SCRIPT REPORT: No Beast More Savage by David White and Jason Young

Posted with the kind permission of the writers...

Logline: Cedar Ridge is a close knit mountain community situated in the shadow of a State Correctional Facility. When a mysterious prisoner unleashes werewolves in their midst, the question of whether man, or beast, can control his darkest, most savage impulses becomes a matter of life or death.

Comments: No Beast More Savage is a dark, disturbing and utterly riveting horror film. It exists very definitely in the heart of the genre: tortured, complex characters, genuine frights and a satisfyingly dark ending are all present. There are unquestionably moments of compromised morality that might be a little too dark for your average commercial audience, but I believe that, overall, that is a relatively minor point.

The plot is tight and races along, skillfully cutting between our main characters at exhilarating speed. That Doug confronts Kate about her affair with Alec just as Alec is coming face to face with Clancy the wolf – and being bitten thus condemned to become a wolf – deftly explodes both the emotional and physical storylines in one bracing sequence. The overriding theme, questioning whether the darkest sides of human nature can or should be controlled, is present in contrasting ways in each scene. Alec and Kate claim they had no choice but to fall into an affair; Doug states that he is afraid of the violent impulses that cause him to beat defenseless prisoners; even Hank and Gail seem powerless against their stagnating marriage. However when Alec the wolf is unable to stop himself killing Kate, the resulting immense self loathing and determination to overcome the beast within sets him on a journey that efficiently contrasts Doug’s descent into incontrollable rage.

There are a few plot points that could do with tightening up: the day after the wolves’ first massacre, why aren’t Hank and Gail worried for their son Alec? Do they already know that he is one of them? How was Clancy convicted in the first place for murdering while he was a wolf? Surely the two victims would have clearly been savaged by an animal, how did the police pinpoint Clancy? Did he try to defend himself? Doug knew that shooting Karl didn’t kill him, why does he accept that Alec is dead when he shoots himself? Further, that Doug is able to kill Karl – albeit with some difficulty – creates the assumption that these creatures can be killed, which weakens Alec’s anguish that he is still alive after he shoots himself. It also diminishes the power of the wolves somewhat when we have seen one die so early on in the film – and undermines the invincibility (their wounds healing, Clancy gnawing his own leg off, both Alec and Karl able to escape from the chains that bind them) that is set up elsewhere. Having said that, this may be the moment to establish the idea of pure silver being the only thing to kill the wolves – maybe Doug in desperation uses a knife (previously established to be) a family heirloom and pure silver? I wasn’t sure whether the silver thing was accepted folklore in connection with werewolves, or if it had been invented for this film – either way it needs to be clear that the one and only thing that can kill the wolves is pure silver. This would also open opportunity for there being limited supply of silver in the town, further heightening the dramatic stakes. A little more clarity is needed between how one is killed by a wolf, and turned into one of them. Is there any deliberate action on the wolf’s part?

One of the film’s main strengths is the complexity of the characters. Doug isn’t a bad guy. His motivation – however misguided his actions may be – is only to protect the people and the community he loves. There is an intriguing contrast between Doug being an action man – he has conviction in his decisions and follows through with action without question; and Alec’s more cerebral quest to control the beast he has become. This is highlighted when Hank points out that Alec could have attacked him but chose to overcome the impulse; Doug refuses to accept any gray area and kills Hank. Despite witnessing the murder of his father, Alec is still able to resist wreaking revenge and attacking Doug. Through these characters the film constantly challenges any idea of the moral high ground: while it seems simplistically obvious that Doug and the hunters are wrong in systematically shooting the people attacked by wolves before the people have even exhibited any proof that they are now werewolves – what really is their alternative? When mercy is shown by one of the hunters to the afflicted group, they shortly after savagely kill their own families who came to rescue them. Further, there are fairly few films that could get away with the hero tearing his own girlfriend to pieces, but Alec’s agony is so real that somehow we remain on his side. The one missing character moment I am looking for is Doug’s grief over Kate’s death. While he is not a man to weep on a friend’s shoulder and clearly his priority is to ensure the community’s safety, I would like to see just one moment of him quietly absorbing the impact – not only of losing the wife he loves despite her infidelity, but of facing a future raising two young children alone. I would also like to gain some sense of the attacked groups’ reaction – do they realize what is in store for them? Are they afraid, excited, sickened by what they are now?

All in all, despite a few minor points that can easily be tightened up, No Beast More Savage is a taut, terrifying and thought-provoking film that absolutely deserves development.