View this profile on Instagram
Written and Directed by Kelsey Taylor
Starring Maddison Brown (Dani), Ivan Martin (the Woodsman), Michael Esper (Carey, the sexual predator), Kaitlin Doubleday (Jolene, Carey’s significant other)
Produced by Adam Lee, Kelsey Taylor, Ricky Fosheim, Zach Golden
Executive Produced by Joseph Restaino, Tony Stopperan, Jay Burnley, Chelsea Tieu, Mark Fuell, Katherine Waddell, Felix Dashevsky, Jeremy Walton, David Lyons, Ivan Martin, Maddison Brown, Dena Platis, Georgina Campbell, Kate Coyne, Tom Lee
Cinematography by Adam Lee
Edited by Dawson Taylor
Music by Sara Barone, Forest Christenson
{Now in Theaters: Click This Link for Dates, Schedules}
On the One Hand: TO KILL A WOLF is an undeniable gotcha. Acting, overall, ranges from good to very good. Also, there are intriguing plots and subplots, themes and sub-themes and beaucoup surprises that can make the hair on one’s neck stand up. Another also: The cinematography and production values can stir up audience members’ appetites about Oregon where the story takes place. And the deft music and film score add to the cinematic pleasure of this film. And there are other beaucoup surprises that can’t be described in this narrative text because of the perils of … guess what … spoilers.
On the Other Hand: The main issue this reviewer has with TO KILL A WOLF is this: It’s as if the filmmaker, deciding that the audience might not get the message of how grievous predatorial sexual violence can be, has way too many scenes of Dani stumbling and fumbling trying to say – and fails – that Michael Esper’s Carey the sexual predator molested her. TO KILL A WOLF needs to be trimmed at least 30 minutes if not more.