User reviews

This is a really well done film that focused on what it was instead of falling for the trap of trying to be more than it could. It didn't try and be some terrifying horror film and nor did it spend too much time on the werewolves. For the most part they're left out of sight or kept to a minimum so as to play well to the claustrophobic element of the film. When they are seen, they look very cool and are really well done.

The acting is good, the characters are likable enough and all contribute something towards the experience of being holed up in a tin can, trying not to be munched on by bloody werewolves.

I was well entertained and didn't find myself fiddling with my phone or anything. It wasn't too long and wasn't too short and left on a decent note.

The storyline alone is fun enough to hold your attention for the duration of the film. It does what it says on the can and doesn't leave you feeling like you wasted your time.

I watch a lot of horror ...and a lot of bad horror subsequently and this film doesn't fall into that substandard category. It's not a great film but it's a good film and especially within the werewolf sub-genre, and there are not too many in there.

That's what I think anyway, check it out and see what you think. I recommend it.

Read the title of this horror and you know already what it's about anyway. Nothing like a good werewolf movie from time to time. Although there's still a certain shortage of decent films when it comes to this genre. The last (for me personally) successful werewolf movie that I watched, was "Wer". On the other hand you'll see some abominably bad attempts like "Wolves" and "Night Wolf". "Howl", a movie from the UK, may not be as good as "An American Werewolf in London", but still managed to surprise me. And although it's a low-budget film, you can say that the look of the creatures terrorizing the passengers of the stranded train was successful. Probably the used anatomy will ensure a bit of protest by the followers of the genre, because it seemed like a mix of a wolf and the creature from "Splice." But that first attack with a bloody close-up took my breath away. Brilliant makeup and special effects. They looked at least less ridiculous than the furry creatures of "Late Phases" (a movie in which the acting impressed) with their ears decorated with tassels.

The progress of "Howl" is well considered and balanced. First a comprehensive introduction of all the characters. The middle section with the threatening situation they find themselves in. Followed by the final confrontation with the necessary victims and a predictable turn. Don't be surprised when some of the individuals make some stupid decisions again. However, the end might be a little surprising. Unfortunately, the look of the night creatures, when you can admire them in full regalia, isn't so convincing or frightening. To be honest they looked like individuals who returned from some kind of masked ball. But believe me, the first confrontation was bloody and ruthless. Sheer aggression focused on the terrible creature that struck in a deadly and gruesome way shortly before.

Not only the suspense and tension was a positive element in this film. The performances were enjoyable. A collection of colorful characters displaying that typical reserved British attitude. It surprised me they weren't having a tea break while being attacked by those animals. First, there's Joe (Ed Speleers), an undervalued train guard, whose life is an accumulation of setbacks and adversities. He is despised by colleagues and passengers see him as an incapable figure. His colleague Ellen (Holly Weston) ignores his romantic moves. Kate (Shauna Macdonald) hated Joe the first instance after she had to pay for a new ticket. Adrian (Elliot Cowan) is a cocky guy who in the end just tries to save his own neck. Nina (Rosie Day) is a spoiled brat. And then there's this elderly couple, who won't hide their outrage about the delay, a nerd-like young boy (Amit Shah), an engineer in the making (Sam Gittins) and an obese, lazy football player (Calvin Dean). The introduction sometimes is comical and highly recognizable.

Not only the werewolves provide for the eerie atmosphere. But also the location where the train gets stuck with its dark woods and the typical English fog banks, create a creepy mood. The origin of the creatures isn't explained in detail. Only the older man is aware of other mythical stories about broken down trains and passengers disappearing or being found in a pitiful state. But otherwise, you can only guess where these fast-paced, immensely strong and bloodthirsty creatures come from. Despite being a typical B-movie and the fact that I thought Paul Hyett's film "The seasoning house" was slightly better, this film is worthwhile to give it a try. It's not a top film with werewolves as subject, but it certainly is a movie that can compete with the better ones in this genre.

More reviews here : http://bit.ly/1KIdQMT

Okay, I've seen some miserable horror movies in recent times. I've seen horrors that have made a great fresh start the descended into awful, others that after 5 minutes I've released a deep sigh and pressed the off button.

This is not one of those movies. For that I am thankful.

It's not one of the greatest movies but its not horrible like so many recent horrors.

I enjoyed it a little. at the end I did not groan out loud. Acting was okay, storyline okay. I enjoy English horrors more than their American counterpart as the emphasis is more on suspense and storyline than special effects and action.

