Big Bad Wolves (2013) User Reviews

Very entertaining - if you can stomach the subject matter

[gogoschka-1 · 7/10 · 6 November 2015]

This film tackles some very serious topics; pedophilia, torture, murder - but the way it does that is highly unusual. I really liked the film, and it is certainly never boring, but it was a slightly confusing experience for a number of reasons. For example, the music and the cinematography in this film are fantastic, but they convey a sense of intensity and drama which somehow doesn't really fit with light tone and the dry, sardonic performances of some of the actors. And there is a twist which is rather well constructed, but it failed to leave an impact on me because its bleakness clashes too badly with the black comedy that preceded it.

So my verdict: This is a very entertaining movie - IF you can stomach the subject matter - with some truly excellent moments, but the tonal shifts seem a bit uneven. Maybe this story would have worked better for me if it had been played straight: a tense thriller with some darkly comic moments instead of a tense black comedy with some thrilling moments. Still - absolutely worth checking out: 7 out of 10.

Favorite films: http://www.IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/

Lesser-Known Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

Favorite Low-Budget and B-Movies: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054808375/

A dark satirical metaphor of the current Israeli society

[octaviogr2 · 7/10 · 27 April 2014]

This is much more than a Tarantino-style movie. It is a dark satirical metaphor of the current Israeli society, based on the spirit of revenge, total war, prejudice and national paranoia. The police are corrupt, practicing authority abuse, excessive violence, torture and justice by their own hands. An Arabian horseman happens to pass by the screen a couple of times, marginalized, knowing what happens in the mind of his " fellow " Jews citizens, who consider him a constant threat. In fact, they see the area surrounded by Arab villages as a hazard, where they have to go armed with assault rifles. At times, adult characters, as the father of the girl, acts childish with his parents. His father, who seems to rebuke him for kidnapping the alleged serial murderer and a policeman, however, offers himself to help, bringing his torture experiences in the late Arab-Israeli war. Finally, the whole spirit of revenge, torture and taking justice into their own hands only cause the opposite of what they want: the death of a kidnapped girl.

Dark, partially brutal yet surprisingly funny Israeli horror

[Corpus_Vile · 8/10 · 29 October 2013]

*No specific spoilers, merely in regards to plot outline*

A brutal sadistic child sex murderer is terrorising Israel.

Miki, (Lior Ashkenazi) is an uncompromising hard- ass cop who makes Dirty Harry and Cobra combined look like bleeding heart liberals. Miki is convinced that the killer is Dror (a great turn from a guy I've never heard of, Rotem Keinan), a mild mannered schoolteacher and is prepared to go to any lengths to get a confession, including beating his suspect senseless.

When his spot of police brutality badly backfires, he is suspended until further notice. However, not one to let such things deter him Miki resolves to get answers, even if it means kidnapping Dror and subjecting him to a bit of third degree in order to get his answers...such as what the killer does with his victims' heads...

However Dror insists- as he has insisted all along- that he's innocent, would never do such a despicable thing and that all of this is a horrible mistake. Miki is not impressed as he's convinced of Dror's guilt.

But ultimately it doesn't matter whether Miki believes Dror or not, because it turns out that it isn't Miki Dror must convince... it's Gidi. (Tzahi Grad)

Gidi is the one neither man have been aware of and he's a man on a mission. He may well have a murky intelligence style background of his own and he wants answers from Dror...because Gidi's daughter was the monster's- the Big Bad Wolf's, you might say- last victim. Gidi is implacable, determined and utterly ruthless and he will get answers. And if that means using the tools at his persuasion to torture said answers from his suspect, then so be it. And if Miki the upstart cop gets in his way, and doesn't see eye to eye with Gidi's plans, well that's just too bad...

