Netflix’s roster of fantasy shows might be in danger of being canceled at any second, but the streaming service continues to go all-in when it comes to original content that leans heavily into the mythological for inspiration. Chalk up another winner for cinema’s most underrated subgenre, then, because Viking Wolf is a certifiable smash hit.
As per FlixPatrol, director Stig Svendsen’s werewolf movie has become a Top 10 debutant in a whopping 85 countries since being made available this past Friday, and it’s snagged the number one spot in 22 of them to reinforce its credentials as an instant success. Making the most of a limited budget, the haunting horror leans into the tropes and trappings of lycanthropy, but manages to keep its head above cliched waters.
Are there transformation scenes that hark back to An American Werewolf in London? A disbelieving small town community refusing to accept they’ve got a beast of legend in their midst until it’s too late? A creature that can survive regular bullets but be felled by a silver slug? And, most importantly, is there an eccentric old man clued up on the lore who warns everyone what’s about to happen?
The answer to all of the above and more is a resounding yes, which makes Viking Wolf (awesome title, by the way) the ideal viewing experience for anyone with a penchant for an entertaining-if-uninventive spin on a classic. Alongside Troll, Norwegian fantasy is back in a big way, so let’s hope Netflix continues to mine the nation’s most ambitious high concepts for the foreseeable future, because it’s evidently reaping huge dividends.