Howling

A dog killing few people for a reason and there is a man who behind that dog... Good story and screenplay.... Must watchable movie....!!

Billed as South Korea's answer to 'The Howling'- which is in fact its English title in most, if not, all other territories, 'The Killer Wolf' proves to be so much more than your generic werewolf movie. Indeed, former poet-turned-director Yoo Ha's latest brings to mind Bong Joon- ho's 'The Host', which successfully reinvented the monster movie with sharp social commentary- and though Ha's attempt doesn't reach the heights of Bong's classic, it does successfully breathe new life into the subgenre by combining its sensibilities with that of a crime thriller.

It is in the form of the latter that the movie opens, as veteran detective Jo Sang-gil (Song Kang-ho, who coincidentally is also the lead of 'The Host') is teamed up with a young female rookie Cha Eun-young (Lee Na-young making the leap from her usual staple of rom-coms) to investigate the possible self-immolation of a middle-aged male in his own car. Adding to the mystery of that individual's cause of death are the unusual bite marks on the deceased, which suggest he was bitten by some large dog, or even a wolf.

With some forensic help and the requisite stakeouts, the pair of detectives manage to pin down the identity of the deceased- though a visit to his apartment unveils a much more sinister background. It turns out the victim was, together with four others, in the business of underage sex trafficking, using his apartment as a den for older men to indulge in their teenage girl fantasies. Clue by clue, Cha stitches together the pieces of a despicable criminal organisation, even as one by one the deceased's associates meet their demise at the mouth of a vicious half-dog half-wolf hybrid known simply as a 'wolfdog'.

A lot of the fun in Ha's film is guessing how the many disparate pieces of the puzzle fit together, as the narrative- based upon a Japanese novel by Asa Nonami- twists and turns to reveal the origins of the 'wolfdog' as well as the reason behind its series of targeted brutal attacks. The less you know about the plot the better, and the more attention you pay to the unfolding events the wiser, given the plethora of supporting characters as well as the plot complexities. There is a lot going on, but Ha manages to keep it all together while maintaining a tight tense atmosphere throughout.

But anyone who's seen Ha's previous films 'A Dirty Carnival' or 'A Frozen Flower' will know that he is not simply interested in plot but also equally in character. That explains the effort he spends setting Cha apart from the rest, painting her as the newbie ostracised by her colleagues for simply being a pretty female face but who turns out to be smarter and sharper than anyone else. Kudos to Ha for giving Cha more depth than the usual stereotype of a tough determined woman, though his execution- especially a flashback that explains her steeliness- could use a bit more finesse.

Next to Cha, Jo is unfortunately sidelined as the gruff old-hand still rankling at being passed over for a recent promotion- and even a subplot very early on about his troubled relationship with a delinquent son is quickly forgotten as the events of the case take precedence. Nonetheless, despite his character's significance in the course of the narrative, it is Song Kang-ho's low-key performance that holds the movie together. There's nothing particularly challenging here for the actor of more demanding fare such as 'Thirst' and 'Sympathy for Mr Vengeance', but Kang-ho is a perfect foil against the entirely serviceable performance of Na-young.

It isn't difficult to see why the actress had chosen Cha as her breakout role, but the sweet fresh-faced Na-young is sadly out of her depth here. That's particularly apparent in the scenes where she is required to imply an emotional connection between her character and that of the 'wolfdog' after the latter saves her life, which could have been more poignant in the hands of a more capable actress. Still, she isn't as bad as some reports have made her out to be, though a large part of that credit goes to her co-star Kang-ho.

Arriving in the midst of much summer bombast, it's easy to overlook a smaller, less-hyped movie like 'The Killer Wolf'- especially given its rather tacky English title. Yet those looking for some good old- fashioned intrigue and suspense will find that this Korean hybrid of a werewolf movie and a serial killer thriller offers both in one taut package, and if it's something different from the typical Hollywood spectacle you are looking for, then make this your film of choice.

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In HOWLING, what seems like a case of self-immolation turns into something far more bizarre. Detective Sang-Kill (Song Kang-ho) is partnered with Eun-young (Lee-Na Young) a rookie Detective. As they dig deeper into the mysterious death, it becomes much darker, and leads to further deaths.

