Film Review: The Wolfpack

The Wolfpack
Directed by Crystal Mosella



Locked away from society in an apartment on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the Angulo brothers learn about the outside world through the films that they watch. Nicknamed, 'The Wolfpack,' the brothers spend their childhood reenacting their favorite films using elaborate homemade props and costumes. The only thing they know about the outside world is through movies. Their world is shaken up when one of the brothers escapes and everything changes.

Critics are really giving this documentary high praise. Me....not so much.
The brothers are so socially awkward from being locked away in their apartment that it makes the film uncomfortable to watch. How socially awkward? Well when one brother decided to leave the apartment on his own he decided to wear a Michael Myers mask so if his dad saw him he would not recognize him. Yeah!! Well as you could predict the police were called by many nervous people.
The father is just a bit insane (well maybe a lot). The mother is abused as you can imagine spends her life in the apartment almost as a little mouse, her eyes look empty. As you can tell...this is a tough watch. I think the critics loved this because they were taken in by the boys love of movies. Which is nice and sweet but also very sad in a way.
As far as the documentary itself. I thought it was sloppy. Jumping from time period to time period, I as the viewer kept getting lost. All the boys looked alike, same facial features and long hair, I struggled to tell the difference between them, so a caption continuously through the film of who they were would have helped. Also we see the boys go to their first movie, their first trip to a beach. However while watching this I wonder how they got to the beach. I wonder how they paid...what 100 dollars... to get into the movies. Did the filmmakers pay? Isn't that manipulating the documentary a bit?
As for the "Wolfpack" themselves. They seem like real nice gentleman. However because of their lack of social skills I feel they will really struggle in society.
2 1/2 stars out of 5...I felt a really sad and strange documentary.


As always from the shadows thanks for your time.