Movie Review: Wolf Children (2025)

Genre: Supernatural Drama / Coming-of-Age

Runtime: 1 hour 57 minutes

Studio: A24

Director: Karyn Kusama

Writer: Celeste Ng (based on an original screenplay)

Starring: Florence Pugh, Evan Peters, Naomi Scott, and Kodi Smit-McPhee

In Wolf Children, director Karyn Kusama delivers a haunting and lyrical drama about identity, nature, and survival. Set in the misty woodlands of the Pacific Northwest, the film follows Lena (Florence Pugh), a reclusive biologist raising her two children, both born with the ability to shift into wolves, after the mysterious disappearance of her partner.

From the start, the tone is atmospheric and unsettling. A24’s trademark eerie quiet pairs well with Kusama’s gift for tension, and the lush cinematography by Autumn Durald Arkapaw (Loki, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) paints a world that feels both grounded and otherworldly.

Florence Pugh gives a deeply human, raw performance as a mother on the edge of isolation and desperation. Evan Peters plays the estranged uncle torn between loyalty and fear, while Naomi Scott shines as a local teacher trying to connect with the children. But the standout is Kodi Smit-McPhee, whose portrayal of the older child caught between animal instinct and human longing adds poignant complexity.

Celeste Ng’s screenplay offers more than fantasy—it’s a social allegory about being “othered” and trying to fit into a world that fears what it doesn’t understand. Themes of motherhood, heritage, and personal agency run deep.

At times, the pacing lags, especially in the second act, where introspection overtakes momentum. And while the wolf transformation scenes are emotionally loaded, the limited visual effects may disappoint viewers expecting genre thrills.

But make no mistake—Wolf Children isn’t a horror flick. It’s a moving, melancholic fairy tale for adults, and one that lingers after the credits.

Rating: 8.5/10

A tender, eerie, and evocative film that blends supernatural themes with emotional depth.