Review of Cry_Wolf (2005) by Shane V — 24 Dec 2009

In my attempt to find any werewolf movies I can, I stumbled across this flick. I intended to see it when it came out, but never got around to it and it was simply lost. But now comes my review for 2005's "Cry_Wolf.".

Owen is an exchange student moving in to a new prep school. Immediately hitting it off with a girl named Dodger, he is invited into a small group of friends who play lying games with each other for fun. But, seeing the repetitiveness & predictability of the game, Owen suggests they put their little game into overdrive. With the news of a recent murder in town, Owen and Dodger decide to create their very own serial murderer, including a fictional kill pattern, and forward it to the entire school. But as their game of lies begins to envelope the school, and the group's lives, they discover how far deceptions can go, before becoming realities.

I was absolutely thrilled with this movie. At first I expected it to be another modern messy murder movie, but I went ahead with it anyway just to have some fun. I cannot tell you how far off I was. This film is imaginative, suspenseful, and brilliantly-crafted, just for starters. The story seems simple enough at first but soon becomes a full-blown mind-bender while still being simple enough to follow along. Some of the characters may seem a bit 2-dimensional, but not enough to draw attention. Aside from that, decent acting all around from Jared Padelacki to Jon Bon Jovi. Of course the concept of the story being fed by instant-messages might seem a little silly, but easily overlooked. Brilliant direction, but perhaps a bit too simple-Simon. If you've read other reviews you've probably already heard that the direction seems to outclass the movie itself. While this is apparent while looking back, it's not really noticeable upon viewing. To quote from the movie itself, "It's like you're playing checkers... and I'm playing chess." Which leads me to my next point: never have I ever liked a teen movie script the way I love this one. Easily characterizing each person while not going too far into the pits of stereo-typicality. 'Brilliantly witty' pretty much sums up the script. Oh so many themes in this movie... where to start? The real dangers of the internet, the arrogance of youth, & the real darkness of the human soul. I guess that's enough for now. It's a modern movie to be sure, but by no means it is messy. It's chocked with thrills and perhaps a few chills, but is it really frightening? Well, I guess it depends what age demographic you are. But hey, don't take my word(s) for it; see it yourself! I beg of you. The huge difference between reviews and the surprisingly low-score of this movie leave it ripe for debate! I give "Cry_Wolf" 8.5 sheep out of 10.

"This is high school. Nothing's for real." -Owen Matthews.

"You'll have to excuse Randall here. He doesn't know the difference between a roommate and a cellmate." -Tom.

"Congratulations, baby. Tonight you could've gotten laid, but instead you got fucked." -Mercedes.