Video game fans may recognize writer/director David Hayter as the voice of Solid Snake from the Metal Gear Solid series, while comic fans may also remember him as scripting the first couple X-Men movies, so either way chances are you may be familiar with the man's work in one form or another. Naturally already established in the action front, Wolves is his surprising detour into the horror genre. Of course the movie still isn't without its action bits, which actually blend well with the story. Honestly I'm just glad the wolves didn't turn into oversized dogs or duel wield guns like what's been overpopulating the sub-genre as of late.

The story is a pretty simple one, focusing on the young captain of the football team, who flees the town he grew up in after discovering his step-parents brutally murdered by some kind of animal. It all seems too much of a coincidence for the poor kid after soon realizing that he may have a darker, harrier side of himself. Hitting the road, he eventually finds himself in a dive bar, where he meets a strange loner that has more in common with the kid than he thinks. The man directs the ex-footballer to  a small hicksville town called Lupine Ridge (way to stay inconspicuous) where he may feel more comfortable being himself at. Instead, the kid finds himself in the middle of an intensifying battle between werewolf families.

I had fun watching Wolves to an extent--it wasn't exactly trying to be original, but it offered some interesting characters on top of the fact that they went with a more old school practical look for the werewolves themselves. Keeping things practical is always a plus for me when it comes to the horror genre, especially given how most filmmakers opt to simply make their werewolves all CG or just shitty oversized dogs. Next to that, there was a decent amount of blood and gore, but nothing to rave about. In the end the filmmakers knew they weren't breaking any new ground here, so they kept things simple and moving at a solid pace. However, had they tried to be a bit more creative with certain aspects, I would've dug it more, but as it stands it's a decent watch on a boring late night.

Wolves offers a simple well-paced story and some interesting characters. Combined with the fact that they went a more old school practical look for the werewolves, this all makes to be an overall decent watch, especially for fans of the sub-genre.