The quiet small town of Nybo in Norway suddenly becomes tense because of a brutal murder that took the life of the mayor’s daughter. The police investigation led to a theory that there were werewolves living in the forest and looking for victims in the city.
What the Deputy Sheriff didn’t realize, his daughter, the witness in the first incident, turned into a mythical figure.
Viking Wolf, originally titled Vikingulven, is a monster horror film produced in Norway by Stig Svendsen and released internationally by Netflix on February 3, 2023.
Viking Wolf is one of a series of Norwegian productions released by Netflix following the success of Troll (2022) and then the war film Narvik (2022).
Given the premise of werewolf terror in the modern era, this movie will most likely feature a formulaic and cliché story. So what’s trying to deliver this movie, shot entirely in Nybo? Check out the following review to learn more!
Viking Wolf movie synopsis
- Release year 2022
- Genre Horror, Thriller
- Director Stig Svendsen
- Cast Elli Rhiannon Müller Osbourne Sjur Vatne Brean Vidar Magnussen Arthur Hakalahti Metteson
In 1050, the Vikings invaded Normandy. They forced the monks to open the door of a room in the castle that was supposed to store valuables.
Despite being stopped, Gudbrand charged in and brought out a small wolf. Then it is said that they brought him to Norway, who slaughtered an entire army before it could land there.
More than 1000 years later, the small Norwegian town of Nybo is rocked by the brutal murder of the mayor’s daughter.
It all started with a party in the bay, on the outskirts of town and near the woods. As Jonas and Elin were talking alone near the dam, suddenly a mysterious figure attacked them and kidnapped Elin.
The incident was witnessed by Thale, the daughter of the Deputy Chief of Police, who was also injured in the attack. The police conducted an investigation by interviewing all the teenagers present at the party, but they did not get any clues.
A few days later Elin’s body was found in the woods. Forensic officers said Elin fell prey to an aggressive carnivore, but he couldn’t more clearly identify what kind of animal it was. He advised Liv Berg, the deputy sheriff and Thale’s mother, to contact a veterinary specialist named William.
William arrived shortly after receiving permission from the university where he taught. Liv is visited by an old man named Lars Brodin, who conveys the information that the monster they are looking for is a lycanthrope, a type of werewolf.
The only way to kill this werewolf is to shoot silver bullets into its body. But Liv didn’t believe it right away, especially with a myth like this.
After conducting preliminary research based on the nails found on Elin’s side, William determined that the monster was a wolf. But he has yet to find any further explanation regarding the wolf’s body size.
The police are allowed to hunt wolves in the forest. With a small group, Liv joined.
They find a cave that is said to be the place where the wolf they are looking for resides, and naturally they become the target of the big wolf. Fortunately, Liv survived and killed the wolf with a bullet that Lars had stuffed into his jacket.
The results of William’s research on the wolf carcass concluded that the animal died after being shot by a silver bullet.
They then visit Lars in his caravan to learn more about werewolves. Lars explains that they must kill all werewolves, especially the victims it injures.
Meanwhile, ever since Elin was killed, Thale, who was injured by the werewolf attack, has strange feelings for him. It turns out that he turned into a werewolf with his first victim, Jonas, while the two were on the outskirts of town.
Thale flees the city, but he transforms into a full wolf form inside the bus and wreaks havoc, causing the bus to crash into a tunnel.
While Liv is at the crime scene, werewolves visit Liv’s family home and attack Jenny. Fortunately, Arthur saved Jenny and escaped to the city.
Their car crashed into the divider because Arthur fainted from a wound in his hand. The werewolves chase them then attack the townspeople.
Jenny, who realizes that the werewolf is Thale, her brother, approaches and tries to communicate with him. Liv and William arrive and fire a stun bullet at the werewolf.
However, the anesthetic didn’t seem to have any effect on him. Then how should Liv paralyze the werewolf? Will he have the heart to kill his own daughter even though she is no longer human? Please continue to watch this movie and find the answer at the end of the movie.
Viking Wolf movie review
Based on Norse Myths
Right from the title, the movie Viking Wolf clearly tells the story of a werewolf in Viking life. But that is only used as the background for the main plot in the present.
Cautiously, screenwriters Espen Aukan and Stig Svendsen set the historical backdrop of the Viking invasion of Normandy in 1050.
Although this expansion did occur, the military leader Gudbrand the Grim is a fictional character and does not exist in historical records. And the werewolf and Viking correlation only ends here so it’s pretty disappointing that it doesn’t match the title shown.
The story then shifts to the present, more than 1000 years later, in a small Norwegian town called Nybo.
It’s as if we’ve just let go of the original setting, we almost forgot because the plot no longer conjures up the story. Until the inclusion of Lars Brodin, a werewolf hunter did not participate in any of the hunts in this movie.
There’s also a glimpse of Norse mythology in a class flashback that tells about werewolves’ origins. However, one big question arises: if based on Norse mythology, why were werewolves brought from Normandy, which is clearly from a different culture?
The overall plot lacks emotion
In addition to the weak setting, this 1 hour 37 minute film also has a general plot. The plot is straightforward and easy to follow, in fact, we wouldn’t feel left behind if we left for a few minutes to stare at the screen.
Aside from the slow tempo, the plot is predictable and there are no twists in it. Be careful in choosing the context at the beginning of the movie, do not go on to the main story line, which actually does not have a good foundation.
Many questions arose that were left unanswered until the movie ended. One of them was the taunt Thale’s friends threw at him.
We are absolutely not told what happened behind them to say that. And the further the story goes, the more unanswered questions we have in our heads. Also, the emotions in this film are not well managed, although the opportunity to do so is huge.
With Thale turning into a werewolf, Liv’s hunt leaves her in a dilemma. So the scene where Liv decides to shoot a werewolf with a silver bullet in the hospital feels empty and lacking in emotion.
This mother-daughter relationship only appears in a brief scene at the beginning of the film. After that, they are almost never in the frame again.
However, this movie still has an emotional scene, which is when Jenny tries to calm down and communicate with the werewolf she knows as Thale, her brother.
At least they have some scenes depicting the closeness between brother and sister, even if only for a short time. So this scene is quite successful in touching our emotions.
Unique werewolves appear differently
For those who are used to watching werewolf movies, from the Oscar-winning An American Werewolf in London to The Twilight Saga (2008-2012), of course, you will be surprised with the story presented. in this Viking Werewolf movie. While not the best, this movie presents a werewolf character that is unique and different from the others.
In addition to using Norse mythology as the background, werewolves in this film also cannot turn themselves back into humans after turning into a wolf.
Its appearance is very scary with shaggy fur and disease-like skin. Even William thought this wolf had scabies.
We are expected to more or less sympathize with Thale for this matter. However, due to the thin background and shallow handwriting, we did not develop this feeling.
Some fantasies of Thale’s transformation into a werewolf really confuse us because there aren’t enough explanations for it. However, the strong point of this movie is the neat and detailed visual effects in depicting werewolves.
Although the changes are not too dramatic, overall the CGI in this movie is quite good. The wolf’s fluid movements, both at close range and from a distance, look so obvious, which is a key element of this film.
Viking Wolf could really be a worthy choice for connoisseurs of werewolf-themed horror movies. However, many factors undermine it, especially from a script perspective, which affects the overall quality of the film. The slow tempo and suboptimal acting also make this movie awkward.
However, if you just want to fill your free time, then this movie is quite suitable to watch instead. Moreover, the length of the film is not too long. The general plot makes it very easy to understand.
Looking at the last scene of the movie, do you think Liv killed Thale or not? Can you share your answer in the comment column? Have fun watching!
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