Amongst the Wolves, releasing in Irish cinemas on May 2nd, follows leads Danny and Will as they confront their pasts. Seán from Phoenix Film attended a screening and shares his thoughts below.
Seán’s Review
Amongst the Wolves, directed by Mark O’Connor, stars Luke McQuillan as Danny, a former soldier homeless in Dublin who encounters Will (Daniel Fee) hiding in the woods from a drug gang led by Power (Aidan Gillen). They are forced to confront their past while also overcoming the struggles they face.
The film starts with Danny reflecting on his trauma which led to him becoming homeless. While setting up camp along the canal he gets approached by three young lads who begin to harass him while filming it on their phones. When Danny eventually stands up for himself, they attack him and destroy his tent which forces him to flee into the woods where he meets Will.
This was a very strong start to the film because it showed a very realistic view of the struggles that homeless people struggle with in real life, but unfortunately the film begins to shift focus on Will’s struggle with the drug gang whom he owes money to. Danny is still the main character of the film and we still learn about his trauma from the war which eventually led to him becoming homeless and separated from his Wife and son, but the drug gang becomes the driving force of the story.
The drug gang story is not bad but I think it leads to the film becoming disjointed as the story is struggling to balance both plots. Luke McQuillan gives a very strong performance as Danny making him both likeable but also very sympathetic to his struggles. Aidan Gillen is menacing as Power, the leader of the drug gang who dominates every scene that he is in. I enjoyed Daniel Fee as Will, he did a good job playing someone who was way in over his head and unsure on what to do but I think the character is too reliant on others to push his story. Overall I did enjoy the film and its story, I just wish that they kept the focus solely on Danny and his struggles being homeless as it was by far the best and most impactful part of the movie.
Although the crime story was very enjoyable, I felt it would’ve been best served in another film where it could be explored to its fullest potential. Overall I’d give Amongst the Wolves a 6/10.
Amongst the Wolves is released in Irish cinemas on May 2nd