Big Bad Wolves is a dark and rather brutal horror that's also infused with some surprisingly successful (albeit pitch black) humour that shouldn't, but does work for the film as a whole and actually balances out an otherwise quite dark and grim horror quite nicely and gives it a quirky unpredictable edge. It is NOT however a horror comedy but a quite dark horror with blackly humorous elements to it.

From the makers of Kalavet/Rabies (2010), (which I also liked for what it was) it's a marked improvement on its predecessor in terms of style, plot and character development and directors Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado are two talented up-comers that any self respecting horror fan should keep an eye out for and I'm personally looking forward to their next potential project to see of they can offer up a third win.

8/10 a taut, well made and well acted horror thriller and well recommended for any horror fan.

Twisty, twisted thriller

[Buddy-51 · 7/10 · 13 May 2014]

In the Israeli crime thriller "Big Bad Wolves," a bereaved father and a demoted cop take the law into their own hands when they team up to torture and murder a man they suspect of being a serial child killer. And, oh, by the way, the movie is a comedy - at least of sorts.

With its grim subject matter and relatively graphic torture sequences, "Big Bad Wolves," written and directed by Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado, is clearly not for every taste or audience demographic. However, the rich vein of dark humor that runs through the work - a humor derived primarily from the juxtaposition between the mundane concerns of everyday life and the horrific nature of the deeds being performed - mitigates some of the more distasteful elements of the film. The movie also effectively raises some intriguing questions about the effect vigilante justice has on the individual who's engaged in it.

The screenplay deliberately shuns the trite and the formulaic, as it challenges audiences to evaluate their own moral proclivities at every stage in the drama. The filmmakers draw sharp performances from their cast (Rotem Keinan, Lior Ashkenazi, Tzahi Grad and Doval'e Grickman) and always keep us wondering where exactly this gruesome, but often oddly funny, little tale of criminal comeuppance is headed. That the destination turns out to be a mite flatfooted when it finally arrives isn't enough to blunt the overall effectiveness of the film.

Big Bad Men

[MattBirk · 7/10 · 22 September 2014]

Though Quentin Tarantino might have been exaggerating the movie a bit by calling it the best movie of 2013, it would probably land somewhere in the top 15. The movie has both violence & gore, but what really hits home is the psychological terror and the mystery of the identity of the killer. The slow details of the murder cases really clash with the motives of those involved and really makes you take a side with who you think is right and wrong. Though the movie doesn't reinvent the serial killer genre, but it does stand tall with its amazing cinematography and black humor. One of the better torture porns of recent memory (though not terribly graphic). Its on Netflix and certainly worth a watch!

Full Review at: http://www.simplefilmreviews.com/2014/05/big-bad-wolves-2013.html

Excellent Thriller

[hugorocksmy · 9/10 · 22 February 2014]

I was very surprised at how good and nerve-wrecking this movie was, as well as twisted. I had previously seen many publications about the movie, but always thought it was more of a comedy, but I'm glad I watched it because it was great. It had a very good combination of dark humor and gore. It kept me entertained and on the edge of my sit through most of the movie, and about those last minutes of the movie, you have to see them to be surprised and get chills down your spine. It's one of the best surprises I've had in a movie this year because its way better than what you expect. With great acting, script and even the music, it adds a lot of tension until it comes to an end. Awesome thriller and study of how you can't never fight evil with evil.

Definitely not the masterpiece Tarantino has made it out to be.

[Hellmant · 7/10 · 24 April 2014]

'BIG BAD WOLVES': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

Quentin Tarantino named this movie "The best film of the year" (for 2013). It's an Israeli dark comedy thriller that's just now getting a US release (after only playing at film festivals and in it's home country, theatrically, last year). It was written and directed by Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado (the duo previously wrote and directed the 2010 Israeli horror flick 'KALEVET'). This film tells the story of a cop and a father (out for revenge) who torture a teacher they think is a child murderer. The movie is extremely dark and twisted (with a very bizarre sense of humor) and full of interesting character development but it's definitely not the masterpiece Tarantino has made it out to be.

