Cry Wolf

Review By: Edward Kasche
EdKasche@TheCinemaSource.com

I watched expecting a low-brow teenage horror movie, in the vain of Darkness Falls, Urban Legend, or I Know What You Did Last Summer. I received nothing of the sort. I watched a teenage mystery thriller unfold on screen. I am disappointed by the lack of gore, but I am happy it wasn’t completely derivative. All in all, Cry Wolf is a harmless, albeit not thoroughly enjoyable, diversion movie.

The premise is interesting. Can a killer be created through the use of modern technology and the hi-jinks of a few rebellious prep school kids? By using the school’s intranet, the new young man at Westlake Academy (Owen Matthews), sends an email out regarding a serial killer who is terrorizing the local town and campus. He assigns an outfit (orange ski mask, hunters outfit), an M.O. (a series of orchestrated killings), and a weapon of choice (hunter’s knife). His new Westlake friends, including a sexy red-head and your usual gaggle of those who are “too cool for school,” have been playing a deceptive game of Wolf / Sheep in the school’s chapel at night; but this new game is broader and deadlier. With the premise given, and a supposed serial killer / copycat on the loose, you’d expect a gory teen horror movie to follow. But, not so fast. Cry Wolf is more of a mind game, an elaborate trick played on the new kid, and the audience.

While watching, I thought, “Oh, this isn’t so bad. I wonder where this is going?” Then, after a few ridiculous coincidences and some bad Bon Jovi acting, I whispered to myself, “This isn’t bad, but it’s not realistic.” A little later on, I asked myself, “What’s up the fake buildups of suspense?” At the end, as the plot was spelled out for me, I yelled at the television, “Oh my (insert religious figure), this sucks!” In retrospect, it isn’t all that bad, but it wasn’t worth the hope I had given it in the first half hour.

The story plays out ok, but there are too many unrealistic moments, which occur often in teen movies directed by unproven directors. Example: Is there a library in existence that has motion sensor lights that turn off if you stand still for more than ten seconds? How would you ever find a book!?! Also, if anyone was investigating a mysterious noise, and they suspected it to be a killer, would they keep their head phones on? Personally, I’d want to hear the knife being unsheathed. Oh… and the main character, the new kid, forgets when Halloween is, even though his faux email said the killer would kill him on Halloween. In fairness, there is a very good sequence when everyone at the Halloween dance is dressed as the killer. After listing these hits and misses, it’s a good time to mention the writer / director, ...