The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020)

Directed by: Jim Cummings | 85 minutes | comedy, horror | Actors: Jim Cummings, Riki Lindhome, Robert Forster, Chloe East, Will Madden, Annie Hamilton, Jimmy Tatro, Hannah Elder, Kelsey Edwards, Skyler Bible, Anna Sward, Demetrius Daniels, Kevin Changaris, Chase Palmer, Daniel Fenton Anderson, Rachel Jane Day, Marshall Allman, Gabe Casdorph

Jim Cummings (American actor, director, screenwriter and producer) rose to fame with his 2016 short film ‘Thunder Road’. In 2018, he adapted his story about a grieving police officer into a feature film of the same name, in which he again played the lead role. Cummings received much praise for his longer version. ‘Thunder Road’ won prizes at several film festivals and in France the film became a real blockbuster. In 2020, Cummings will return with his next project, ‘The Wolf of Snow Hollow’.

The story is set in the small ski village of Snow Hollow. John Marshall (Cummings) is an alcoholic police officer with outbursts of violence. With each passing day, he grows further from his daughter Jenna (Chloe East). His elderly father (Robert Forster in his last role) is the sheriff of the village, who should have retired because of his health problems. John’s concerns only grow as mutilated bodies of young women are discovered every full moon. The consensus among the increasingly scared villagers is that this is the work of a werewolf. As paranoia grows, it’s up to John and his colleagues to solve this case as quickly as possible.

With his second feature, Jim Cummings has once again chosen to tell a turbulent story about a police officer with family problems. It is a subject that is clearly close to Cummings’ heart. He tackles a completely different genre this time, but this fact still stands firm. While ‘The Wolf of Snow Hollow’ undoubtedly falls within the horror-comedy genre, the murders and bloodshed aren’t all that important. In reality, the character of John is the real driving force behind this film. Everything surrounding the titular werewolf isn’t exactly innovative; we’ve all seen it before. John knows how to intrigue. This is not a stereotypical cop, but a rough and sometimes short-sighted person, full of quirks. It only benefits the movie.

‘The Wolf of Snow Hollow’ is a true tragicomedy. On the one hand it shows an emotional view on topics such as family and responsibility, on the other hand the script regularly gives us the opportunity to get to know the colorful villagers. It is no easy task to combine all these elements, but Cummings succeeds to a great extent with verve. He does not tell a clichéd werewolf story here, but provides more insight into the life of the police officer – both professionally and privately – in order to show a fascinating, entertaining and honest portrait. Especially the bond between John and his father works well, helped by the always excellent Robert Forster. His timid, yet engaging acting speaks volumes. For anyone who is not yet familiar with Forster’s filmography, this is a suitable film to start with.

With a relatively modest budget, ‘The Wolf of Snow Hollow’ manages to achieve a lot. Some elements, especially around the titular werewolf, don’t always work well, but this is almost secondary to John’s preoccupations. For people looking for a pure werewolf movie, ‘The Wolf of Snow Hollow’ is not suitable viewing material, but for lovers of black-comedy character studies, this second feature film by Cummings is definitely worth it.