The story revolves around a school teacher, named Dror (Rotem Keinan), who is suspected to be behind a recent child abduction. Micki (Lior Ashkenazi) leads a police unit which illegally apprehends and beats him. Dror is released from custody due to lack of evidence, and police brutality, and Micki is fired (when video of the teacher's beating is leaked on YouTube). Another police officer, named Rami (Menashe Noy), takes over the investigation as Micki seeks to clear his name; by kidnapping Dror and beating a confession out of him. The father of a recent victim, Gidi (Tzahi Grad), also has the same idea and he kidnaps both the teacher and Micki and locks them in the basement of an abandoned house (where he plans to stop at nothing to find justice for his daughter).

I liked most of the films Tarantino had on his 'Top Ten Movies of 2013 so far' list, quite a bit (and the ones he's listed in previous years), but this movie I found to be kind of disappointing. It's well made, intense and interesting (to a certain extent) but I have a really hard time seeing why Tarantino would call it the best movie of last year. Putting all high expectations aside though it is a decent thriller; well acted and impressively written and directed. I think Keshales and Papushado seem like a talented filmmaking team to watch out for; just don't expect one of the best movies of 2013 (or any year).

Funny, witty, interesting, captivating...

[alshwenbear1 · 8/10 · 6 September 2014]

It sounds like a comedy, and certainly, the way the movie plays undermines the seriousness of the subject, (no spoilers here!) but that is okay, because not always do things have to be so gritty, dark and brutal.

In a way, "Big Bad Wolves" is the antithesis of "Prisoners" (2013), and this is not a bad thing, because "Big Bad Wolves" does not toy with our emotions, anger or despair, but with our curiosity, with our doubts, all the way to the final scene that fades into the elegance of irony and what we already knew.

The acting and the atmosphere creates what I crave most in a film, and this is: unpredictability; who really did it?, why?, where? These questions became irrelevant, because we are just in it for the ride that provides a good movie like this.

Dark comedy with plenty of suspense but with a disappointing and flat ending

[Ed-Shullivan · 7/10 · 4 September 2015]

BBW deserves a 7 out of 10 and I would have rated it higher if the screen writer would have made a somewhat greater effort to avoid what I considered a disappointing ending to the film that just came out flat. There is some very good acting between the three main characters as well as by the supporting cast. Continual suspense is maintained and the film is sprinkled throughout with a bit of dark humour to allow the audience not to take the film too seriously.

The film does not rely on extensive blood and gore neither by the serial killer Dror, or by his own captors and tormentors, Gidi and Micki. I was quite impressed with how the suspense was maintained all the way through the film as well as a few slick twists and turns such as when Gidi's father arrives at the cottage and discovers what his son Gidi has been up to.

The trick I believe to delivering a great film is to have the audience feeling good about how the film ends such that we would like to see a sequel, or leaving us with the desire to view the film a second time. In this case, I found the films closing scenes were a big let down mainly because the rest of the film was so suspenseful and entertaining. Upon leaving the film what a screen writer really does not want to hear is the audience saying "well that was a dumb ending wasn't it?"

This is a high rising film which came up flat at the end. I rated the film a 7 out of 10.

The real torture happens to the audience

[tuvalmor · 4/10 · 25 October 2013]

