Along with road trip comedies, twist-filled heist movies, and three-hanky tearjerkers, nature-set action flicks always stay in style.  There’s something primal about the man vs. nature (or man vs. man vs. nature) narrative that carries with it a timeless appeal for filmmakers and audiences alike.  An otherwise serene forest hid the interpersonal drama and underlying brutality of Deliverance, and both The Edge and The Grey pitted marooned men against one another in harsh conditions while staying out of the claws of the snarling area predators.

There are traces of all three of these films running through the threads of Out Come the Wolves, a wilderness thriller arriving in theaters and VOD on August 30 before premiering on Shudder.  Resourceful and reliable, director Adam MacDonald has made the most out of this suspense story from Enuka Okuma, who has fleshed out a screenplay from a story she, MacDonald, and co-star Joris Jarsky created.  While it boasts a set-up that draws you in and finds a few tense moments in its back half, it battles to commit to the dual identities it circles, ultimately leaving it lost between a full-bodied, taut thriller and a raw, blood-soaked survival tale.

Why any movie intending to keep us guessing starts by showing the audience a scene of what’s to come is beyond me.  Yet, MacDonald opens Out Come the Wolves with a shot of a bloodied individual slowly crawling across a forest until they finally come to rest.  Are they dead?  Did they just need a breather?  We won’t find out for another 50 minutes, during which we’ll meet retired hunter Sophie (Missy Peregrym), who has arrived at the remote cabin her family owns with fiancé Nolan (Damon Runyan).  Expecting to have a couples weekend with Nolan, her best friend Kyle (Jarsky, The Little Things), and Kyle’s girlfriend, things get awkward when Kyle arrives solo.

The air becomes heavy with alpha male testosterone as Nolan and Kyle size one another up, each jealous of their relationship with Sophie.  Though devoted to Nolan, there’s a history with Kyle that he can never catch up to, which makes him feel threatened.  Writing an article on hunting, Nolan hopes Kyle can show him the ropes without making him feel too emasculated…but it becomes clear early on that Kyle feels he has an invisible claim on Sophie.
 
The subtle jabs and buried tensions come to a head, but before anything can be sorted out, this love triangle is interrupted by a very territorial wolf pack, forcing the trio to confront their inner beasts and the real ones circling their makeshift camp.  It’s good that Sophie has trained for so many years to hunt because soon, she has to dig deep into her long-dormant hunting skills and protect the man she loves and the man who might still hold her heart. 

Once an actor himself, MacDonald has been sharpening his directorial chops with an acclaimed series of nature-set thrillers, often collaborating with Peregrym (2014’s Backcountry being the most notable). The transition from in front of the camera to behind has brought a striking eye for tension, even if the execution in Out Come the Wolves can sometimes lack bite.  At a slim 87 minutes, the film still feels long, like it was meant to be a short film and was expanded at the last minute to fill a space on a programming schedule.    

It’s not hard to see why MacDonald favors Peregrym, either.  Channeling some serious Hilary Swank energy, there’s a fire in her eyes by the film’s end, elevating her to a take-no-prisoners protector. Playing up their simmering rivalry just enough, Jarsky and Runyan convincingly portray men grappling with their insecurities, even if their characters often feel like they’ve wandered out of a much more conventional drama.

For the first half, the film plays like a scratchy domestic drama, exploring the tensions that exist (or are created) by the characters.  Sophie is often caught in the middle of Nolan and Ryan’s fights, a prize to be won, casting her as an object to be held and admired instead of acknowledged for her contributions.  The gore is decent when the action finally does kick in (and trust me, you might exclaim, “Finally!” when the first blood is spilled).  Animal lovers can rest easy knowing no wolves were harmed in the practical effects of making this mayhem. 

Out Come the Wolves might fit the bill if you are looking for visceral thrills.  The acting is above average, the direction has a viewpoint, and while excessively padded, the script is commendable because it takes an opportunity to dig deeper into characters that could have been caricatures.  Does it represent a huge step forward in a time-honored genre?  Not really; it’s too front-loaded with easy-to-trim scenes that were included to increase the run time.  While you won’t be howling with excitement for Out Come the Wolves, it doesn’t leave you stranded in the cold.