WolfCop (2014) – Review

Low-budget horror comedies are a tricky beast. They can be too self-aware and try-hard (Sharknado), or they can embrace their ridiculous premise and lean into the absurdity with genuine charm. WolfCop falls firmly into the latter category. This 2014 Canadian cult film is a love letter to grindhouse schlock, 80s practical effects, and small-town weirdness, delivering a gory, goofy, and surprisingly fun experience.

Written and directed by Lowell Dean, this Canadian film defies expectations and combines two seemingly incompatible genres—police procedural and werewolf horror—into a gory, over-the-top B-movie experience. The main character of this tale is Lou Garou (Leo Fafard), a washed-up, perpetually drunk cop in the sleepy town of Woodhaven. His biggest skills include sleeping on the job, chugging whisky, and half-heartedly solving crimes. One night, Lou responds to a report of a disturbance in the woods, where instead of partying teenagers he finds signs of a strange ritual—bloody symbols, and the strung-up body of mayoral candidate Terry Wallace (Ryland Alexander). But before he can react, he is knocked unconscious. When he wakes up at home the next morning, he is disoriented and finds a pentagram carved into his chest. Worse, he starts experiencing strange symptoms—heightened senses, enhanced strength, and an overwhelming craving for raw meat and alcohol. Then comes the full moon and poor Lou is soon sprouting hair and claws and tearing people into messy body parts.

The long claw of the law.

At first, Lou is horrified to find out that he’s now part-cop, part-monster, but it turns out being a werewolf has its perks! Enhanced strength, heightened senses, and a thirst for justice (and maybe still a bit of alcohol). With his trusty buddy Willie Higgins (Jonathan Cherry), a conspiracy theory-loving, beer-guzzling sidekick, Lou embraces his new role as the town’s first WolfCop—because why fight crime as an ordinary officer when you can do it with fangs and claws? Soon he realizes he has been cursed by a satanic cult and he undergoes a grotesque transformation into WolfCop—a fanged, furry enforcer of justice who’s still somehow addicted to booze. With his trusty sidearm and new abilities, he begins cleaning up Woodhaven in the most violent way possible. He takes down robbers, drug dealers, and thugs, leaving a trail of dismembered criminals in his wake.

Dirty Hairy

Watching WolfCop bust up crime is a treat. He doesn’t just stop criminals—he rips them apart. He fights corrupt politicians, cultists, and sleazy criminals, all while still finding time to drink heavily and drive his Wolfmobile (yes, there’s a Wolfmobile, and it’s glorious). Then there is no-nonsense officer Tina Walsh (Amy Matysio), who does her best to figure out what is going on in her beloved town and whether or not it has anything to do with her father’s death during the last solar eclipse. Oh, and did I mention there’s a werewolf sex scene? Because there’s a werewolf sex scene. It’s like Beauty and the Beast, but way furrier and way weirder.

Red Hot Riding Hood.

As Lou investigates his transformation, a sinister conspiracy in Woodhaven is unveiled; it seems the town’s most powerful figures— including the corrupt mayor and a group of wealthy elites—are shape-shifting reptilian creatures who have been secretly ruling the town for generations. Every few years, during a solar eclipse, they conduct a blood ritual to steal the power of a werewolf and extend their own unnatural lives. Lou was chosen as their latest sacrifice. Or trio must work together to uncover the town’s supernatural conspiracy before Lou’s inner beast is used for something far worse than just fighting crime. And just what does the mysterious bartender Jessica Barratt (Sarah Lind) have to do with any of this?

“I’m not a reptilian cultist, honest.”

Stray Observations:

• The main character is named Lou Garou, get it? “Loup-garou”? Because French werewolf puns are classy.
• There’s a scene in front of an auto-body repair shop called “Stiles Autobody.” Stiles was Scott Howard’s best friend in Teen Wolf.
• If your town’s police force only consists of three people, maybe having the town drunk doubling as a police officer is a bad idea. That’s how you end up with evil cults running around.
• When Lou shaves his stubble immediately grows, making me wonder if he was a werewolf or possibly fell under the Santa Clause.
• The phrase “Hair of the dog that bit you” takes on extra meaning when you’re an alcoholic and a werewolf.
• This film boasts some very cool transformations, and the werewolf bursting out of its human host is very reminiscent of the Neil Marshall film The Company of Wolves.

Talk about a splitting headache.

At first glance, one might wonder if WolfCop is attempting to make a statement about societal issues or human nature; however, the film’s thematic content is secondary to its more overt goal of pure goofy entertainment. The blending of the police procedural with supernatural horror and comedy results in a uniquely absurd product, where werewolf transformations and action sequences are juxtaposed with mundane police work, such as filing paperwork or questioning witnesses. This blending of genres is purposeful, as it plays on the idea of the ordinary clashing with the extraordinary. Lou Garou, for example, is not a noble hero nor a typical action star. He is, at his core, a deeply flawed man who finds himself thrust into a bizarre and violent new reality, leading to a series of comedic misadventures. The film thus functions as both a homage and a satire of genre conventions.

 

A cop who can’t be stopped…literally.

The film’s self-aware humour is one of its most defining features. Rather than attempting to create something highbrow or thought-provoking, WolfCop relishes in its silliness. Puns and visual gags abound, and the film even indulges in outrageous set pieces—like the infamous werewolf sex scene—that are meant to provoke laughter, not moral reflection. This disregard for seriousness enables the film to revel in its own campiness. However, the humour never becomes completely slapstick or absurd for the sake of it. Instead, it is grounded in the genre tropes the film is riffing on, such as the tough-as-nails cop who operates on the fringes of the law or the villainous conspiracy lurking beneath the surface of a seemingly idyllic small town.

 

This film gets bonus points for a conspiracy involving lizard people.

One of the most memorable aspects of WolfCop is its use of practical effects, particularly in the transformation scenes. The werewolf make-up and prosthetics exude a gritty, old-school charm, and while not as polished as Hollywood blockbusters, these transformation sequences are visceral and grotesque, evoking classics like An American Werewolf in London and The Howling. The body horror elements are effective, depicting the painful and grotesque process of transformation with surprising detail. Skin stretches, bones crack, and facial features distort, resulting in an uncomfortable yet fascinating viewing experience. This commitment to practical effects, rather than relying on CGI, imbues the film with an authenticity and tactile quality that works in its favour.

 

The gore on hand is brutal but fun.

The film also excels in its depiction of violence, embracing the over-the-top brutality that often characterizes B-movie horror. WolfCop’s physical confrontations are punctuated by geysers of blood, limbs being torn off, and gory dismemberment. These graphic moments, while intense, are never meant to be taken seriously. They are exaggerated to such a degree that they feel more like comic book panels come to life, heightening the film’s playful atmosphere. There is a certain joy in seeing a werewolf cop blast his way through a corrupt political conspiracy, and the practical effects ensure that the audience feels the weight of every violent encounter. All this film was missing was a cool theme song.

 

“Da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da WolfCop!”

In conclusion, WolfCop is a refreshing dive into pure genre fun. It is a film that understands its limitations and wholeheartedly embraces them, offering audiences a bloody, irreverent, and frequently hilarious ride. It’s Teen Wolf meets RoboCop meets a six-pack of beer, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. This film is dumb in all the right ways, self-aware, and loaded with practical effects that would make 80s horror proud. A must for fans of werewolf movies or just anyone hoping for a good time.