Dog Soldiers

There is a little sub genre of horror that involves people with guns vs. monsters. The most famous are of course Aliens, but there are few others (28 days later is another example).

Soldiers are the people of our society to whom we give the latest technology for killing, train them in this art to basically make monsters out of men and then their job is defend civilization against the monsters (where it is Osoma Bin Ladin or Werewolves, it doesn't matter).

Having said or that, this low budget, but well made horror flick has a squad of soldiers wandering around Scotland on a routine training mission, only to find out they are really there as bait for werewolves.

Lots of guns, guts (sausages) and gory glory. Heaps of pop culture references, fine acting, some scares, but lots of action. The werewolves are cool, the military action is authentic enough, and the analogy of the pack of werewolves and the squad of soldiers is a good one. It never had theatrical release in America, but did very well for itself in the UK.

Overall a good movie, with some flaws such as plot twists either being obvious (but then I tend to get most of them right away) or just silly and much of the time they are playing the movie for laughs when the audience is more into the tension and is there for the scare.

You won't see many horror films like this, so if you like soldier movies, horror movies, low budget movies or just want something a little different, see it.

I recently enjoyed the UK 🇬🇧 gem Dog Soldiers (2002) on Prime. The storyline follows a British military unit sent to the Scottish countryside for training exercises where they've heard stories of strange events they think are meant to scare them. Upon arrival, the discovery of scattered soldiers' corpses confirms the unsettling rumors.

Directed and written by Neil Marshall (known for The Descent) and featuring Sean Pertwee (from Event Horizon), Kevin McKidd (Trainspotting), Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones) and Emma Cleasby (Doomsday).

This British werewolf film stands out with its well-chosen settings that immerse you in the unfolding events. The cast is impeccably selected and deliver authentic dialogue making the circumstances feel believable. While the special effects and costumes might take some adjustment, they grow on you as the story unfolds. As every werewolf movie needs, the transformation sequence is excellent, and the action maintains its intensity until the last 30 minutes, which are a horror cinematic goldmine. The concluding werewolf sequences are elite, featuring exceptional gore, blood splatter, flying appendages, and more gore.

In summary, Dog Soldiers is an outstanding addition to the werewolf genre, earning a solid 8/10. I highly recommend it.

A group of soldiers are sent on a training mission when they encounter werewolves. The furry creatures are not very friendly and the military men have their hands full.

The only woman in the cast takes them to a remote house in the middle of nowhere and the film turns into an updated version of George Romero's 1968 classic "Night of the Living Dead." Instead of the black and white gore of that film, we get all the blood and guts in living color.

I had subtitles in order to understand the accents which can be tricky for this American to understand. Some of the slang is funny and the cast is a good one.

A fine entry in the werewolf field.

This one is the best werewolf film I've ever seen. I must admit that it hasn't got the greatest special effects or the biggest names in the acting business attached to it, but the film succeeds in doing what needs to be done: it keeps you on the edge of your seat for the whole ride and it doesn't let you go for one minute. Other than that, the actors are pretty good and there are also some good comedic moments. If you want a nice night of entertainment, suspense and scares give this one a try, because despite not being the most original or inventive film out there, it does not only promise to deliver IT DOES SO!!! I just know that I especially (and two others) highly enjoyed this low budget horror flick.

8 out of 10

It's proof that a simple concept can be very entertaining when done well. A routine army training exercise in the remote Scottish highlands becomes a desperate fight for survival when the soldiers run across some werewolves. The plot's about as basic as it gets but the film benefits from good performances (the cast is particularly adept at conveying the grizzled camaraderie of the protagonists), intelligent use of practical effects, moments of understated humor and well-staged action. With the exception of one unearned and undercooked twist the script is tight and coherent.

Routinely and deservedly ranked among the best werewolf films, it's must-see for genre enthusiasts and should entertain general audiences too.