Howl (2015 film)

Howl
Film poster
Directed by	Paul Hyett
Written by	Mark Huckerby Nick Ostler
Produced by	Harsh King Martin Gentles
Starring	Ed Speleers Sean Pertwee Holly Weston Shauna Macdonald Elliot Cowan Rosie Day Calvin Dean Duncan Preston Ross Mullan
Cinematography	Adam Biddle
Edited by	Agnieszka Liggett
Music by	Paul E. Francis
Distributed by	Starchild Pictures Pathé
Release dates	5 August 2015 (2015-08-05) (Fantasy Filmfest) 16 October 2015 (2015-10-16) (United Kingdom)
Running time	92 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	$1.99 million
Box office	$477,656

Howl is a 2015 British horror film directed by Paul Hyett and starring Ed Speleers, Sean Pertwee, Holly Weston, Shauna Macdonald, Elliot Cowan, Rosie Day, Calvin Dean, Duncan Preston and Ross Mullan.

Plot

Alpha Trax train guard Joe Griffin does an extra shift on an overnight passenger train scheduled to depart London at midnight. The regular guard is sick. His only consolation is the chance to spend time with his unrequited love, the tea-trolley girl, Ellen.

A few miles before reaching the final station, Eastborough, the train is nearly derailed in a forested area. The driver makes an emergency stop to check the situation and finds a dead deer stuck to the wheels. As he struggles with the deer carcass, a nearby werewolf attacks and kills him. Unaware of the dangers outside, the remaining passengers, Kate, Adrian, Matthew, Billy, Nina, Paul, and Ged and his wife Jenny, are frustrated to learn that an emergency team will not be able to reach the train due to downed trees all along the line. They persuade Joe and Ellen into letting them off the train to attempt to walk to Eastborough instead. Joe and Ellen find the driver's eviscerated body as they walk through the woods. As they rush everyone back to the train, a werewolf pursues them and bites Jenny's leg.

As the others bandage Jenny's wound, Joe tries to call for help again but receives no response. Eventually, everyone realizes that none of them have cell phone reception, because of a broken antenna on the train's roof. Billy, an engineering student, determines that the fuel lines were damaged and leaking, which need to be repaired. The werewolf tries to force its way into the cabin but can not penetrate the metal roof or double-paned windows. When it climbs up on the train's roof, the cellphone reception comes on and Nina's phone rings. When she moves into a less secure area of the car, the werewolf smashes through the window and pulls her out.

The remaining passengers barricade themselves in another car, using the train's power tools to reinforce the windows and doors with metal grates. Paul is killed when the werewolf enters the car through the bathroom roof while he is dealing with diarrhea. The werewolf breaks through the passengers' barricades, but the passengers fight together and kill it. Matthew recognizes the creature as a werewolf. Reasoning that someone bitten by a werewolf will become one, Adrian tries to kill Jenny, who is becoming disoriented, coughing up blood, and spitting out her teeth. Joe knocks Adrian unconscious, then has the others tie him up along with Jenny.

Unaware that the werewolf's death cries have alerted the rest of its pack, Billy and Joe attempt to repair the train. As Joe and Ellen monitor the console, Matthew comes out to help protect Billy, but Matthew runs into the forest when he hears a voice calling for help. He discovers Nina being eaten alive by a werewolf, and he is attacked and killed himself. As the train begins to move again, the werewolf pack snatches Kate, who dies.

Jenny eventually transforms into a full werewolf and kills her husband. As she tries to kill Adrian, Joe kills her. The other werewolves board the train, and Adrian traps Joe and Ellen to cover his escape. Billy tries to beat off the werewolves with torches but is killed, while Joe and Ellen flee into the forest, pursued by the pack. Realizing they will not make it, Joe stays behind to fight them as Ellen safely makes it to the nearest station. Although Joe fights bravely, he is bitten by the chief werewolf and transforms into a werewolf. Shortly after, Adrian stumbles onto the scene and is attacked by the newly transformed Joe, while the other werewolves watch.

Cast

• Ed Speleers as Joe, the train guard
• Holly Weston as Ellen, the tea-trolley worker
• Sean Pertwee as Train Driver Tony
• Shauna Macdonald as Kate, a divorced mom, frazzled and having a rough evening.
• Elliot Cowan as Adrian, confident businessman with few morals.
• Amit Shah as Matthew, a passenger engrossed in a novel.
• Sam Gittins as Billy, an engineering student.
• Rosie Day as Nina, an inconsiderate train passenger.
• Duncan Preston as Ged, a senior citizen who is married to Jenny.
• Ania Marson as Jenny, a senior citizen who is married to Ged.
• Calvin Dean as Paul, a drunken football yob
• Brett Goldstein as David, Joe's new Supervisor
• Ryan Oliva as Scar Werewolf
• Robert Nairne as Hunchback Werewolf
• Ross Mullan as Blonde Werewolf

Production

Howl was directed by Paul Hyett, previously known for his effects collaborations with fellow British horror film director Neil Marshall.

Release

The film had no theatrical release but was shown at several international film festivals before its release on home video. Howl premiered at Fantasy Filmfest, which was held in Germany on 5 August 2015. It was subsequently shown at FrightFest in the United Kingdom on 31 August, and Popcorn Frights Film Festival in the United States on 3 October. The DVD was released on 26 October.

Reception

The film has a 63% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 16 reviews.

Kate Muir of The Times negatively likened the film to Snakes on a Plane, giving it two out of five stars and calling the werewolves unconvincing.

Luiz H. C., one of the critics of horror film magazine and website Bloody Disgusting, rated it three-and-a-half out of five stars and, although he criticized the use of CGI, said that it was unexpectedly entertaining. Pat Torfe, also of Bloody Disgusting, gave the film four out of five stars and said that it was the best werewolf film since Dog Soldiers, though it plays it safer than that film.

Kim Newman of Empire gave the film three out of five stars and said that it is "an unashamed B-movie, but fun". Mark Kermode of The Observer wrote, "Engagingly sympathetic portrayals of stoical working women and harassed railway guards keep us on side as the action rattles through familiar generic junctions." Hannah McGill of The List wrote, "The black humour hits home without breaking the tension, while the gore – as one might expect given Hyett's background in makeup effects – is grimly convincing." Garry McConnachie of The Daily Record criticized what he felt were annoying characters and a failed opportunity to make use of a confined setting. However, called Howl "thoroughly entertaining" and praised Hyett's direction and Speleers's acting.

Mark McConnell of paranormal magazine Fortean Times gave the movie 8 out of 10, saying: "The film's climax made me wonder if it wasn't the director's exploration of interpersonal relationships between men and women that made me want to watch it a second time. Hats off to Hyett, who has taken the mundane British Rail journey and turned it into a feast of bloody horror."

External links

• Howl at IMDb
• Howl at Rotten Tomatoes