This is an outstanding crime-drama / mystery / thriller with horror elements, due to the involvement of a certain wolf-dog hybrid. The police investigation is handled well, and the characters are interesting. The wolf-dog is a beautiful animal with a lot of presence. He can be both terrifying and sympathetic, and, for this reason, the finale is both action-packed, and poignant...

The plot was a little too far-fetched and the sexism ruined the film for me. The way the female detective was treated in this film was pretty vile. You can tell it was written and directed by men. The story had promise, but once it unfolded it was a little too unbelievable. I wanted to see the female at some point take charge and not sit back and allow herself to be physically and mentally abused by her male counterparts. It was obvious that she was more intelligent than the guys around her, yet she continued to allow them to ridicule her and treat her poorly. Perhaps this film needs to be remade with a strong female lead.

Flying below the radar this summer season here between Hollywood tentpole releases is Korean cop thriller The Killer Wolf or Howling, whose rather cheesy title betrays the storytelling quality associated with a genre that the Koreans have become rather expects at delivering. What more, there's one of my favourite Korean actors Song Kang Ho in the lead role, playing what else but a cop who's not exactly squeaky clean, frustrated for being passed on for a promotion he so desires. And add to that, he, and his homicide department, are quite the sexist lot, giving rookie female detective Eun Young (Lee Na Young) one of the worst welcome anyone can provide for new colleagues.

The team gets busy with what could have been a straightforward open and shut case of suicide involving self-immolation, but soon the clues start to pile and point to homicide, and then with more bodies turning up with fatal wounds seemingly caused by a wolf going for the jugular, before investigations reveal a loose link between all the victims, and a drug and underaged prostitution ring. Based on the novel by Asa Nogami, The Killer Wolf has plenty of red herrings thrown around, typical of any detective stories to keep you engaged, interested, and hooking you in to contribute your own thoughts about what's true, what's not and who's guilty, but in essence this investigative development turned out to be rather secondary.

Written and directed by Yu Ha, whose last film was 2008's A Frozen Flower, The Killer Wolf is very much about the leading characters, and both Song Kang Ho and Lee Na Young excelled in their partnership as unlikely cop comrades who have to transcend their personal prejudices and baggage in order to work together toward their respective goals. For Sang-Gil (Song), he needs a big case all by himself to provide just cause for a promotion, and in Eun Young's case, something to justify her transfer from the traffic police department and to make it as a homicide detective. Emotional baggage comes in the form of Sang-Gil's delinquent son, and in Eun Young's broken marriage no thanks to her late nights as a cop, but these are as fleeting as introduction goes in an attempt to provide a little more depth to the cops.

What made this a compelling watch isn't really how the duo went about their investigations, but like what's been seen in other Korean crime thrillers, how sometimes cops can effectively be inept, hampered by their lack of coordination and cooperation amongst themselves, and strangely enough, the sexism here is very much pronounced. Eun Young gets verbally abused countless of times, and what took the cake was that tight slap delivered by a fellow colleague, to which her response was to stand in silence. And all that stemming from listening to her partner and not calling their investigations in for backup purposes for personal and professional selfish reasons.

But what doesn't break you only makes you stronger, and the narrative for the most parts deals with Eun Young's determination to make it in her career and posting of choice despite having many first time jitters, and her dogged (pardon the pun) nature puts her very much in the driver's seat as far as investigations into the killings go. Song Kang Ho would fade off into the background from the mid way point, but Lee Na Young more than makes up for his absence with strong charismatic screen presence, who balanced her demure demeanour (some may even claim that it's submissive to her male colleagues) with some action sequences when called upon to become more physical.

The suggestion of a wolf-dog hybrid is also intriguing for tossing up plenty of questions, creating an entire arc and characters involving motivation to do what got done, together with bringing on plenty of sleaze factors amongst the guilty. Some may cry foul over how convenient this actually was in coming up with scenes and characters to link everything together, but as already highlighted, the story's really secondary to the strength of characters on display, and has the director keeping every development on a very tight leash, paced well and delivered where it mattered most. Recommended!