TO KILL A WOLF is a quiet thriller that played at SBIFF (Santa Barbara International Film Festival), and I had the opportunity to see an early look – here’s my Spoiler Free take:
TO KILL A WOLF is a labor of love that benefits from Kelsey Taylor’s assured directing and the technical craft (sound and camera) that makes it “howl” in suspense. Audiences have seen countless adaptations of LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD. However, they’ve not seen anything like TO KILL A WOLF, which uses the known chapter and storybook settings to tell an unsettling story about grief, loss, and kindness.
Elsewhere, the two lead performances by The Woodsman (Ivan Martin doing his best THE LAST OF US Nick Offerman imitation) and Danni (Maddison Brown giving off Eli THE LAST OF US vibes) are top-notch. This is huge since a movie with limited characters hinges on solid performances, and their chemistry drives the story forward even when it stumbles in the second act. While I understand that the second act is needed to set up a satisfying conclusion, it’s horrible timing since audiences are just starting to fall in love with Danni and The Woodsman’s relationship. I wondered while watching if there was another mechanism the story could’ve used to keep those two together on screen as much as possible. It’s not enough to deter audiences from getting to Grandma’s house, but it’s a slight stumble in the woods on the way there.
TO KILL A WOLF utilizes a STRANGE DARLING-like story structure, making it “all the better to see” the gorgeous atmosphere and lead characters. It should serve as a fantastic calling card for Kelsey Taylor, who could quickly become an “it” psychological horror director.
