I saw Werewolf Castle

Director/writer Charlie Steed's Werewolf Castle is a raw, relentless prequel to his cult favorite, A Werewolf in England. 

Werewolf Castle is a medieval, lycanthrope variant which references Come and See, Excalibur, Pathfinder, The Seven Samurai, The Last of the Mohicans, Lord of the Rings, Predators, Army of Darkness and The Company of Wolves, though played straight, in contrast to Werewolf in England, as it promotes its Brothers Grimm brutality, steered throughout by Simone Cilio's epic, Trevor Jones/Randy Edelman-styled score and Steeds' picturesque photography.  

Werewolf Castle is the tale of young Thorfinn Garstang, rendered with great range by Peter (Vampire Virus/The Mummy 2017) Lofsgard, who starts off timid enough, but once his village is ravaged by the wolf men, joins a group of knights to stop the lustful creatures from assaulting the king's abode. This prompts our tenderfoot protagonist to tap unbridled courage, as we, a captivated audience, make his noble transformation our own.

Werewolf in England cast members comprise Werewolf Castle's ensemble, including Tim Cartwright as the supportive Sir Hamelin Wiltshire and as the wolf men's vanguard, the glib Wolfstan, Reece Connolly. (BTW, as with Werewolf in England, the lycanthropes consist of agile, old-school, costumed performers. Ah, how nostalgic and in the age of intemperant CGI, most refreshing!) 

Jay O'Connell depicts the towering and determined, lead knight, Hal "Skullsplitter" Balfager, who we learn has fallen from the king (his father)'s favor, but is still willing to purge the countryside of the ferocious infestation, all the while doubting Thorfinn's heartfelt abilities. Greg Draven plays their burly cohort, Thomas "The Huge" Fairhurst, and David Simcock is the inflexible King Vortigern. Rounding out the voguish assembly we have Richard Rowden, Ricardo Freitas, Jake Watkins, Megan Tremethick, Rick Carter, Jamie Jellard, Derek Nelson, Emma Spurgin Hussey and James Swanton.

While many current movies take a Mary Sue approach to characterization (i.e. serving leads who are flawless to a boorish fault), Werewolf Castle earns its success via identifiable trial-by-error. Werewolf Castle, on this basis, should capture followers as any worthy, character-driven monster movie should. A destined classic! 

I saw A Werewolf in England

Contrary to Werewolf in England's dynamic, urban-based poster, the movie is rural-set, consisting of more than one titular creature, and in my estimation, is quite effective for its earthy turf and John Landis-imbued tone. 

For the record, this gory, Victorian piece, which was written/directed by Charlie (Vampire Virus/Barge People) Steeds (and blessed by his Michael Gornick/Creepshow-ish cinematography) surfaced in 2020 and endured limited exposure (or so one must presume) due to pandemic throes, but has since achieved wider exposure and with it, a growing allegiance. 

The leads are a parish councilor named Horrace Raycraft, played by Tim Cartwright, and his polished prisoner, Archibald Whittock, played by Reece Connolly. Whittock has been accused of decapitating a boy, but claims the lad had become a ravenous wolf before reverting to human form. Raycraft dismisses Whittock's claim and keeps him chained to his wrist on way to the bloke's scheduled trial/execution, but not before they stop to spend the night at a foreboding inn. 

The establishment's sibling innkeepers, Vincent and Martha Hogwood, played by Barrington De La Roche and Emma Spurgen Hussey, are odd birds, and the inn's uncouth ambiance is a blend of James Whale's The Old Dark House and Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses. In other words, the set-up insinuates danger, but Raycraft is intent to make the best of the awkward situation, especially with the resident harlot, Minnie (Jessica Alonso) eager to please him as the unfortunate Whittock "rests" beneath their bed. 

Other characters get absorbed in the harried proceedings, once it's revealed that the hosts plan to sacrifice the visitors to a werewolf sect. These supporting characters include Raycraft's coachman, Willie (James Swanton), the inebriated Barnard Bagley (Rory Wilton), the dutiful Reverend Pankhurst (Mark McKirdy), and the resident, fetching blonde, Jane (Natalie Martins).

The Dog Soliders-influenced aggressors are enacted by Sam Lane and Derek Nelson, who move with lumbering, larger-than-life, old-school dexterity (far superior in execution to any cartoonish CGI). I must say, as a fan of monster-suited actors, I couldn't help but applaud.  

Once the werewolves crash the abode, the tension, abetted by Simone Cilio's quickening score, smacks of Night of the Living Dead's climax, though with Raycraft turning from a would-be Harry Cooper into a primo protagonist, who joins Whittock in the carnage-wrought war. Their dubious teaming is gratifying and differentiates Werewolf in England from not only other lycanthrope fables, but horror-action cinema in general.  

I've learned that Steeds has, in fact, devised a prequel to Werewolf in England called Werewolf Castle. I suspect that it, too, will stake uniqueness within its familiar motif. Rest assured, a review is imminent.