OK, so just left the cinema and me and my girl had to really struggle not to get out sooner, This movie shows that a bad script can kill any other good element in the movie and there were a few, here are just a few of the things that killed this movie for us - 1)You don't have anyone to identify in this movie, most of the movie a guy is tortured by the "good guys" Because they claim he is a crazy pedophile murderer, a fact that us as an audience has no reason to believe since no proof is given by the "good guys " that torture him. On the contrary, besides a mention of a kid that thought it was him, it is clear that there is no real proof against him since he is never arrested, 2)Not a believable script -if you play a grandfather that truly believe that in front of you seats a guy that butchered your daughter, you don't share inside jokes on your wife with him before torturing him, because it's .. Well.. Unbelievable to us the audience . 3) you don't have the cop character raise its hands in fear when he see a calm guy on a horse , even if he thinks he is an Arab, that just doesn't make sense. Unless you are a left wing writer that try to shove your liberal agenda's to your script even when it doesn't make sense. 4)this movie pretty much felt like a copy of other horror movies just with a bad script. 5)beside the need of the screenwriter to add a happy song scene inside a torture scenario which of course copied from other good horror movies he saw, why did the father baked the cake with the sleeping pills in the middle of the torture scene? It did not make any sense ,,, since he and the cop already agreed not to make him go to sleep...

Lastly a word to the writers, the ending was not surprising, next time make a little effort on the script with an evidence that support the "good guys" and later that evidence can fall apart so we will be curious if he did it or not based in evidence.

Simply Amazing

[hill-derek7 · 9/10 · 28 February 2014]

Right off the bat I'll just have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I was hooked when I saw the trailer, and then finding out Tarantino claimed it to be the "Best Movie of the Year" pretty much meant that I needed to watch it immediately. It was brilliant. However, the trailer is sort of misleading. The trailer sets you up for what seems like a nice, long torture fest. Yes, that is a large part of the movie, but there is so much more going on. And as far as gore goes it's reasonably mellow. Much of the focus is on the suspense. So much so, that at one point I had to pause the movie and was like "I need a beer." The cinematography is great, the audio/soundtrack is SUPERB! It's one of the very few movies where I found myself saying "I have no idea what's going to happen," and I found myself saying this the entire time I was watching the movie.

As I was researching this movie a bit I came across a review on rogerebert.com that I would like to share (and destroy):

"On the face of it, Quentin Tarantino declaring the second-rate Israeli torture thriller "Big Bad Wolves" the best film of 2013 is patently ridiculous, especially given how seriously inferior it is to Tarantino's own work in the grisly exploitation field." - Godfrey Cheshire (rogerebert.com contributor)

First of all, claiming this movie is "second-rate" totally ruins one's credibility as a critic. It is far and away not a second-rate movie. But what gets me even more worked up is not the fact that Mr. Cheshire claims this movie is inferior to Tarantino's work, but for his categorization of this movie into the grisly exploitation field. I love Tarantino and his movies and I wouldn't dare compare Big Bad Wolves to any of them, as Big Bad Wolves is largely different. IT IS NOT A GRISLY EXPLOITATION FILM. Maybe the critic only saw the trailer — I wouldn't put it past him — But this film, while it does include some torture, is much more in depth than any "grisly exploitation film" I've seen.

With all that said, I would just like to reiterate that I loved this movie, and would recommend it as a must-see to anybody who appreciates good filmmaking (and doesn't mind reading subtitles).

Highly entertaining

[bbickley13-921-58664 · 7/10 · 13 May 2014]

So Quentin Tarantino had this one on his top ten flicks of 2013. I don't know why I thought this was going to be a horror movie, maybe it was because of the tittle, but it does have some frighting elements in it.

Three men from three different walks of life, all of which are bad fathers. The movie centers around one bad father whose child is raped and murdered supposedly by one of the other bad fathers, and when the cops, lead by another bad father, failed to bring this man to justice even by any means necessary, he takes matters into his own hands.

It was a well crafted psychological thriller about what a father would do to seek vengeance for the crimes committed against their children based upon his own guilt of not being there for them. The movie was very low key and had the viewer use their imagination for a lot of what could have been the horror parts.

What surprised me most was how this slow film was such a roller coaster ride as they keep the viewers trying to figure out if the protagonist was doing the right thing to the right man to get vengeance.

Tarantino was right about this one.

