“Out Come the Wolves” Satisfies

Out Come the Wolves (Adam MacDonald, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars

Nothing says the great outdoors like being attacked by a group of hungry, territorial wolves. Such is the catalyst for Adam MacDonald’s Out Come the Wolves, which profiles a struggle for survival in the wilderness between a newly engaged couple Sophie (Missy Peregrym, CBS’ FBI series) and Nolan (Damon Runyan, A Royal Date for Christmas), and Sophie’s childhood friend, Kyle (Joris Jarsky, God’s Country). While Sophie and Kyle have grown up learning the art of hunting and the rules of the wild, Nolan is a white-collared journalist who both underappreciates and underestimates the power of nature. That all changes when Nolan is attacked during a hunting trip, and soon the three must embrace their strengths in order to evade and defeat a pack of vicious wolves.

At its core, Out Come the Wolves is a drama centered around the three main characters, with tension brewing as Kyle’s jealousy and disapproval of Nolan becomes clear; a little too soon in the narrative, but to an adequate effect. The story very much unravels as motivations are revealed and passions run high between fiancés and friends, and by the time nature’s most deadly canines come into play, the establishment of strife between human characters meshes well with dangerous circumstances. MacDonald’s film does itself justice by having an intimate, isolated feel, focusing on remaining a small three-person cast throughout the duration.

While the woven drama helps build characters as the fighting begins, truthfully, Out Come the Wolves tells a bit too simple of a story at times. This is not to say the plot is ineffective, but rather that it often lacks any unique angles and follows a very familiar path of deception and lack of trust. The strongest element—and quite possibly the film’s initial, intentional strongpoint—is Peregrym’s performance, which transitions from hapless, loving fiancée, to fierce and well-trained hunter and fighter.

For the most part, MacDonald (Pyewacket) stays fairly safe in his storytelling from start to finish, relying on the suspense of not knowing who of the three characters (if any) will survive the wrath of the wolfpack. Thankfully, he is not obsessed with blood and guts, and with the exception of a few tastefully graphic moments, Out Come the Wolves refrains from hammering in the gory sequences. This is a film that rides on a particular concept, and sure enough delivers on that concept, even if the overall execution of said story eventually follows a particularly mundane rhythm that satisfies more than it impresses.

Adam Vaughn

Adam Vaughn is a graduate of the Film & Moving Image program at Stevenson University, with a focus in Cinematography and Production. He also has a minor in Theater and Media Performance. Adam works as a freelance photographer and videographer, focusing his craft on creating compelling photographic and cinematic imagery. Adam is excited to join the Film Festival Today team and explore the world of cinema and visual arts.