after premiering on network TV, the feature later had a home release. There is considerable nudity that was certainly cut for television, and that's actually unfortunate - because rather than be geared toward titillation, the nudity herein actually lends credence to those deeper themes and ideas I've described. There was a lot lost from the film's meaning when it was edited for mass consumption - including the masterful, somewhat ambiguous ending.
Watching 'Wolf girl' now, I have a vague recollection of having seen it before, on TV, at least in part. But I definitely had no appreciation or understanding then, and I'm so glad that I stumbled across it again now, by chance, after browsing Tim Curry's many credits. This was such a grand surprise, far greater and more impactful than I'd have ever dreamt. Where there are minor imperfections, it's mostly in a small lack of refinement, such as hard transitions between scenes. Otherwise - in its narrative, characters, production design, and not least of all in its themes and thoughts, this is frankly outstanding.
Don't let the surface appearance put you off. 'Wolf girl' is, much to my amazement, a dashingly well made film that far exceeds its contemporaries. Highest recommendation - very much worth checking out!
The writing is strong enough to provide most characters with unusual depth, allowing the cast some minor exploration of their roles. The plot initially seems fairly direct, with some predictability and familiar tropes; in that relative simplicity this is recognizably a "made for TV" movie. Yet there's considerable intelligence here that exceeds expectations of that genre, and the story takes a few turns that foil our best guesses.
Just look at the cast! Especially for the nature of the production, the names assembled here are extraordinary. Tim Curry! Grace Jones! Lesley Ann Warren! Darlene Cates! Shawn Ashmore! Dov Tiefenbach I recognize mostly from 'Jason X,' and his performance here as major supporting character Ryan Klein is decidedly different - and strong. I'm less familiar still with star Victoria Sanchez, appearing as Tara, "the wolf girl," but the part is written strikingly well, and she demonstrates a capability that's entrancing. Every single person on camera, even those with few or no other credits, offer compelling, eye-catching portrayals.
Then there are those aspects that present additional flavor - music, choreography, set pieces and decoration, wardrobe, makeup, prosthetics. For all the superficial humility, and especially the trappings of what we anticipate from TV movies, everything here looks and sounds pretty incredible. There's no reason anything in 'Wolf girl' should meet such a high level of quality, yet that's exactly what we get. It's a fantastic bonus that we're also treated to scenes of Curry and Jones singing.
These are just the obvious elements, though - the things we immediately see and hear. It's what lies under the surface that makes 'Wolf girl' altogether exceptional.
Themes are never shoved in our face, yet are readily apparent for anyone honestly engaging with the picture. We're entreated to ponder the meaning of family, the nature of friendship, and the value of self-love. We also look in the mirror and see the difficulty of self-love; the things we dislike, fear, or loathe about ourselves; the terrible ease with which we ridicule and persecute anyone different. Freak shows, as a cultural relic, showcase disabilities, conditions congenital and otherwise, or injuries or illness, and the broad societal response is derision, or revulsion. Yet the ugly veneer that's painted onto such fare by our judgment belies a wonderful, beautiful diversity, and a strength of community outside the bounds of "normalcy."
'Wolf girl' touches on all this, and more, yet that last bit deserves further mention. This feature was released in 2001, barely out of the 90s when lesbians and gay men in media were little more than stereotypes, or a joke. "Transgender" had scarcely entered our cultural lexicon, and cisheteronormativity was so pervasive, and dominant - and toxic in that dominance - that any meaningful representation or general visibility of a marvelous identity outside strict convention was practically mythical. And yet in this era, 'Wolf girl' dared to give us scenes, however passingly, with characters that pointedly, poignantly, expressly flout the presumption of a gender binary - not with intent to shock or frighten, but as though to say, "We're here. This is who we are. This IS normal. Deal with it." It dared to suggest, however fleetingly, lesbian or bisexual undertones. These things seem passé in 2021, and a movie that's similarly indirect with these notions would quite reasonably be waved off today as queer-baiting. But 20 years ago, it was slyly provocative, and defiant.
And in one final, reverberating sting, there's a wordless, admittedly heavy-handed commentary on the tragedy of pretending to be someone else - of denying who we are, and trying to blend in with a false presentation. The more we push ourselves to fit an arbitrary social norm, the more harmful and destructive it may become for us, our loved ones, and anyone around us. We can try to fit in - but at what cost? 'Wolf girl' advances ideas of self-acceptance, and rebuffing aggressive societal pressure, that outpace what most major media content was willing to promote at the time. And it does so with a narrative - with an outward appearance of pablum bizarrerie and popular genre film appeal - that cleverly disguised the messages it had to impart.
Yes, it's quite possible that I'm reading an intent into this movie, based on my own experiences, that isn't actually there. But I think the scenes speak for themselves. And if what I suggest, the underhanded way of encouraging pride and diversity, seems far-fetched? Consider that it echoes the manner in which some broader themes are presented: There are times where the most antagonistic characters have a moment of reflection, seemingly on the cusp of some greater realization - but that epiphany never quite comes for them, and the picture doesn't linger. The punch of these instances are ever so plain for the audience, though not for the characters, and the film moves on so quickly that a less attentive viewer may not even have noticed the concept. The purpose is served, and the idea is conveyed, but with deft subtlety.
It's worth noting that 'Wolf girl' essentially has two versions: after premiering on network TV, the feature later had a home release. There is considerable nudity that was certainly cut for television, and that's actually unfortunate - because rather than be geared toward titillation, the nudity herein actually lends credence to those deeper themes and ideas I've described. There was a lot lost from the film's meaning when it was edited for mass consumption - including the masterful, somewhat ambiguous ending.
Watching 'Wolf girl' now, I have a vague recollection of having seen it before, on TV, at least in part. But I definitely had no appreciation or understanding then, and I'm so glad that I stumbled across it again now, by chance, after browsing Tim Curry's many credits. This was such a grand surprise, far greater and more impactful than I'd have ever dreamt. Where there are minor imperfections, it's mostly in a small lack of refinement, such as hard transitions between scenes. Otherwise - in its narrative, characters, production design, and not least of all in its themes and thoughts, this is frankly outstanding.
Don't let the surface appearance put you off. 'Wolf girl' is, much to my amazement, a dashingly well made film that far exceeds its contemporaries. Highest recommendation - very much worth checking out!