Shaky cam horrors have had their day, right? [REC]2 was probably the last shaky cam horror movie I truly enjoyed, unless you count Timo Tjahjanto and Gareth Evans' gleefully deranged short, Safe Haven, from V/H/S/2. The first person perspective is a cost effective way of creating nerve-jangling tension because it feels so up close and personal, but it's been a long time since the sub-genre served up anything fresh. Raised by Wolves doesn't add anything new to the mix either, but there's something about Mitchell Altieri's shaggy dog story that keeps you watching.
When a group of extreme skaters go searching for an empty pool at an abandoned house in the barren desert, they discover that the rumours about the house being haunted by a demonic presence might actually hold some water. They maybe shouldn't have skipped the part on 'dark history of occultism' either. What follows is a terrifying tale of evil possession, one that causes the friends to turn against each other in the most horrific of ways. Which, as you may have gathered, is good news for the audience at home.
Raised by Wolves plays to its strengths, namely, a universally strong unknown cast. Horror movies like this don't usually come with likeable characters, but our young protagonists aren't as annoying as your typical teen-fodder, and as a result, you may find yourself caring for their outcome. Which helps more than you might think, because there's very little here that hasn't been done before. The deserted location is suitably creepy and the effects are relatively strong. Altieri does conjure up some genuine scares throughout and despite early reservations, Raised by Wolves deserves to find an audience in the UK. Worth a look.
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