To Kill a Wolf – Review

This review is for a film originally viewed at the 22nd Annual Tallgrass Film Festival. WD;ED will update when the film becomes available either in theatres or on VOD.

We often reimagine our folktales in a modern setting as something grand, delusional, less brittle than their source material. The last decade has seen a different approach, with films like The Lure and now films like Kelsey Taylor’s To Kill a Wolf modernizing these stories and mining them for something that wouldn’t feel out of place in both an academic text and something you found in the nightstand at a pay-by-the-hour motel. This level of realism, of grit and trauma, can make fairy tales feel vibrant and new.

Taylor, an already seasoned director who played in Fox’s Alien universe back in 2019 with Alien: Specimen, has taken the tale of Little Red Riding Hood and dragged it through the nettles of the Oregon pine forests before throwing it into a suburban drama. Weaving together two very different lives, To Kill a Wolf is more interested in the process than the destination because the process is what decides where our feet land.

A lone woodsman (Ivan Martin) whittles away his days in solitude. He wanders the forest, springing hidden traps to keep animals safe. He works on his stereo system, never wholly satisfied with its audio output for his vinyl collection (apparently neither is the taxidermy racoon hanging above the unit). His life is lonely, routine, and peaceful. When he finds a near-dead woman named Dani (Maddison Brown) in the woods, his life is uprooted as he confronts his trauma and begins to care about helping with hers.

Brown, a regular of The CW’s 2017 series Dynasty, is a raw nerve as she weaves her way through a story of trauma, trust issues, and guilt. Her journey has a few stops, but there’s more to the story before the Woodsman finds her under a Douglas Fir. The runaway would rather stay in the woods with him despite his desire to be alone, and her portrayal of a woman with a devastating secret stings each time it’s poked. The only way to purge infection is to cleanse, and the model-turned-actress takes on the material with such subtlety that fiction melts away and feels like reality for long stretches of To Kill a Wolf.

Ivan Martin is a great counterpoint, particularly for anyone with social skill issues. his grief is apparent, his frustration measured and examined, and it’s rare to meet an actor that fully knows their instrument. For Fred Astaire it was his hands, for Harrison Ford it’s his pointer finger, for Mark Hamill it’s his magnificent vocal chords. Martin’s instrument is a pair of soulful eyes that contain multitudes. A beard covers most of his face like a shield, but he’s unable to hide pain and care emanating from his eyes. It’s a startling effect when he employs it, otherwise keeping things locked down. The best special effects are your performers and between Martin and Brown it’s enough to make a movie special.

Many independent films build themselves on poignancy and To Kill a Wolf is no different. When we’re days away from political upheaval and worry about a convicted rapist taking the White House I think it’s important to examine the male privilege reeking across Kelsey’s debut. The cast is rounded out by David Knell, a rancher that pays his way into the lives of others, Kaitlin Doubleday as Dani’s aunt Jolene, and Michael Esper (The Outsider, Beau is Afraid) as Jolene’s husband, Carey. We have our woodsman, we have our red headed to Grandma’s house, and the story dictates we must have our wolf. Kelsey Taylor gives Esper one of the more frightening types of monster to portray, where understanding and kindness serve as the mask of “the nice guy.” That abuse and manipulation come from knowing how to take advantage, to apply pressure, and to force guilt on others. It’s a type that I knew and sadly know amongst many, and one that will be all-too familiar to viewers. Sure, he’s gross, but there’s tons of this type of behavior you never find out about going on.

To Kill a Wolf looks incredible. It should, as it was shot by Adam Lee. The cinematographer worked with Kelsey Taylor on Alien: Specimen and also worked on the famous Try Guy’s video, Eugene Lee Yang: I’m Gay. Taking home the jury prize for best cinematography at the 22nd annual Tallgrass Film Festival, the DP has been lauded for his work prior and continues to be so. His capturing of specific tracking and still-frame shots both within the home of the Woodsman and out in the Oregon landscape make for a beautiful debut film for Taylor, one that was worth seeing on the big screen.

To Kill a Wolf isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s a rough watch at points and its subject matter can be triggering. For those that connect with it there’s a tight, jangling experience to be found. It’s one of the best films of 2024 and one of the most interesting debuts in recent memory.