The Company of Wolves remains one of my favourite horror films, despite, or perhaps because of, its unconventional structure. It was never a great commercial success, and one can see why - the story is fragmented into a series of largely disconnected dream-like episodes, which most horror film fans, expecting a more conventional plot structure, would have found disturbing. There is, to be fair, a feeling that the film never properly gets going. It is also possible, though, to see why it has become such a cult classic, by its very refusal to follow a direct storyline, or be bound by the expected motifs of the genre. Whilst it can, at times, appear a little self-indulgent, it creates a series of haunting images that remain in the memory far more effectively than most horror flicks. The casting of Sarah Patterson as the central character, both the dreamer, and the chief player within the dreams, was an inspired choice. Despite being only 12 at the time (she looks about 15), she excellently portrays the role of a beautiful young girl, on the verge of adult sexuality, with all its temptations and dangers. Stardom appeared to beckon, yet strangely she only made one other film of any significance.
Review of The Company of Wolves
