Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Howl Blu-ray Movie Review

Werewolves on a train.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 19, 2016

A fierce, fanged foe facing off against random people trapped in cramped quarters always has the potential for fun, bloody cinema. Director Paul Hyett's Howl is one such film. It features several train travelers forced to face their fears when they come face-to-face with flesh-hungry werewolves. Hyett, who comes from a makeup effects background, handles the material competently and in a straightforward manner. The movie is neither special nor memorable, but it does its thing with enough muted, raw enthusiasm for the genre and technical expertise on both sides of the camera to maintain interest throughout. It's a movie that's not without its flaws but it gels well enough to make for a decent Horror getaway.

Heroes.

It's another day in the metal box on wheels for Joe (Ed Speleers), a sheepish train guard-slash-ticket checker who pretty much lets the world walk all over him. He's been passed over for promotion and finds himself working a double shift for an overnight trip. He's infatuated with co-worker Ellen (Holly Weston), but she doesn't feel the same way. This trip seems like any of the others. The train is sparsely populated by an eclectic group of travelers with nothing in common, at least not until fate, mother nature, bad luck, whatever, calls their names. When the train is forced to stop on a dime to avoid hitting an animal, the driver departs and never returns. Joe does his best to calm an increasingly anxious and irritable collection of passengers, but their demands for refunds and plans to hike to the nearest station are quickly forgotten when one of them is gruesomely wounded by...something. Passengers and crew slowly piece together the fact that they're begin stalked by hungry werewolves who will stop at nothing to get their fill of flesh.

Howl may not be a bastion of creativity, but it does its thing well enough. It's lean and focused with filler kept to a bare minimum. The film follows the usual structure for these sorts of pictures -- an introduction of the heroes and passengers, the first kills and the gradual realization of what's happening, and the final battle for survival -- and never gets lost on side stories, random anecdotes, or garbage that only serves to unnecessarily fill the runtime. The movie goes for the jugular fairly early with a first grisly attack and maintains a level of gruesomeness, claustrophobia, and helplessness for the duration. While characters can leave the train, the smart money is on remaining inside -- particularly after the "secure the entrances" montage and the resultant false sense of fleeting safety for those stuck on board -- and hoping for the best rather than explore the foggy, dark, and densely wooded area outside. But that train makes for, essentially, one big metal deathtrap in which there's nowhere to hide and precious little room to maneuver around the movie's freakish monsters that come in biting and clawing for all they're worth.

Considering Paul Hyett's makeup and effects background, it should come as no surprise that he's willing to push the envelope with his creatures. Howl features some grisly and gooey antagonists that look like a cross between wolves, exposed human musculature, and the folks from Wrong Turn. It's effective and scary, and Hyett isn't afraid to let his creations be seen. Rather than hide in the shadows, they attack openly on several occasions, still a touch obscured by the movie's dreary color palette but exposed for the world to see. Their battles with the humans are fierce and gruesome, though the effect is a bit lessened by what is a fairly generic collection of diverse individuals, people of all ages and backgrounds who don't bring much to the movie beyond the typical baggage such characters usually carry, like the man who puts his safety ahead of others or the girl who's always lost in her music. Lead Ed Speleers admirably performs the shy, down-on-his-luck, treaded-upon guard who undergoes his own transformation from quiet and submissive employee to leader of the group by film's end. Performances are usually only stifled by the lack of creativity on the roster sheet, but as fodder for werewolves most of them are fine.

Howl Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Howl's 1080p transfer looks fine, but it comes severely limited by the movie's bleak constraints. The picture favors a heavy blue/gray color scheme that dominates clothes and backgrounds. Reds dot the landscape -- a red necktie, a red train company logo on a company blazer -- but colors are muted and hardly flavorful. When the train lights go dim the sense of overwhelming bleakness only intensifies, and even splatters of red blood or a red emergency phone are severely restricted. Details are fine, though the film's darker and colder overlay doesn't allow much room for razor-sharp textures. General facial and clothing details present well enough; the gooey, muscular werewolves are nicely defined; and various accents around the train are adequately sharp. Black levels are sufficiently deep and flesh tones as cool as the movie's surrounding colors. Hazy exteriors are prone to serious banding, but noise, macroblocking, and other maladies are in short supply.

Howl Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Howl screeches, bangs, gashes, and, yes, howls on Blu-ray via Alchemy's impressively active and robust Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track isn't perfect -- intercom announcements are flat, stale, and immobile and light rattly train movement (while it's still in motion in the film's first act) doesn't really bounce the listener around the car -- but it's rock-solid where it counts. Music is adequately robust, deep, and spacious. Driving rain saturates the listening area, though raw clarity could stand a boost above the somewhat muddled details. The train's squealing brakes, that metal-on-metal piercing grind, and the sudden, deeply rattling stop penetrate the stage with all sorts of impressive sonic goodness. Howls and growls and several examples of chaos inside and outside the train frighteningly immerse the listener in the violent madness. Basic dialogue flows clearly and efficiently from the center, with excellent articulation and faultless prioritization.

Howl Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Howl contains a handful of featurettes which paint a satisfyingly thorough picture of the production.

• The Werewolves (1080p, 6:10): Cast and crew explore creature design, live action and digital performances, makeup application, cast's thoughts on the creatures, and more.
• The Humans (1080p, 6:18): A discussion of the film's main human character roster and their performers who in turn discuss Paul Hyett's work.
• The Train (1080p, 5:36): A discussion of how the idea for the film came to be and a closer look at the film's signature set piece and working in it.
• The Sound (1080p, 5:31): A discussion of the critical role score and sound effects play in the film, including the importance of creating unique music for the film.
• The Grade (1080p, 4:08): This final making-of examines color grading in the film.
• Previews (1080p): Trailers for Howl (1080p, 2:11), Frankenstein, Lavalantula, and Charlie's Farm.

Howl Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Howl doesn't do much to distinguish itself from the pack, but it's a perfectly serviceable Horror/Survival film that, beyond paper-thin characters and a paint-by-numbers approach, makes for a fun little grisly diversion, highlighted by some great werewolf makeup work. Alchemy's Blu-ray release delivers solid video and active lossless audio. Supplements include bite-sized looks at various aspect of the production. Worth a look.