Wolf movie review: A confused lockdown thriller 

The plot of Wolf displayed so much potential in the first half talking about toxic masculinity and preconceptions, but it soon falters as it takes a preachy route and ends up as a confounding mess,

Wolf

When Malayalam director Shaji M Azeez and his team would have started shooting Wolf, which dropped on ZEE5 on April 18, they must have thought they would have had a relevant subject at hand. In fact, they did too. The movie, based on GR Indugopan's story, is set on the night before and the day the unexpected nationwide lockdown comes into force in the country. It was shot right after the lockdown rules were eased and hence the minimal cast, which was also used effectively for most parts of the movie.

The film starts off by introducing a hot-headed Kochi youth Sanjay (Arjun Ashokan) who after a visit to Kottarakara, decides to surprise his fiancée Asha (Samyuktha Menon) in Parippally. However, when he arrives at her house, they learn that a lockdown is declared, rendering Sanjay unable to travel back to Kochi. The two, who are set to get married in two weeks, learn more about each other in the course of the night and next day.

The plot of Wolf displayed so much potential in the first half talking about toxic masculinity and preconceptions, but it soon falters as it takes a preachy route and ends up as a confusing mess. How a couple bonds so quickly, even when posed with the circumstances in the film, is unconvincing and even more are the character arcs of Samyuktha Menon and Irshad, whose intentions confuse those on-screen and off it as well. 

The trio's performances build up the tension in the first half. Actors Shine Tom Chacko and Jaffer Idukki aren't used well either. What starts out as an insightful relationship thriller about man-woman dynamics soon becomes an inconsistent, self-indulgent piece about a hunter. 

Verdict: Wolf's first half shows potential but the movie falters due to its inconsistent character development and self-indulgent writing in the second half. 

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Cast and Crew

Darragh Shannon

Amy Macken

Manjusha Radhakrishnan

Jessie Fisk

Arjun Ashokan

Sanjay

Jaffer Idukki

Shine Tom Chacko

Samyuktha Menon

George MacKay

Jacob

Paddy Considine

The Zookeeper

Terry Notary

Lion Man

Eileen Walsh

Senan Jennings

Duck

Lily-Rose Depp

Wildcat

Martin McCann

Fionn O'Shea

German Shephard

Lola Petticrew

Parrott

Leo Hanna

Almost Out

Steve Kendall

Assistant 3

Helen Behan

Jacob's Mother

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