The Wolf of Snow Hollow-2020
Director Jim Cummings
Starring Jim Cummings, Riki Lindhome
Scott’s Review #1,166
Reviewed July 28, 2021
Grade: B
Jim Cummings, who writes, directs, and stars in his self-created horror-comedy offering about a killer werewolf, delivers a film named The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020).
It has sprinklings of both Fargo (1996) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991) mixed in with an appropriate amount of comic moments to offset the stark horror.
While the film can be watched and enjoyed any time of year, the snowy drifts and the Christmas and New Year’s seasons are well-positioned for a holiday horror feast. Especially clever is the inclusion of the song Auld Lang Syne during the finale of the film.
The film excels at offering a compelling locale and set trimmings.
To further the point and emphasize the Fargo comparisons, the setting is wintery Utah, and many of the characters resemble those found in the Coen brothers’ film.
The kooky police force, the odd characters, and the snowy plains are a nice nod to the film.
A small-town cop, John Marshall (Jim Cummings), struggling with a failed marriage, alcoholism, a rebellious daughter, and an inept team of officers, is assigned to solve a series of brutal murders that are occurring only during a full moon.
As the hunt for the killer consumes him, he struggles to deal with his sick father, played by Robert Forster, who is also the acting sheriff.
Are the murders being committed by a werewolf or someone donning a disguise? Part of the fun for the audience is the guesswork. Just the premise alone of a werewolf on the loose in a small town is compelling.
The film is somewhat disjointed from a plot perspective.
Besides the main plot of the murders and the subsequent whodunit, that should be enough to satisfy a quick one-hour-and-twenty-three-minute running time.
The relationship between father and son is touching and is a win. Since Forster died shortly after the film was made, this adds even more poignancy.
There are some loose ends, however, that either don’t add up or are too predictable.
The frequent shots of an unnamed townsperson suspected of the killings, who lives with a wolf and takes drugs, are way too obvious a red herring. Spoiler alert- he’s not the killer. And Marshall’s daughter sneaking out to a car to have sex with a boyfriend is an obvious plot ploy for her to be attacked.
I’m not sure why so many films present police officers as being incompetent, unintelligent, or corrupt. Still, The Wolf of Snow Hollow is guilty as charged with some clear clichés meant to be humorous.
The film is still enjoyable and never dull. Lots of dark comedic elements lighten things up, like when John flies into rages or banters with his father or female police officer and sidekick Officer Julia, played by Riki Lindhome.
The mystery of the killer is compelling, and the final sequence is enthralling. I was immediately engrossed with the first scene when a young couple visits the snowy town and dines in a local eatery, preparing to embark on a romantic weekend.
The assumption is that these two are the main characters, but when the girl is murdered, things change in a different direction.
On a quick inclusion note, when a townsperson utters an anti- LGBTQ+ slur, he is railed at by a character, though no gay characters appear.
The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020) is an entertaining affair. It borrows from some other films, but resurrects the werewolf storyline, which is intriguing in itself.
Since Cummings took on the bulk of this film himself, I’m curious what else he will bring to the cinematic table, in the horror genre or otherwise.
