‘Wolves Against The World’ Review – A Cult-Like Nightmare And Werewolf Secrets Make This A Potent Story

Wolves Against The World is the second installment in the Fresh Hell Trilogy by writer/director Quinn Armstrong. Each movie was filmed in Ohio and tells a terrifying tale. In this outing, two members of a now-defunct neo-Nazi metal band reunite after years apart. While one tries to keep his nose clean and atone for past actions, the other attempts to rekindle the movement. These two ex-friends will find themselves locked in a death metal dance in what becomes a battle of wills. These two friends are trying to repress their internal beasts. It often becomes a case of spectacle over story. However, there is enough vision and werewolf trinkets to keep the audience engaged and see the film to its conclusion.

What brings Louie (Michael Kunicki) and Anders (Quinn Armstrong) back together is a reunion at the site of their ex-bandmate’s suicide. Louie is attempting to get his life back on track while Anders is still very much involved in the Neo-Nazi movement. Anders tries to bring Louie back into the fold. The film leans heavily on a cult-like atmosphere. This is a battle of the soul, and Louie is right in the center with forces, both earthly and supernatural, pulling at him.

At times, the scenes play out like riffs from a metal band. There is an edginess to both the picture and the storyline itself. An inherent tension persists from the film’s start to the climax. It becomes a battle of the wills between Louie and Anders – almost an animalistic rivalry occurs. All of this is fitting, given that these radical and extreme outsiders are all working and failing to suppress their beastly interiors from transforming. 

The fact these characters are werewolves who cannot retrain their beastly impulses is a rather interesting approach to the wolf-man trope. Here, the beast serves not only for dramatic effect but also as a ghastly metaphor for their dark political impulses. The fact these individuals cannot control their rage and prejudice is alarming and manifests in their beastly alter egos. While there is never a full-on transformation or exploitation of the beast within (partly due to the film’s budget restraints), the film’s ability to play on the audience’s imagination has a strong effect. There is a delicate reliance on showcasing horror while implying a frightening and unhinged disposition. 

Wolves Against The World is a surprisingly effective throwback to many early Hammer or Corman films. There is an inherent realness to the film’s iconography and overall execution. While the budget may be limited, it does not stop the filmmakers from unleashing a terrifying vision. Though the film lacks full-on grizzly snouts or jump-scares, it can affect the audience through its social and political commentary. 

Horror is a genre that constantly lends itself to being a vessel for tackling sensitive issues. In the film, Louie attempts to atone for his past crimes and legacy of hatred, even as supernatural forces try to pull him back into a pit of darkness. The film inserts itself into a vicious circle of hatred and violence and attempts to document the internal struggle. The movie tries to wrestle with the American identity and even posits what is our responsibility to those we have harmed and when that responsibility truly ends? 

There is never an attempt to justify or rationalize these individuals, but instead to spotlight the twisted battles in their souls. The presence of supernatural force is merely window dressing and added effect. The film patently tells a story about extreme and radical outsiders. 

While the story does suffer from choppy cuts that feel like a metal band’s music video, Wolves Against The World is still an exciting exploration. It feels like a throwback to the horror anthologies of another era. The director even cites the influence of Creepshow 2 from his youth. It is easy to see similar impulses and designs from that horror classic in this film.   

Wolves Against The World is currently playing in select theaters and is available On Demand courtesy of Cranked Up Films. The final installment of the trilogy, Dead Teenagers, debuts on September 10th. The Exorcism of Saint Patrick is currently available On Demand.