Worthless movie

[newjersian · 3/10 · 20 March 2014]

Quentin Tarantino called that movie "the best film of the year". The filmmakers satisfied Tarantino's quota for blood and cruelty, which makes him so impressed. Understandably, the lovers of S&M stuff are excited to watch that movie too. However, it is basically comprised of endless Hollywood clichés taken from different horror films. Even the script is a pale copy of a much better movie, The Prisoners. The creators of Wolves have exploited the existing international hate of Israel. All Jewish Israelis in the movie are either idiots or bloodthirsty maniacs. The only good person among them is a noble Arab on the horse that has no part in the story. That Arab was injected in the script only to show what crooks are the Jews and what a good and advanced people are the Arabs. Even the cellphone that the Arab gives to the disgraced cop has no part in the script. The cop flees from the maniac and runs to call the police. The same time the father of the maniac, of course, a maniac by himself, lies unconscious in the room from which the cop is running away. A minute before losing consciousness the old man spoke to his wife on a cell phone. And the cop is just running away like crazy without searching the pockets of the old man? This is a childish twist of reality. Even more, the old unconscious maniac holds a shot gun. But the cop has no intention to use it to stop the son-maniac. That stupid cop chooses to run at night through the woods to call the police. Do the creators of the movie think that most viewers are stupid? And this is not the last goof in the movie. The authors exert their best efforts to be original. But the result is just a bad exercise in plagiarism and self-hatred.

Forcing a Confession

[sol- · 6/10 · 26 November 2016]

Embittered over his preteen daughter's rape and murder, an intelligence officer kidnaps the chief suspect and sets about torturing him with the assistance of a former detective in this gripping Israeli thriller. From the premise alone, 'Big Bad Wolves' might sound like a sadistic 'torture porn' movie, however, the focus of the film is the torturers themselves and their unflinching certainty that they have the right man despite his ongoing protests of innocence and the severe lack of evidence against him. Have the torturers let their emotions overcome them and get in the way of sound judgment, or could they actually be right? It is an interesting central dynamic, however, the film would have benefited from greater ambiguity. It is made so abundantly clear that the torture victim is innocent that we are constantly on his side throughout and never really on the side of the intelligent officer and detective. The initially shocking ending also makes less and less sense the more one thinks about it and the comedy angle often awkwardly subtracts from the grimness of the tale. That said, there are admittedly some genuine laughs in the mix. The film is enticing the whole way too; certain scenes are so brutal that they are hard to watch, but there is a welcome intensity in the air with the lingering questions of just how far the torturers will go and just how much suffering their victim will undergo before he confesses (regardless of actual guilt) as the pain becomes too much. The acting is top notch, especially from Doval'e Glickman, and the sets and music are appropriately ominous.

Overrated - An Average Movie

[moviessshows · 6/10 · 25 October 2022]

I have deep respect for Quentin Tarantino but this exaggerated statement about this movie being the best movie of the year seem WHAT !!! It's good, an average movie, not bad and all. Actors performed well. There were some moments that kept me going. I would have given a 6.5 but it would give false impressions to the already over-rated movie. It deserves to be in 6 or even under but not over 6.

Twisted a bit, Goreish, yes, but watchable to someone. I can say one scene was truly horrific. If you are a fan of horrors and s*it then you can give this a go. A one time watchable but don't keep high expectations and don't hear out any statement given by MR. Q. It will ruin the even little-experience this can give.

Excellent Crime Drama

[billcr12 · 8/10 · 26 April 2014]

Quentin Tarantino called this the best movie of the year, and it is definitely one of the top ten. A school teacher is suspected of abducting, killing, and beheading little girls. What follows is a mixture of brutal torture blended with a sardonic humor you would expect from either the Coen brothers or Tarantino. Top notch acting is combined with a script which keeps the viewer wondering whether or not the accused is a monster or a victim. Be forewarned that a hammer, pliers, and blow torch are used as tools of coercion on the alleged pedophile; so a strong stomach is required to survive this film. Also, it is in Hebrew, so be prepared to read many subtitles throughout the one hour and fifty minute running time. Big Bad Wolves is well worth the journey.