Seems an odd way to put a positive review, but that's really how it is with horror.

Watchable, not terrible.

There is some development for story line and character purposes that is slightly painful to get through but it is not as excruciating as certain ritalin addicts would have u believe. The irritable characters r truly annoying and u really enjoy the scenes when they die horribly. I particularly enjoyed the death of the pre period mouth piece, although it is quite a 180 from the seasoning house.

The ticketmaster plodded along and kept everyone in line until the time came to take command which he managed to do admirably. The creatures were very well done, not as good as underworld but better then crap like wolfcop or the ewok looking fuzzies from wolves. I am not sure where all the hate is coming from but this was a decent horror film sure it was no American werewolf in London but it still entertaining for the hounds out there, British included.

I would say that more or less everything in this movie were mediocre: The script, acting, special effects and more or less everything else. On top of that a couple of things annoyed me, as when the people in the movie tried to block a pair of sliding doors with a wrench through the door handles! Not only once, but TWICE!! How on earth did anyone during the making of this movie think that this could in any way lock sliding doors, and how is it that NO ONE pointed this out during the making/editing of the movie??

For me the transformation into werewolves in this movie did not fit into the timeline of previously established mythology. And since when did canines have eyes that glows in the dark like cat eyes??? Deviations from "facts" like this irritates me a little bit. At least as long as the deviations are not justified and explained.

But in the end the movie was OK to watch. And in spite of everything, I developed a sympathy for most of the characters in the movie, and timed passed reasonably quick (and considering the relative short time this movie lasts, it would have been really bad if it had felt long...).

AGAIN , yes it is a b movie with a good budget, all characters are exposed before the "hit", There are no questions about them when the "#@4T" hits the fan! Great writing for a b movie. We have all seen worse. Yes it is predictable to point.

It deserves a viewing

Would like to see a high budget Movie with this "schooled" Character build. and have Actors really work it, from the beginning!

YES 7 for a "B" movie!

need 10 lines? gonna get critical. the over top cam was abit over used on the train.

the tension between the 2 "lets save our selves " could have been pushed abit more- using others adding conflict.

the fuel line break was just silly as they are run in side a cased frame

logic for a break would have been Electrical or jumped rail, Which still happens today!

After a brilliantly suspenseful first half, the film deteriorates into silliness. All the characters act stupidly, which is just not normal behavior, and the creatures are more comical than scary. (Great tension and atmosphere in the first half).

I will be the first to admit, I usually shy away from any werewolf horror movie. They're usually just too unrealistic looking due to poor special effects and makeup, and the plots usually blow... Happy to say not the case with this one! Not only does the werewolf in this film come across as realistic, the setting of being stranded in the dark, foggy English countryside adds a major creep factor, the acting is far above average compared to most horror films, in the plot is actually good. As far as horror movies go, this is right up there with some of my favorite creature features and an overall good movie. A steady 'A' grade here from me. This one is good enough to at least give a shot. Definitely not a waste of time (unlike a great many horror movies unfortunately) by any means!

Low budget British horror can spell disaster more often than not. This one gets by but by the strength of the cast. No big names but all put in a convincing shift were you are rooting for some and hope others get killed off. A late night train is halted on the tracks and the driver gets out to investigate. The passangers are then prey for the predators outside hunting them. Not in the same league as the brilliant dog soldiers but a good effort.

A down on his luck train ticket inspector gets more than he bargained for when his train breaks down and creatures that lurk in the surrounding forest lay siege to diverse group of passengers.

Director Paul Hyett keeps the suspense moving at consistent British rail pace. Echoing Severance, an unlikely band of people have to come together to survive, Hyett handles the blood and gore particularly well with excitedly executed guts and intermittent beasties set ups. The practical special effects are fantastic and out shine the visual CGI shots. The creature design is a mix of Dog Soldiers and mid transformation of the Howling's werewolves and comes off quite creepy when remaining hidden in the dim light. The station and forest setting give the film some weight and Paul E. Francis' music adds impact to the train attack segments.

Writers Mark Huckerby and Nick Ostler offer an appealing idea with the stranded train passengers trapped in the middle of where surrounded by werewolf-like creatures. A minor quibble is that at times Howl is a little choppy and uneven and the character are arguably not as polished as they could be. Lead actor Ed Speleers (channeling Max Beesley) is effective enough as he tries to step up to the mark and control the desperate situation as the characters are picked off one by one.

