Review -- Wolves at the Door

 

Wolves at the Door (2016) - After watching Wolves at the Door, I found myself wishing that it had been a different movie. Had it merely been a slasher, it would have been quite an innovative genre entry with some great camera work. Instead, in its insistence on having been "inspired" by the heinous Tate-LaBianca murders, it is an example of cheap and self-serving sleaze that never should have seen the light of day.

We have all heard the true story. A group of friends, including Sharon Tate (Katie Cassidy) and Abigail Folger (Elizabeth Henstridge), gather for a farewell party. As they relax in a spacious Hollywood hills house, they have no idea that a group of brainwashed maniacs are coming to commit murders for delusional gain. Cruel and shocking violence ensues, with four young, innocent people perishing for no reason at all...

First, let me heap praise upon the only good part, the terrific opening. Jane Kaczmarek and Chris Mulkey are always excellent, and the sequence utilizes the domicile's nooks and crannies to full and frightening effect. Shadowy walls give way to intruders snatching sleep from an ordinary couple's ordinary night, intent on turning a home into a crime scene. If only the movie had stuck to this idea -- unknown prowlers disrupting the peace. There are two other recent entries in the "stranger danger" horror subgenre -- Them (2006) and The Strangers (2008) -- that show just how potent this premise can be. The tony neighborhood where the couple from the opening live could also have served to add a new dimension in terms of class warfare symbolism. 

Indeed, anything would have been better than what the movie devolves into. A vile piece of ick, it seems to be reveling in its gore, utilizing actors who deserve better. There are the fantastic Kaczmarek and Mulkey, but also Cassidy and Henstridge, who have charm and charisma that should be showed off elsewhere. Again, there are some scenes and details that would have been effective in a different work of horror, one that did not profit from opening up old wounds. The locations are earthy and interesting, the camera work is sinister and unexpected and some of the directorial choices are bold, but these elements are impossible to discuss without the stain of the unethical context. I cannot help but think of the real life victims' families; I sincerely hope that they did not and never will encounter this movie.

Wolves at the Door does not serve the purpose of entertainment in any way. The idea of intruders is a fruitful one for the genre, but must not be set up as a ruthless exposition of a tragedy posing as a popcorn fest. By exploiting one of the most horrific crimes of the latter half of the 20th century for the sake of suspense, the movie turns into a version of itself that it never should have been and never needed to be.

2/10