an Israeli exercise in the 'horror' genre

[dromasca · 7/10 · 28 September 2013]

I must launch one of my rants about film titles translations. Usually my complains are about translating English titles to Hebrew or my mother-tongue Romanian - now it's about the reverse translation. This film is titled in Hebrew 'Who's afraid of the Big Wolf' which is obviously a reference to Edward Albee's play. Why on Earth (or in the Negev Desert) would this reference to the title of a well known play written in English be dropped when translating the title of the film from Hebrew to English? Luckily this is one of the few mistakes made by the creators of this interesting film, a good exercise in the genre of horror which slowly gathers mass and quality in the Israeli cinema.

The story of the film directed by Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado could have been a thriller as it is built upon a police case, but it's a case we learn almost nothing about. There is a police file in the film which ends by being used for very different purposes than intended, but we really do not know on what the suspicions on evil crimes of pedophilia and murder are based, on what grounds the main suspect, a high-school teacher is arrested, freed, kidnapped and eventually punished. More than a thriller this film is closer to the horror genre and asks in an implicit manner some tough questions about truth and guilt, about punishment and who has the right to apply it, about morality in the cases when justice cannot be made. Fans of horror should by no means be discouraged as all these (important) message are implicit and they are served in 'Big Bad Wolves' with a copious portion of their preferred stuff which seems to have been the first priority of the directors (who also wrote the script).

The team of actors includes a few faces who are well-known to Israeli audiences and I was almost envying the foreign audiences for whom splendid actors like Guy Adler, Lior Ashkenazi, Dvir Benedek, or Doval'e Glickman are new. They all do good jobs. The musical score is well fit, in sync with the action in many moments, or providing the connection with the universe of childhood and fairy tales which is the emotional counterpoint of the whole story in other. Cinematography tries and succeeds a few good things, but falls into routine in the basement and night scenes which occupy much of the story, and editing could have been a little more alert for my taste. Overall I liked this film, and I believe it has chances for a good run among the fans of the genre and not only among them.

Thin line

[kosmasp · 9/10 · 25 December 2013]

It's a very thin line they are walking here. Making a funny movie with torture in it? But it works. Of course there is more to the movie than the obvious (depicting a children's story) and that is why Tarantino thought this was genius too. While he has said he loves a movie a lot, him saying this is his favorite of 2013 is a step above that.

While Rabies was a surprise, no one should be surprised that the follow up movie can stand its own ground (no pun intended). It is different in a lot of ways to the first movie, more adult if you will, more mature. And therefor ultimately better. If the directors continue at this pace, it'll a very good thing to look forward to. Not only as a fan of horror movies, but as a fan of movies in general.

Not scared of the big bad wolf. Still recommending the film!

[nitzanhavoc · 7/10 · 9 March 2014]

Always a pleasure reviewing an Israeli film, especially one that can be considered as an attempt to qualify for the "horror" genre as has been defined by Hollywood for around two decades now. While avoiding any criticism towards the genre as it is known today, I can sincerely say I'm proud to have another Israeli film so well known, and being a devout Horror - that I'm very glad Israel has joined the list of countries making worthy Horror films.

Now for the film itself... I can't help but feeling disappointed, for a number of reasons: 1. The first reason would probably be irrelevant for anyone not familiar with Israel's film industry, and yet I must point out that using Lior Ashkenazi (a famous excellent actor) for the character of an irresponsible uneducated stereotypical Israeli police officer simply didn't feel right. Ashkenazi is as charismatic as he is talented, and his screen presence is undeniable. Seeing him making the stupid mistakes forced upon him by the script was almost painful.