There's a welcomed extended cameo from Sean Pertwee as the train driver Tony. Sam Gittins (a dead ringer of Taron Egerton) is notable as any everyday student who tries to fix the train. The Descent's Shauna Macdonald also appears as Kate and Elliot Cowan (Alexander) puts in a good performance as unscrupulous Adrian.

Against public expectation and trope, refreshingly it omits the quips of Dog soldiers, WolfCop and American Werewolf in London to name a few. And while it isn't quiet as tense or serious to match the Howling, Late Phases or The Descent somber tone it has feet of its own thanks it's original atmospheric train setting, creature design and gore. The creepy old lady makeup stands out as particularly memorable and eerie.

With a modest budget in a sea of werewolf TV shows, DTV and sub-par sub genre films this stands out as one of the better additions.

We've probably all seen plenty of werewolf movies, but in my opinion, Howl is among the better ones. The creatures look refreshingly different while still retaining all the classic elements of a werewolf. Additionally, these werewolves have distinctive characteristics that set them apart from the traditional bloodthirsty monsters we're used to seeing in horror films.

The storyline is simple: a night train breaks down in the middle of a forest, and soon, werewolves begin attacking the passengers. There's a hint in the movie that these creatures inhabit this part of the forest and have attacked trains before. However, what makes this film particularly engaging is the group of passengers. Their dynamics, relationships, and explosive confrontations with each other drive the story forward.

The acting is solid across the board, and the werewolves look convincingly menacing. While there are some logical gaps in the story and a few frustrating decisions made by the characters, the plot moves along smoothly. The film strikes a good balance between showing some humans as helpless prey while others fight back with relentless determination.

Overall, Howl is a well-executed werewolf movie that delivers plenty of action and suspense.

Howl had all the right ingredients, a train cutting through a dark and rain swept night, a monster lurking in the woods and a group of unsuspecting travelers. So why is this film so ordinary?

Howl fails for so many reasons but chief amongst these, for me, is a throughly unlikable cast of characters. The trains occupants are a cynical, selfish, rude, nasty bunch. As a result, its hard to empathize with the plight of the travelers, which in turn robs this film of any sense of tension and suspense, as you quickly stop caring what happens to them.

In most other respects, Howl is clichéd fare but, to a degree, that's forgivable. Pretty much any horror scenario you care to name has, to one degree or other, been done before. Howl is no exception. Howls sets are good, the mood reminiscent of an older generation of horror films, and the monster effects convincing. The acting is reasonable too, its a shame so little care went into the overall characterization.

I rate Howl a five out of ten. Its not dreadful but its hardly a masterpiece either.

Decided to watch it because of the theme, because I'm a fan of horror movies and because of the rating, 5.5 is high for a horror movie. It left me satisfied, it's scary and the tension truly escalates.

The group of passengers is quite diverse, all with their personalities and ways of reacting, which makes the emotion grow due to the decisions they make or not. Theyx want to know what is going on and they are afraid and frustated.

The creatures themselves do look terrific. They're very violent beasts and the last place anyone wants to be with these monsters is trapped on a train. The monster in the first part is the most terrifying, it scared me a lot.

Howl has a little bit of everything. Gore, some humor, tension and monsters you won't forget. The music is very good adapted, and very important in horror movies as well.

I recommend it!. It keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

The generically named "Howl" is a werewolf movie so bland it borders on tasteless. Seriously--what was up with the fat, slovenly character of this movie? There's a scene when he has to go to toilet, but when he finishes there's no water for him to wash his hands. So we, burdened with the designation of "audience," are forced to look at some of his poop and poopy hands for a few seconds. It's as if the team behind "Howl" knew how boring and lifeless their movie was, so they put moments like this one to add some shock. But showing stool is just a gross-out: a cheap, desperate tactic to get a reaction from the audience. And the worst is that this bathroom scene is the only memorable part about "Howl."

Yeah.

The rest of this clunker is set aboard a train that breaks down as it's passing through the woods. The protagonist is an average-looking man with average intelligence called Joe (Average Joe?) who is as bland as "Howl's" scenery, lighting, dialogue and characters. I guess it's fitting, then, him being as generically named as this movie. (And really: what is up with the title? The premise of a werewolf movie set on a train sounds unique--why not give it a cool, singular name like "Locomotive Howl," or "Fang Train," or something?)

