The Company of Wolves

This bewitching phantasmagoria simultaneously delights with Neil Jordan’s masterful, emotional direction and annoys with the virginal innocence of its story, which was unfortunately conceived as an irritating tangle of three intertwined storylines. It is an experience that is at once amazing and painful, and definitely a film the likes of which you rarely see these days. Beautiful set designs and a nice cameo by Terence Stamp. (12/02/2009)

An artistically highly stylized studio spectacle, drawing from multiple sources, mainly from the well-known story of Little Red Riding Hood, from folk myths influenced by the perspective of the church, from 19th-century romanticism, and ultimately also from modern horrors of the present. The result is a horror fairytale for adults, similar to movies such as Sleepy Hollow or other fairytale films. The most valuable aspect is precisely the visual concept, as this is exactly how I imagined as a boy a spooky forest full of giant mushrooms, forest giants with massive twisted roots, with plenty of dark corners full of cobwebs and glowing eyes. The director mixes bloody red with the white color of milk, plays with slow-motion shots of shattering glass, and with various details of toys or living creatures, which together create a mysterious atmosphere full of increasing tension and, not least, also eroticism. Just as the erotic motif is used in old vampire films, here the werewolf motif is used in terms of primal sensuality, as there is a piece of a predator hidden within every man and woman. Overall impression: 85%. (21/01/2009)

It was disappointing the first time and I really don’t know if there’ll be a second. The atmosphere is certainly mesmerising and the concept is original, but that dreamy and muddled narration felt contrived and almost too detached at times. Maybe it’s a great lesson on how to design a fictional and fantastic world, but the dynamics weren’t fun and, compared with the equally old and somewhat similar The NeverEnding Story, the story never drew me in. Maybe next time. 65% (01/11/2020)

The official blurb of the distributor says this is a captivating film, but few films have captivated me less. If I didn't know that Neil Jordan is an acclaimed filmmaker and that a lot of viewers of The Company of Wolves find things I wasn't even looking for, I'd call it a derogatory phrase "crazy fantasy". (31/01/2012)

An artistically captivating excess that initially captivates the surprised viewer, but unfortunately, it eventually starts to give an overwrought impression. Even the formal storytelling approach in depicting the story of the wicked wolves, who don't really hunger but crave something else, isn't the best choice they could have made. The dreamlike scenes of a young girl, mixed with more and more stories that inevitably start to collide, push the viewer's confusion to the limit. Moreover, the non-restrained pace of the storytelling, where dialogues that are supposed to advance the plot are abruptly cut off to continue with the narration through scenery, and which not even Terry Gilliam's films would despise, somewhat schizophrenically confuses not only the viewer but also itself. The confused narrative playfulness, which calls for deeper exploration, evokes somewhat conflicting impressions in those who are not inclined to ponder deeply. Personally, it made me stand on my head. (25/11/2005)