2. Immediately relating to the previous reason, the film used one of the horrible "cheats" that have become the bane and doom of many Horror films, Slasher/Serial Killer films in particular. Due to my oath to avoid spoilers, I am unable to describe the cheat, but suffice to say you'll know it when you see it. It joins the infamous list of killer being faster then a sprinting victim, a car running out of gas / car keys falling due to stress and fear / cellphone having no signal and such unreasonable annoying causes of death, making the audience join hands together in an epic group face palm.

3. Like many other Israeli films, this one has been stained by the puzzling need to make a socio-political statement. Be it regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or the gender discrimination problem (both described thoroughly in Israeli websites dealing with cinema reviews) - I personally find these to be redundant and plain stupid. This is a professional Horror film, not one about women's rights and equality or the contemporary political state. It has no room for such things, which do very little at most to serve the plot or the message (at least what the message should be).

4. While falling into line with Hollywood is good for the Israeli cinema's status, it made the film lose the "Israeli" uniqueness the fans have seen and loved for decades. The comic bits do little to return it. Israel's cinema is known for having its own rules and goals, and the past decade or so has brought us very little films still loyal to this tradition.

However, I still find some very glowing spots of light in the film, making it very worthwhile and recommended. The acting by the trio of main characters is absolutely exquisite. Each plays his role beautifully. I was especially impressed with Tzahi Grad as the mourning father and Rotem Keinan as the prime suspect. Whether it's the tone of voice, or the body language, or the looks on their faces in each scene - the acting is by far the best aspect of the film. The story, on the other hand, lacked, and lacked much. The effect of similar plots like Saw and The Tortured and such is way too obvious. That wouldn't have taken anything away from the story, had it been in anyway at all original, which it simply isn't. I personally couldn't guess the ending, but only due to too much credit given to the writers. I honestly have never expected them to use such a banal anticlimactic closure-less catharsis lacking ending.

All in all, I can't say I didn't enjoy the film. The suspense is nerve- wrecking and the acting is, as mentioned, profound. Therefore, regardless to the relatively low rate I've given it, I urge you to give it a chance. No, it won't be the best film you'll have seen this year, not even the best horror film, probably not even the best Israeli film. Yet it remains a film worth watching, showing Israel's progress towards the cinematic conventions of the 21st century.

A tonal disaster

[aaaf-2 · 5/10 · 13 August 2023]

What do you get when you try to mix comedy with gore and torture a la Saw? This movie, a totally tonedeaf film that's neither funny (although every second scene tries to go for laughs) nor exciting enough for a gore hound. I'll admit, there is a place in cinema for torture, rape and murder of women, either as the starting point for a police procedural (Memories of Murder, True Detective...) or for exploitation films (I spit on your grave), but to have violent deaths of little girls as a butt of a joke is just really bad taste. I wouldn't even call this a black comedy, because that would require...well, comedy, but there is no to be found here -just cringe worthy attempts. Still 5 stars for good acting, great music and nice cinematography. It's just a shame the filmmakers were lacking the seriousness to tackle this topic in an adult way.

Great crime-thriller

[grantss · 8/10 · 14 December 2014]

Great crime-thriller from Israel.

Starts like a typical vigilante movie, but then develops into something more. It's a whodunnit and a dark drama, all with some very funny, witty moments. The funny, hip dialogue in the middle of some pretty violent scenes reminded me of the style of Quentin Tarantino.

Good plot, with some decent, deliberate red herrings and a very good twist at the end. Not perfect - some gaps and unanswered questions remained at the end. The way some things happened were also just a bit too neat.

As mentioned, great dialogue. Very funny at times.

Solid direction. Tension is built and maintained well.

Good performances all round.

Tarantino cannot be trusted .....

[PimpinAinttEasy · 6/10 · 21 July 2014]

I found it tough to take this film seriously. I mean the acting was great. But everything else seemed to be uninspired. And Lior Ashkenazi looked like Steve Carrell. It had too much of a Guy Ritchie hangover.

