Bad Moon

Film: Bad Moon

Year: 1996

Director: Eric Red

Writer: Eric Red

Starring: Mariel Hemingway, Michael Paré and Mason Gamble

Review:

I first saw this years ago thanks to the Horror Show Guide encyclopedia that I’m working through to round out viewings of the genre. I enjoyed this the first time I saw it, but I decided to give it another viewing for a top 10 series of the best horror films of the 1990s. I’ve also now revisited it for a Scouring through the Sixes rewatch, having now seen this a few times.

Synopsis: one man’s struggle to contain the curse he hides within and his last-ditch attempt to free himself with the love of family.

We began in the woods in South America. We have Ted (Michael Paré) who’s there on a scientific exploration with Marjorie (Johanna Marlowe). They made a discovery and started marking love in his tent to celebrate. There are people around a campfire and something is stalking them. Marjorie is attacked during their activity and pulled out by a giant, walking upright werewolf. It also attacks Ted, injuring his shoulder. He blows its head off with a shotgun.

We then shift this over to the United States. We have Brett (Mason Gamble) playing with his dog, Thor (Primo). A man approaches by the road on foot, who is known as Flopsy (Hrothgar Mathews). His real name is Jerry Mills. Thor does not trust him as Brett talks to the man. His mother, Janet (Mariel Hemingway) steps in. Thor is provoked and attacks him. He claims he’s going to sue and we learn that Janet is a lawyer and is not afraid of his threats. This causes him to leave.

Things shift over to a man in the woods who is measuring trees. He is attacked and killed by a beast in the woods.

We then learn that Janet and Ted are siblings. Janet learns he’s back in the area. It upset her that he didn’t reach out sooner. Janet and Brett bring Thor to visit with him. He hasn’t had any contact with his family and been living in a trailer by a lake. Janet picks up that there’s something wrong. She doesn’t like him isolating himself, especially with Marjorie gone. Janete asks him to stay with her. Thor goes off into the woods and we see what looks to be human remains and clothes in a tree.

They’re found and the following day Ted calls and asks if he can come visit. Janet tells him that it would be great and that he can park it in the backyard. We learn that whatever is wrong with him, he feels that being close to family will help him deal with it. It should be pointed out that Brett found a book in Ted’s trailer during the visit, which is about the lore of werewolves.

Janet finds handcuffs in Ted's trailer while welcoming him to stay. She jokes with him, but we learn they are used for something else. He goes out into the woods that night and handcuffs himself to a tree. Thor gets out and sees him as a werewolf. There are similar deaths in the area, one of which the man who threatened the family. The local sheriff, Jenson (Ken Pogue) starts to wonder if Thor has gone feral. Ted is starting to become more aggressive as his curse takes hold.

That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Coming into this as I’ve said, I didn’t know much about what I was getting into. I did find it interesting that this is actually based off of a novel called ‘Thor’. I’m intrigued to read this since Thor is the main character. We focus a lot on what the dog is doing. It’s intriguing, since the animal obviously can’t talk. Seeing how fiercely loyal he is and even to the detriment to himself helps build the story. I do appreciate that.

What I’ll then say is that this is a werewolf film as well. Something that throws me off is that he is infected in the Amazon with this curse. To my knowledge, there aren’t any wolves down there, as they’re more of a cold climate animal. I can give this a pass as it doesn’t ruin the film. The area is thick and something could be hidden there. It does set this apart.

I’ll shift then over to the lore of the werewolf that we get. Ted changes every night; it has nothing to do with the moon. There is even a funny scene where Brett and Ted are talking about this while watching Werewolf of London. They also state that the werewolf here can be killed by anything, not just silver. It is interesting that he’s looking for a way to control it, as so far science hasn’t found him a cure. He does become quite the villain as the film progresses, seeming to enjoy what he’s doing. Credit here to how Paré plays the role.

Something else I want to include would be the family dynamic. We don’t learn what happened to Brett’s father. Ted comments on how impressed with Janet he is to work full time like she does while also being a great mother. That family unit is great. I also like that they love Ted, until he starts to become a monster. Thor is also part of that immediate family. It only comes when Janet thinks that he’s going feral that a tough choice is made.

The film explores themes of protective instinct versus domestic invasion. The early confrontation with Jerry establishes Thor and Janet’s fierce loyalty, ensuring they will fight back when the threat becomes real. This is underscored by the family's blind trust in Uncle Ted, which creates palpable tension since Thor knows the truth but cannot communicate it. Ultimately, we witness Ted’s tragic descent as he surrenders his humanity to the curse.

As for the acting, Hemingway delivers a solid performance as a single mother, while Paré effectively portrays his character's dark, uncontrollable descent. The change builds tension. Gamble and the supporting cast are capable, and Primo is excellent as the well-trained dog. I like Mathews in his role along with Pogue and the rest of the cast rounded this out for what was needed.

The filmmaking is generally effective. I’ll start with the effects and that was an element that I didn’t remember. The bipedal werewolf design is impressive and reminiscent of The Howling. While the CGI transformation falls short, the practical effects, cinematography, and atmospheric framing of the house and lake are well-executed, complemented by a fitting score.

In conclusion, this offers a compelling blend of family drama and werewolf horror, distinguished by its unique focus on the protective loyalty of the family dog, Thor. While the CGI transformations falter, the film is elevated by effective practical effects, atmospheric cinematography, and solid performances from Hemingway and Paré. It serves as an engaging genre entry that successfully balances domestic tension with creature-feature scares.

My Rating: 7.5 out of 10