Silver Bullet, based on the book Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King is a horror classic in my eyes and I'm sure it will be for many generations to come. It has all the characteristics of a good horror movie: jump scares, good special/visual effects, a creepy setting, blood and gore moments, and a malicious monster that terrorizes the characters in the film.Although done in the 1980s, this movie still scared me a lot when I watched it as a child and although I'm an adult and it's no longer scary, anybody who watches it for the first time will still find it somewhat unsettling and suspenseful and the characters, the werewolf, and the plot are quite enjoyable. In my opinion, it is the best werewolf movie out there (I haven't seen many werewolf movies to base this assumption so don't take me for granted).
The movie takes place in a small town in Maine (it's Stephen King, thus the location is not surprising). In this town live a teenage girl named Jane Coslaw (Megan Follows) and a boy named Marty Coslaw (Corey Haim) who is handicapped and must get around by way of wheelchair. An evil presence is lurking throughout the town at night when the moon is full, gruesomely killing off citizens one by one. The first half of the film revolves around introducing Marty, Jane and their Uncle Red (Gary Busey) and building up suspense as the werewolf kills more and more people. After the third killing, the town goes out on a hunt and more people die (more on this scene later). Halfway through the film, Marty has his own encounter with the werewolf in the woods near his home but is able to escape by shooting a firework into the monster's eye and quickly getting away by use of his new super-fast scooter thing built for him by his Uncle Red. Marty tries to convince his sister of the werewolf's existence and to find out who's wearing an eye patch (whoever is the werewolf would likely be wearing a bandage or eye patch after taking a firework in the eye), she goes on a recycling drive throughout the town. Jane does find someone wearing an eye patch so now the second half of the film is centered around both Jane and Marty trying to convince their Uncle Red that the werewolf exists and that it is the person they think it is. The audience will be highly entertained by the plot and anticipating the dramatic ending that this film leads to.
This movie is great for many reasons. As for the plot, it is suspenseful and entertaining. The killings in the beginning and the town's hunt for the werewolf build suspense and fear as the audience wonders: 1.) Who is the werewolf? 2.) How will Marty become connected to the main plot? Although it is revealed who the werewolf is halfway through, the plot is not done building tension. Now the main characters are tied into the main story and the question is how will this all end? Will the monster reveal himself to Marty once again and if so, will him, his sister, and Uncle Red survive? The story is simply exhilarating and this is no surprise given that it is based on the work of Stephen King, one of the best storytellers to ever exist.
Silver Bullet is also a good horror film for its jump scares, blood and gore moments, and simply scenes with creepy settings. In terms of blood and gore, the second killing is of a woman named Stella (Wendy Walker) who is upstairs in her mom's home. She is about to commit suicide when the werewolf invades and attacks and it is simply bloody, gory, and dramatic as all hell. It is definitely the best murder scene in the movie. Other elements of the movie are also scary. For example, the werewolf stalks some of his victims before he kills them which adds fear and suspense. When the townspeople hunt for the monster, he attacks them when his presence is concealed by a thick fog hovering above the ground. Moments like these make this movie a horror classic.
The movie is also scary because of the werewolf himself. In most werewolf movies and in most modern tv shows, werewolves are either not conscious of when they change and what they are doing, or they run on all fours and the people who suffer from the curse normally don't want to cause harm to anyone. In this movie, the werewolf is fully aware that he is a monster and is fully conscious of the fact that he is killing people. The person who is the werewolf is malicious and evil not only as a monster but as a person too. This aspect in my opinion makes the monster and the movie itself much more frightening.
The acting was great and the characters were very enjoyable. Uncle Red is very funny and the audience hopes that the monster does reveal himself by the end so he believes his two nephews' pleas. But ultimately, in the end all three must work together to survive and that is truly one of the most touching aspects of the movie- each character's love for one another. Another theme conveyed by the story is to believe in the impossible. Throughout the entire film, Uncle Red never believed in the existence of the werewolf but as we know he is indeed real (in the film). Thus, anything is possible. Both messages are conveyed effectively and add a sense of morality to the story. It isn't simply about killing and blood and gore. There is a deeper meaning to this tale. And FYI, the ending is as dramatic and exhilarating as you will hope for it to be. You will not be disappointed!
The only question I have about this movie is where are Marty and Jane's parents through all of this? We don't see them that much throughout the film. Other than that, I have no complaints. This film is a true horror classic! If you like horror movies, buy this one and keep it on your shelf. This is one you will love to watch over and over again throughout the future!
BaD BiRdS: SENSATIONAL FILM!!!!!
~MJ Aufiero
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