New to UK digital video-on-demand platforms is the low-budget British psychological horror movie, Wolf Garden. The film – written, directed, and starring Wayne David – follows the story of a man who is haunted by his past.
In the movie, William is spending some time alone, locked away in a cottage in the woods. He spends his days lost in thought, thinking about his ex-girlfriend and the happy times they once shared, and appears to be battling grief and depression at all other times.
As one day blurs into the next, William begins to have visions and hear voices. He is also aware of something lurking in the wood shed, which needs to be fed.
Is William experiencing some kind of breakdown, or is there something more sinister at work? And can he battle his inner demons before it is too late?
Playing out as a slow-burning tale, with a minimal cast and little-to-no spectacle, Wolf Garden is not an easy movie to connect with. The picture moves at a snail’s pace as it tells its story, the film keeps its cards close to its chest in terms of its plotting, and I imagine those who like instant gratification from their horror films will lose interest in this one quite quickly.
This isn’t to say that Wolf Garden doesn’t have some decent ideas, or the right tone, but it is to say this film is something of an acquired taste. It drags out its premise for far too long, hoping to keep audiences interested in its central mystery, but ultimately the pay-off doesn’t equal the investment.
Wayne David is fine in the lead role, and he gets support from Sian Altman and Grant Masters who pop up in small parts here and there, but being the writer, director, and lead actor on this project appears to have been a step too far. With so much for him to focus on, the cracks in this piece do show, and I feel that stepping back from one of his roles, or collaborating with another writer, might have been more beneficial.
On a more positive note, the core idea of Wolf Garden is decent enough, and at times it looks pretty good, but unfortunately, the story is stretched too far for too long. The narrative here would be perfect for a twenty or thirty-minute short, but at 90 minutes there’s just not enough substance.
I kept willing the movie to pick up the pace or add more meat to the bone, but these things never happened. The longer the film went on, the less engaged I became, and eventually I reached a point where I had no real interest in the final outcome.
Those who like low-budget, slow-moving horror movies, may wish to check out Wolf Garden. The film conjures up the right atmosphere and has a couple of good shots, and this might be enough to stir up some interest.
But for me, this film doesn’t quite work. Wolf Garden demonstrates Wayne David’s potential, and I look forward to checking out his future projects, but unfortunately this one didn’t grab me.
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