Brotherhood of the Wolf – Review

This stylishly shot film mixes multiple genres to weave a long and winding tale of historical-based intrigue and terror. Taking place in the mountains of central France during the 1700s, the local region is prey to a ferocious and unknown beast. As victims pile up, the town turns to hunting nearby animals hoping to find whatever is responsible.

The King of France sends special envoy Chevalier Gregoire de Fronsac (Le Bihan) to the region to investigate, as well as his faithful Iroquois compatriot Mani (Dacoscos). The pair begin to investigate both the mysterious beast terrorizing the people, as well as the oppressive nature of conspiracy, politics and bigotry. The search for answers takes the pair through multiple societal castes, from the richest of the country to the poorer commonfolk in the kingdom’s countryside.

While the run-time is a bit long, especially in the full “director’s cut” edition, there is plenty to be enjoyed in this movie. The acting is solid and the cast performances give the at times outlandish plot twists a stable grounding in reality. The historic setting provides many social “norms” to explore, and there is plenty of action and mystery when the plot kicks in during the second and third acts.

Overall, the horror elements are very light, and the mystery drives the core of the character motivations. The production is a visual masterpiece, with costume and set detail turned up to the highest level. While “epic” in runtime and scope, those with a patient appetite for unfolding mystery plots combined with some fantasy and action elements should have a good time.

This movie’s visual style and weaponry influenced some elements of the popular 2015 video game “Bloodborne.”