Anyway, Joe's upset because he didn't get the promotion he applied for, which we're told through one of the film's many character-staring-into-the-camera-lens scenes. I've seen this technique before, but in "Howl," it's jarring. For movies that use this technique competently, check out "Rear Window" (1954) and "Pacific Rim" (2013) and anything by Stanley Kubrick. (Search up "Stanly Kubrick stare" to see what I mean.)

So Joe's upset because didn't get that promotion, but why he even applied is beyond me. He seems to hate his job, and I would too if the clientele were always as obnoxious as the ones in this movie. They sneer at him or attack him with sexual harassment lawsuits as he moves through the cars, trying to punch their tickets. It's so obvious Joe's just going through the motions until he's able to finish his duties, head off to an unoccupied car, and catch a quick nap before the werewolves show up. He'll need his energy: the rest of the movie is the cast shouting and running around, looking scared. Predictable.

It's not all bad, though. The werewolves look pretty great... but only when they're in the dark. In the light they look like yeti-costume rejects from "Harry and the Hendersons" (1987.) "Howl" also has a few moments of accidental comedy. When everyone leaves the train upon learning the driver's gone missing (first kill) they see some violently shaking bushes and hear growling. Somebody, in all seriousness, actually says, "Why would the driver be in the bushes?"

...Yes, indeed. Why *would* the driver be camping in those wet, drizzly bushes right after pulling the train's emergency stop? Did he have to take an emergency poo because the train's stall was constantly occupied by that slovenly character? Hmm--but why is he growling so loudly? Maybe not enough fiber? But look--now he's chasing us! God, and he's just bitten that woman on the leg! Wait--wait a minute, I... I don't think that's the driver at all!

Sad face. Yawn.

Other humorous lines include, "it wasn't a bear. Bears don't howl" (ohmygod) and the tedious, predictable, annoying, faux-inspirational speech Joe delivers on the train's intercom towards the movie's end: you can just picture the actors inside stifling yawns and the werewolves outside rolling their eyes. Also, Elliot Cowan's antagonistic character makes me think of OJ Simpson for some reason. I don't know if that's funny or clever.

Anyway: don't waste your time! "Howl" is not even "it's so bad it's good" quality. It's just a predictable pile of bad clichés and poopy, poopy hands.

I don't know why Howl is described as being fantasy, comedy, horror here on IMDb - it's a HORROR film, and a damn good one at that! I like that the film makers have been creative with the creatures, but I don't like Sean Pertwee's part being nothing more than a cameo, despite star billing.

I allowed the initial reviews to influence my decisions. I should have known better.

It seems , more often than not, initial reviews are from fans,friends or cast members rather than people that simply found the movie, watched it and enjoyed/disliked a show.

This show was poorly scripted as far as I see it. The humor was flat and dry, the acting was not even on par with these people's past shows. I have always thought an actor makes the part, not the other way around, but what I saw here were decent actors acting WORSE than in previous roles. Maybe it is a British thing, I dunno.

It is WELL WORTH a .99 rental in order to make fun of, but not to sit and enjoy or be frightened. It will work just as well as an inexpensive sedative....

No wait that doesn't make any sense. But with werewolf movies not everything has to make sense. It's the characters compilation (nicely introduced through our card inspector on the train) and the story itself that will matter. And the humor of course, if you are into this kind of thing.

If I have one complaint, it's how the Shauna McDonald story plays out. Some may like the way they chose for her character, some others like me won't. Apart from that, there is a lot to love here. Colorful if a bit predictable turns and twists. And an old school feel (even with added CGI) to the whole werewolf thing. There will be blood and a full moon

A story on stranded train passengers in the middle of the forest at the wee end of the night against unknown blood thirsty creatures makes for a good horror story on paper but when it comes to translating it into a creature feature, screenwriter/director has failed big time.

A very predictable cliché-ridden screenplay with utterly boring action sequences in which none of the characters on the screen garners viewer's interest/sympathy, making it a very dull affair. The film is filled with such ridiculously unbelievable stupid characters/moronic moments from starting frame to the end frame that it's not even comes closer to those films which are so bad that it's good category. This film needs its own category in terms of how awful a creature feature can go.

There are hardly any redeeming qualities that I could find in this unadulterated pathetic excuse for a film of epic proportion.

The plot was OK but the problem with this film is most of the passengers were rude and selfish, making it difficult to care whether they lived or died. Combine that with the stupid decisions they make, the film fails to rise above mediocrity.