Howl (2015 film)

Howl is a 2015 British independent horror film directed by Paul Hyett and starring Ed Speleers.

Howl
Film poster
Directed byPaul Hyett
Produced byEd King
Martin Gentles
Written byMark Huckerby
Nick Ostler
StarringEd Speleers
Sean Pertwee
Holly Weston
Shauna Macdonald
Elliot Cowan
Rosie Day
Calvin Dean
Duncan Preston
Ross Mullan
Music byPaul E. Francis
CinematographyAdam Biddle
Edited byAgnieszka Liggett
Distributed byStarchild Pictures
Pathé
Release date
  • 5 August 2015 (2015-08-05) (Fantasy Filmfest)
Running time
89 minutes[1]
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Plot

Alpha Trax train guard Joe Griffin (Ed Speleers) is forced to do a shift on one of the overnight passenger trains, which is scheduled to depart London at midnight because the regular train guard has taken sick leave. His only consolation is the chance to spend time with his unrequited love, the tea-trolley girl, Ellen (Holly Weston). Although the train travels through a heavy thunderstorm, the moon is full.

A few miles before the final station, Eastborough, the train nearly derails in a wooded area when it hits a deer. The driver evaluates the situation but is attacked and killed by a werewolf. Unaware of the danger, the remaining passengers — Kate (Shauna Macdonald), Adrian (Elliot Cowan), Matthew (Amit Shah), Billy (Sam Gittins), Nina (Rosie Day), Paul (Calvin Dean) and Ged (Duncan Preston) and his wife Jenny (Ania Marson) — are angry to learn that an emergency team won't be able to reach the train due to downed trees all along the line. They cajole Joe and Ellen into letting them off the train to walk to Eastborough. As they walk through the woods, Joe and Ellen find the driver's eviscerated body. They rush everyone back to the train, but a werewolf pursues them, biting Jenny on the leg before the rest can pull her to safety.

As the others bandage Jenny's wound, Joe tries to call for help again but receives no response. Soon everyone realizes they have no cellphone reception. Billy, an engineering student, determines that the fuel lines were damaged and leaking, which will need to be repaired before the train can move. The werewolf tries to force its way into the cabin but cannot penetrate the metal roof or double-paned windows. However, when Nina's phone begins to ring, and she moves into a less secure area of the car, the werewolf smashes through the window and pulls her out.

The remaining passengers barricade themselves in another car, using the train's power tools to reinforce the windows and doors with metal grates. Paul, who is suffering from diarrhea, is killed when the werewolf manages to enter the car through the bathroom roof. It then breaks through the passengers' barricade, but the passengers fight together and kill it. Matthew recognizes the creature as a werewolf, and Adrian recalls that someone bitten by a werewolf will become one. Over Ged and the others' objections, Adrian tries to kill Jenny, who is becoming disoriented, spitting up blood and her teeth before becoming a werewolf. Joe knocks Adrian unconscious, then has the others tie up him and Jenny.

Unaware that the werewolf's death cries have alerted the rest of its pack, Billy, and Joe develops a plan to repair the train and drive it to safety. As Joe and Ellen monitor the console, Billy goes out to improve the fuel lines. Matthew is to be his guard, but he disappears into the forest when he hears a voice calling for help. He discovers Nina being eaten alive by a werewolf and is then attacked and killed himself. As the train begins to move again, the werewolf pack pulls Kate to her death.

Jenny transforms into a werewolf and kills her husband. Before she can kill Adrian, Joe kills her. The other werewolves board the train, and Adrian traps Joe and Ellen to cover his escape. Billy tries to beat off the werewolves with torches but is killed. Joe and Ellen flee into the forest, pursued by the werewolves. Realizing they will be destroyed, Joe stays behind to fight them as Ellen safely makes it to the nearest station. Joe fights bravely but is bitten by the chief werewolf. Shortly after that, Adrian stumbles onto the scene and is attacked by the newly transformed Joe.


