The Company of Wolves

The definitive werewolf picture of all time.
I fell in love with Sarah Patterson.

I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about this film—it's one of those that leaves you thinking, and maybe not always in the way it intended. It's a surreal reimagining of the Little Red Riding Hood myth, told through a series of dreamlike vignettes that are framed by a modern-day teenager falling asleep and dreaming of a strange, gothic fairy tale world. And while I really appreciate the idea behind it, I’m not convinced that the framing device added anything meaningful. It left me a bit puzzled. Why not just focus on one story and explore it fully? Especially with such a rich atmosphere and concept, it felt like a missed opportunity.

That said, the production design is stunning. The sets are gorgeous, theatrical, and haunting—almost like Alice in Nightmareland. Everything feels strangely familiar, yet distorted and threatening. The forest doesn’t just serve as a backdrop, it almost becomes a living, breathing character of its own, filled with beauty, danger, and symbolism. It’s exactly the kind of eerie fairy tale vibe I love.

What I really enjoyed was how the film takes the well-known tropes of fairy tales and twists them into something darker and more mature. It’s a bold and creative reinterpretation, exploring themes like sexual awakening, danger, and the blurred line between humanity and animal instinct. The transformation scenes are particularly memorable—visually brutal and impressively grotesque. Yes, the effects have aged a bit, but they’re still incredibly entertaining and surprisingly effective.

The cast does a fantastic job, especially Angela Lansbury, who brings a perfect mix of warmth and menace to her role as the grandmother. Unfortunately, the music didn’t always work for me. At times it was just too much—too loud, too dramatic, and it disrupted the otherwise subtle and immersive tone. The film already does so much visually that the soundtrack could’ve afforded to be a bit more restrained.

A well cast but strange movie that makes you wonder what it’s point was.

Strange and surreal take on Little Red Riding Hood. It's kind of disjointed with the multiple levels and tales inside dreams, it's hard to tell what's ever actually going on. But there are some quality sequences. And the sexual awakening undertone is interesting.

Beautiful set design, and a great cast, but the story itself is all over the place. Felt like scenes were just pushed forward to complete the movie, but it all felt unfinished and rushed with the story.

That was just weird - I can't remember any other movie like this.. Perhaps it was the drugs movie execs took in 1984.

It used the special effects of the time, but I went into it expecting something like an adult Little Red Riding Hood. I couldn't see that here at all. I don't know who this would appeal to in the 2020's, and I don't understand the good reviews others have given.

To be honest, the scariest thing was how Angela Lansbury looked old so long ago