Werewolf Rising (2014) Review

Starring: Brian Berry, Melissa Carnell, Matt Copko, Taylor Horneman, Danielle Lozeau, Irena Murphy and Bill Oberst Jr.

Director: BC Furtney

Writer: BC Furtney

Running time: 78 minutes

Rated: Not rated (contains adult language, graphic violence, nudity)

Reviewed by Michael Juvinall

I’m glad to see independent werewolf films are making a comeback as of late. I know of several on the way in the coming months. With that being said, why is it so hard for these films to get it right? They have a fairly simplistic concept, somebody either already is a werewolf or gets bitten by one and turns, then terrorizes someone or a group of people. The only thing a filmmaker really has to get right is making a decent looking beast and has a decent story. Sadly, most have a hard time even getting that right. I like to consider myself an expert on all things werewolf in film and literature and I’ve seen so many bad films on the subject that it’s a real treat when one gets it right. Unfortunately, BC Furtney’s Werewolf Rising is not one of them.

Emma (Melissa Carnell-Humans Versus Zombies, Boggy Creek) is a twenty-something woman who returns to her childhood home in the mountains of Arkansas after her father passes away. It’s been twenty years since she left home to go to Boston when her parents divorced. Emma is a recovering alcoholic and uses the return to her home as a time to clear her head and battle her own demons.

Little does Emma know the isolated wilderness by where she lives is home to a bloodthirsty werewolf that has recently been on the prowl during the lunar cycle and shredding anyone it comes across. Emma soon realizes that as the full moon rises, her troubles are only beginning as she is part of something far more sinister than she could ever imagine.

Werewolf Rising has a great deal of potential, which unfortunately, wasn’t capitalized upon. To start off, the script is lacking in almost all areas. The characters are not fleshed out well and are one-dimensional. The characters are written so poorly; there is not a shred of empathy for anyone in the cast. There are huge plot holes in the story and much of it doesn’t make any sense at all. One scene in particular towards the end of the film had me scratching my head wondering what was going on. A woman named Beatrix (Irena Murphy-Trophy Heads) is out in the middle of the woods wearing nothing but a robe, confronts the werewolf, removes her robe and offers herself to the beast. I’m not sure what the point of this scene was other than gratuitous nudity because it made absolutely no sense for the story at all.

The film features horror favorite Bill Oberst Jr. (Circus of the Dead, Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies) supposedly in a starring role, but his screen time is severely limited. Unfortunately, not even he can save this film from languishing in mediocrity. The rest of the cast seem to be uninspired and just going through the motions.

The film isn’t all bad. I have to give the filmmakers credit for using practical effects and creating a man-in-a-suit beast rather than going the CGI route for their werewolf. The werewolf suit is impressive, although the head looks more like a bat than a wolf with its unusually long ears, but I suppose beggars can’t be choosers. The rest of the makeup effects are a mixed bag. The werewolf attack effects are effective and reasonably gruesome, but there are a couple of gunshot effects that are very cheesy and look terrible.

Overall, director BC Furtney’s Werewolf Rising misses the mark and lacks bite. The story has a lot of problems and the acting is uninspiring, even horror great Bill Oberst Jr. is wasted in this film. Props to the filmmakers for designing a practical werewolf, even if that too doesn’t quite hit the mark. I have to recommend that you stay away from this one; this monster movie isn’t worth your time unless you’re a diehard werewolf freak.