Cast

Production

Howl was directed by Paul Hyett, previously known for his effects collaborations with fellow British horror film director Neil Marshall.[2] Hyett had previously been a special effects, creature, prosthetic and make-up designer for Marshall's earlier films such as Doomsday, The Descent, Centurion, and Dog Soldiers; the latter 2002 film also a werewolf movie. Actress Shauna Macdonald played the lead role Sarah in The Descent, and also has a starring role in Howl. Sean Pertwee starred in Dog Soldiers and also has a role in Howl. Paul Hyett also worked on the effects for the British horror films The Woman in Black and Attack the Block.

The interior train shots were filmed in Croydon, London, and London Waterloo station in Lambeth. Exterior shots were filmed in the Black Park Country Park adjacent to Pinewood Studios.[3]

Marketing and Release

Marketing

The Horror Addict channel on YouTube premiered the official trailer for Howl on 13 May 2015. The video currently has almost two and a half million views.[4] A total of three different official trailers for the film were released over the summer.

Four different film posters have been released; one showing a bloodied, inhuman claw in the sky, hovering over the train, and variations of; one of the glowing eyes looking through a window over bloodstained seats; and the final poster is a bloodied human hand on the window, with a full moon outside.[5][6]

Release

The film had no theatrical release but was shown at several international film festivals before its release on home video. Howl first premiered at Fantasy Filmfest, which was held in Germany on 5 August 2015. It was subsequently shown at FrightFest in the United Kingdom on 31 August, and Popcorn Frights Film Festival in the United States on 3 October.

The DVD release date was initially set for 16 October,[7] but has been pushed back closer to Halloween at 26 October. The DVD will be age-rated 18 in the UK market due to disturbing imagery and graphic and bloody violence.

Reception

The film was met with a generally positive response and currently has 62% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 13 reviews.[8]

Kate Muir of The Times negatively likened the film to Snakes on a Plane, giving it two out of five stars. "Soon, it all gets bloody as the (somewhat unconvincing) lycanthrope goes loco on the locomotive."[9]

Luiz H. C., one of the critics of horror film magazine and website Bloody Disgusting, gave the film a positive review with three-and-a-half out of five stars, saying that: "Howl is a fun and frightening romp." [10] Pat Torfe, also of Bloody Disgusting, gave the film four out of five stars, saying that: "Howl lives up to its title in many ways."[11]

Kim Newman of Empire Magazine gave the film three out of five stars, and said of the film: "An unashamed B-movie, but unashamed fun."[12] Mark Kermode of The Observer: "Engagingly sympathetic portrayals of stoical working women and harassed railway guards keep us on side as the action rattles through familiar generic junctions."[13] Hannah McGill of The List: "The black humour hits home without breaking the tension, while the gore - as one might expect given Hyett's background in makeup effects - is grimly convincing."[14] Garry McConnachie of The Daily Record: "There's still much to admire and enjoy."[15]

Mark McConnell of paranormal magazine Fortean Times gave the movie 8 out of 10, saying: "The film's climax made me wonder if it wasn't the director's exploration of interpersonal relationships between men and women that made me want to watch it a second time. Hats off to Hyett, who has taken the mundane British Rail journey and turned it into a feast of bloody horror."[16]

References
  1. "Howl". British Board of Film Classification.
  2. Bloody Disgusting
  3. "Howl (2015)". Internet Movie Database.
  4. Howl (2015) Official Trailer. YouTube. 13 May 2015.
  5. "UHM - Upcoming Horror Movies - Movie - Howl". upcominghorrormovies.com.
  6. "Howl (2015)". Internet Movie Database.
  7. Internet Movie Database
  8. "Howl". rottentomatoes.com. 13 April 2019.
  9. "Howl". The Times.
  10. Bloody Disgusting
  11. Bloody Disgusting
  12. "Empire's Howl Movie Review". empireonline.com.
  13. Kermode, Mark (18 October 2015). "Howl review – blood on the tracks in a low-budget railway horror". The Guardian.
  14. "Howl". The List.
  15. Garry McConnachie (7 September 2015). "Movie review: Howl (15)". dailyrecord.
  16. Fortean Times, Issue 333 November 2015, p.63
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