Romasanta: The Werewolf Hunt (2004)

Best movie of this year hands down!

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The acting in this movie is really good.

Hard to see that this director would one day make the exceptional REC and it's pretty good sequels. But perhaps there are some sparks of seriousness here.This is a big improvement over the previously Brian Yuzna produced Spainish made dog related film I saw (the god awful Rotweiler), this is still little more than a above average production value TV movie. The film has no real focus and it's mostly about characters rather than action or horror so this is a big problem. There is no devotion to making it actually scary and though the actors might be up to the challenge they aren't given much to do. Perhaps should be mentioned that several real birds and wolves seem to have been killed to make this film as well, an always questionable thing to do. Or maybe this is just really well done makeup work in which case extra credit is due.There is a transformation scene that is kinda interesting, though it focuses on a wolf turning into a man rather than the other way around,which it turns out is relevant to the theme of the film. But this is really more of a serial killer movie and there is no attempt to get inside the killer/werewolf's head or to delve into what he does and his twisted reasons. The killer is made obvious from the start so there is no mystery element to keep you guessing and with no depth then you're left with a long dry haul through decent period atmosphere and photography. You either need scares or drama or in the best case both, this offers neither. Oh, like Rotweiler, this features a needless scene of a fully frontal naked man running around. Is this some ongoing theme developing as a trademark for this production company? All kidding and naked men aside this somehow helped lead the director to making the REC films so might be worth a look just to see where and what he had to work with before that.

A wolf becomes man to seduce and kill female victims in Allariz. Romasanta(Julian Sands)goes on record in front of a jury of his peers and the court proclaiming himself a werewolf. Almost all of Romasanta's conquests were not of anything remotely human until he falls in love with Bárbara(Elsa Pataky, a stunning beauty), the sister of his wife and mute child. When Romasanta kills his wife, María(Maru Valdivielso)and mute child Teresa(Luna McGill), Bárbara seeks him out after being seduced herself by him. Joining forces with DA Bastida(Bary Piquer)they are on the hunt to find him before more and more lives are taken by the wolf. With help by Antonio(John Sharian), someone bitten and controlled by Romasanta, they might just be able to find him. Professor Philips(David Grant is a persuasive doctor who proclaims that Romasanta is not responsible for the killer impulses the wolf brings out.Handsome production and great photography help the flick which doesn't produce the goods in werewolf transformations, instead opting for being a historical document on a serial killer stating on record he is a werewolf who can not help but kill when the beast comes out to play. The acting is adequate and there are a few brief moments of violence, but many viewers wanting a full-fledged creature feature with gory attacks will be disappointed, perhaps even bored. But, the film is well made and visually sumptuous. Just don't expect blood and guts.

Werewolf Hunter is an elegant Gothic horror film that hearkens back to the days of Hammer, but with the production capabilities of today. The film is not an action packed mixture of violence and CGI transformations like many werewolf films of today have degenerated into but an actual leisurely paced film that takes the time to develop its characters. At no time during the film is the viewer ever told that yes this is real or no it is not. It is up to the viewer to make their own decision. The film deals with the true story of Manuel Blanco Romasanta, a man arrested in 1851 for the murder of more than 13 people in rural Spain. He became known as the Werewolf Of Allariz because his defense against these charges was that he could not control his animal urges since he was in fact a werewolf. Some liberties are taken with the case. One character in the film, Antonio, was never actually proved to have existed since he was never found. Also, the ending merely provides a possible explanation since the truth of the matter is unknown to anyone. Paco Plaza has crafted a truly special film that is unfortunately hampered with a dreadful direct to video title but you should get past that and give this one a shot.

I saw this film the other day after buying it on spec, mainly because I am a big Julian Sands fan and usually pay little attention to critics. I have to say please don't be put off by other comments on here - this is an okay film for a rainy evening, and certainly nowhere near as bad as others say.I'm not sure I've put any spoilers as such in from this point, but better to be safe than sorry:Julian Sands is quite good as the main protagonist of the title, he tends to keep you guessing as to his true motives towards Barbra; and after his murders his more mundane every day actions are all the more chilling as you feel, knowing what you do as the viewer, you're almost an accomplice because you can't tell other characters what he's done. The fact it's based on a true story is also a plus point.It was a fairly good film; solid and with good performances. The best was from David Gant as Professor Philips, a brilliant actor and very compelling in all the films I've seen him in. However, this role in particular was great as the methods used back then to discern someone's reason for being a criminal are now laughable, but they took them so seriously; he certainly carried the character perfectly and made him utterly believable.Anyway, worth a look if you see it around - be warned though, it's quite gory in places; with rotting corpses and the like, so not to be watched if you're easily sickened or if the kids are about.