A lot of the twists were quite predictable. The film never really rises above a certain level. Some of the jokes made me chuckle. But its not like RESERVOIR DOGS or anything. It does not hit you hard. Its just dull most of the time. But the actors were excellent. Especially Tzahi Grad.

And the title sequence was very impressive. The film did promise a lot. But in the end, it does not amount to much.

That is not how people react

[msquishyq · 1/10 · 8 May 2014]

You'd think a guy that had been kidnapped, abused, tortured would ask at least once: "Why, why me? What reason do you have to suspect me?" Not this one. Is he too proud? Or do they hire imbeciles to read Torah studies in Israel? I've no idea. I just know that this is NOT how people behave, this looks false. The pleas of this guy is not what you'd expect from a bewildered person in pain. It doesn't even matter if he's guilty or not. Whoever wrote the screenplay for this should go into his basement, chew off his fingers and feed them to his dog. What I'm trying to say here is - don't write any more screenplays, please. PLEASE!

"Big Bad Wolves" huffs and it puffs, but it doesn't blow the house down.

[nesfilmreviews · 6/10 · 7 June 2014]

Directing duo Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado's second feature "Big Bad Wolves" is their follow-up to the darkly comic "Rabies" (2011). Once again they attempt to create a genre-savvy thriller that blurs the lines between horror and political satire. Papushado's and Keshales bloody tale does a fine job mounting the tension, however the movie never fully clicks as a gritty revenge thriller or as a dark comedy. In regards to Quentin Tarantino's full-throttled endorsement of "Big Bad Wolves" as the year's best film is an absolutely ridiculous claim that sells his own work short.

There's a serial killer loose, and he's raping, torturing and decapitating girls, whose heads he then hides, mainly, it seems, to give this otherwise generic setup some needed flair. As the police futilely chase clues, a motley triangle emerges: a suspended cop, Micki (Lior Ashkenazi); a religious teacher, Dror (Rotem Keinan); and a mourning father, Gidi (Tzahi Grad). In time, the three converge in an isolated cabin that turns into a chamber of horrors as they play a psychological game to extract the location of the missing head from our killer.

"Big Bad Wolves" begs to be read as a metaphor, and the directors are taking dead aim here: Israel's own ugly history of torture and its ramifications. But their point soon wears itself out, and what remains is merely cheap shocks and an increasingly tiresome sense of black humor that neutralizes its attempt to increasing intensity.The film fails to deliver by suffering from irregular tonal shifts, a paper-thin story line, and a lethargic second act that stumbles into an incredibly underwhelming conclusion.

"Wolves" is a well made film beautifully shot in widescreen and technically impressive. It has its moments of wit with humor, and on occasion, it does get its desired effect. However there is just not nearly enough of it. "Big Bad Wolves" huffs and it puffs, but it doesn't blow the house down.

Quite nice and quite entertaining...

[roei-avraham · 7/10 · 24 April 2014]

Overall, quite a basic thriller with the casual dark-humor. As an Israeli, I must applaud to the recent quality of Israeli films, not just in the script domain but in the delivery (shots, scenery, music, general atmosphere, editing, etc.). This movie is obviously an homage for several dark horror movies like Shaun of the Dead, Evil Dead, Hot Fuzz and the likes i.e. a serious wanna be film with psychotic characters and horror-like theme.

Some reviews mentioned no character here is likable - yep... so what? It's like criticizing the script for being a script :)

The plot was quite straightforward (there was no real doubt that our pedophile was THE pedophile...) and apart from the last scene, which was crafted quite nicely, all the rest was put on the table right from the start. It's obvious to me that the film goal was plainly to entertain, especially if you're from Israel so you can quite relate to the fact that even psychopaths have a polish Jewish mom ;)

All in all, one of the better Israeli productions of the recent years (along with Ajami) and at least one that doesn't involve the usual Israeli-Palestine conflict (apart from the mounted-on-horse nice Arab character).

Give it a try if blood (the "red liquid") doesn't give you nausea!