Hello, and welcome back to Netflix Dumpster Dive! I can hardly believe it, but we’re a month away from the second anniversary of this series. Just like last year, I’m hoping to do something a little different and special for this anniversary. For now, though, we’ve got another usual review, of a Netflix Original once again.

In July, I reviewed The Skin of the Wolf, and expressed some disappointment in the film. I also mentioned that I was expecting something more along the lines of The Grey, and since then I’ve been craving something in that vein.

Here, we have just what the doctor ordered, a brand new movie on Netflix called Hold the Dark. It should be apparent to longtime readers that I’m something of a thriller and supernatural horror enthusiast, and this movie promises both, with wolves as a running factor. I was hungry for this, so much so that I dropped the other movie I was planning on reviewing for this one.

 

Admittedly, I allowed myself to be misled by Hold the Dark’s synopsis. First let me be clear: I didn’t hate the movie, and I don’t think I let my expectations get the better of me. However, once again I was met with something that felt quite different than what I had in mind.

The supernatural aspect of this movie is implied at most, and the wolves are literal only in the first half of the film (and the very end) It’s strange and weird, and at the end of the day, a part of me feel like there was something more that needed to happen to let this movie shine its brightest.

That isn’t to say I didn’t like the movie. Like I said, my expectations were tempered. I did, however, have some gripes that I could not ignore. The biggest is that the story feels like it wasn’t resolved. I was invested in this plot quite heavily, but the way things ended felt so… vacant. The conflict was ended anticlimactically and all I felt was that I’d watched a lot of people die and followed a character who didn’t do much of anything. The person who is supposed to be the protagonist feels tertiary at best, and I was much more interested in the secondary character of the police chief. All of what went down feels so pointless by the time I’m done with the movie.

Crummy endings are no stranger to Netflix Dumpster Dive, all things considered. I’m complaining about an ending more often than not. The rest of the movie is always far more important, in my opinion, though perhaps I’m jaded. So what about everything before the ending?

Hold the Dark delivers suspense and intrigue just minutes into the film. We’re met with the peculiar character who calls our protagonist in, and almost immediately she’s acting bizarrely. I cannot figure out for the life of me why this part wasn’t developed more, because her role is so compelling in comparison to our “antagonist,” if you can even call him that. She, however, is absent for the bulk of the movie, after setting up an interesting twist early on. Her husband becomes the antagonist, and again, mystery and potential supernatural traits follow him, and he winds up being more or less normal (brutality aside) He wears a mask with a simple yet elegant design, and I will say, his look would have made for a cool villain had he been more dimensional. While I feel both of these characters were underutilized, my point on suspense still stands. The strange behaviors of this couple are what kept me on the edge of my seat. I felt buildup, morbid curiosity, even as the movie became more and more gruesome and less and less narrative.

Acting in this movie is solid, and I don’t have any particular gripes at this time. Where things seem awkward is always a character factor and not a testament to the skill of the actors. The settings are all great as well, lots of snowy landscapes and rural charm. The themes of class dispute between the rural people and the city folk (in particular, cops) highlight the smalltown vibe as well. All this makes Hold the Dark a cohesive and well-made film, but in terms of a movie to just watch I find myself feeling high and dry. It isn’t bad, and I didn’t hate it, as I keep saying, but something is missing that I wish I had.

Where the movie truly shines, in my opinion, is themes and parallels. While I desire more from the overall movie, picking apart the clues in and out of the story is still enjoyable. The murder of the children compared to the killing of the wolf pups (“savaging”), the devolution of community to pack in their behavior, the brutality of the film’s two antagonists being described as “possessed by a wolf” and “letting the wolf out,” all of these are interesting to ponder after the fact, but it’s not for the casual watcher. While I’m a sucker for that kind of thing, people who are looking to watch something they will enjoy on the surface level will not appreciate this, unless they are prepared to analyze as they go.

For those willing to delve deep and be an active, puzzle-solving watcher, this movie is a great fit. There’s plenty to pick apart and dig at. For those who want something that is enjoyable at its base level, the likelihood that you’ll be feeling anything other than cheated of excitement by the end is miniscule. I would say this is one for the critics, but not for the public.

Overall Personal Rating: 6/10

 

Thank you for reading! If you want to be notified of when the next Netflix Dumpster Dive comes out, feel free to follow the site, and you can also follow me on Twitter. I published my new fantasy book in July, and it’d mean the world if you’d check it out, and if it’s not your cup of tea, share it with someone who might like it. Thanks again, and I hope to see you here next time.

-Vincent

 

© 2018 Vincent C. Russo. All Rights Reserved. This post is intended for review and constitutes fair use. This film and any images used belong to their respective owners.