WEREWOLF (Ashley McKenzie). 80 minutes. Opens Friday (June 2). See listing. Rating: NNNNN
Ashley McKenzies Werewolf is one of the strongest Canadian films youll see this year.
After distinguishing herself with a series of shorts, writer/director McKenzie makes her feature debut with this nervy drama set over a bleak, unpleasant Cape Breton summer.
Blaise (Andrew Gillis) and Nessa (Bhreagh MacNeil) are a pair of young addicts who spend their time between methadone doses wandering around offering to mow peoples lawns for cash. But as the arcs of their recovery slowly start to diverge, cracks appear in their relationship.
The premise is so well-worn that we know it by heart, but thats part of the plan. McKenzie and her actors use our familiarity with recovery narratives to skim over the boring bits and just focus on the emotional beats. Scott Moores cinematography similarly comes at the story from unexpected angles, causing a slight disorientation that forces us to watch everything very closely.
Gillis and MacNeil reward our scrutiny, gradually showing us who Blaise and Nessa really are, while McKenzie reminds us that sobriety can be a terrifying thing, especially when youre young and incapable of imagining drastic change. And as the characters expose themselves, Werewolf reveals its tone and intentions.
Its like a land mine buried underneath a placid suburban backyard, just waiting to go off.
Dont miss it.