Teen Wolf (2023) - Film Review

A full moon rises in Beacon Hills, and with it a terrifying evil has emerged. The wolves are howling once again, calling for the return of Banshees, Werecoyotes, Hellhounds, Kitsunes, and every other shapeshifter in the night. But only a werewolf like Scott McCall, no longer a teenager yet still an Alpha, can gather both new allies and reunite trusted friends to fight back against what could be the most powerful and deadliest enemy they've ever faced.

I used to watch Teen Wolf back in 2011 but never got around to finishing the show. The six-season show bounced between various channels and platforms in the UK before comfortably settling on Netflix. Still, I have fond memories of the series. When I heard that Paramount+ was reviving the franchise with a feature film, I was curious to see how Jeff Davis (the original showrunner) would pen a script with most of the cast set to return.

After watching the entire film, I quickly concluded that Teen Wolf: The Movie is a disjointed mess of ideas and unsatisfying character arcs. Tyler Posey returns to his most iconic role as the werewolf alpha, alongside many of the familiar faces. There have been criticisms from fans when Dylan O'Brian and Arden Cho declined to reprise their roles for the movie, but I think there were too many cast members back for a singular feature that two more additions would have made no difference. Despite having over two hours of screen time, there were too many characters that their storylines felt uneven. If this concept had been paced out over another film, there would have been more time to develop the characters more naturally.

In many ways, this film felt like a nostalgia piece for die-hard fans but did not stand up on its own as its own story. The more I watched, the more I felt like I should have binged the last six seasons before watching the movie. The show's original wit and emotional gut punches were traded in for profanity and nudity in the film's sequel. I do not have a problem with Davis delivering a more mature screenplay, especially as the characters are in their thirties, but it felt like they were given that 18-film classification from Paramount+ and ran with it. The swearing dialogue felt more unnatural than expected and the nudity scene was just randomly included because two actors said they were comfortable with it. This is actually the case.

The film's main conflict centred on Teen Wolf's third-season's antagonists - the Nogitsune - and the resurrection of Scott's childhood sweetheart Allison Argent. Tyler Posey and Crystal Reed recapture their characters' old chemistry, but not enough time is given to truly explore their shared trauma and history. The concept of the Trickster could have made for a spectacular villain and explored some interesting internal conflicts with the main cast if the film wasn't trying to give screen time to everyone.

Honestly, I think the concept of the Trickster and even bringing back characters - dead or alive - could have made for an engaging film, if the script was structured better. Having Tyler Posey, Crystal Reed, Tyler Hoechlin, Holland Roden, Colton Haynes, Shelley Hennig, Dylan Sprayberry, Linden Ashby, Melissa Ponzio, and JR Bourne reprise their roles had promise. Still, none of their performances lived up to the hype.

Tyler Posey's reprisal of his most famous role lacked the layers I was expecting. Partly due to the writing and partly due to his performance, I found Scott McCall's arc to be portrayed poorly. Holland Roden and Crystal Reed had some of the best scenes and Roden's emotional monologue was the best part of the movie. I was expecting conflict between characters who have been estranged for over a decade or more tragic endings for familiar characters, but it was more of a "Who's who" cameo competition rather than authentic character motivations. I got to a point where I just didn't care.

This wish fulfilment nostalgia flick lost any potential this film could have had. With a disjointed script and characters spouting some of the worst dialogue I've heard in a while, It took me three sittings to watch the entire film, and even then, it was an anticlimactic experience.

My rating for Teen Wolf: The Movie (2023) is ★½.