Review: Wolf Girl (2001)

Victoria Sanchez plays the title attraction at Tim Curry’s travelling sideshow of freaks, a young woman suffering with a condition that covers her face and body with an abnormal amount of hair. She’s fed up with cruel taunting from local bullies (including Shawn Ashmore and Shelby Fenner) when she meets social outcast Dov Diefenbach. Diefanbach’s mother is an experimental scientist (a wasted Lesley Ann Warren) and he steals drugs for Sanchez that will see her shed hair. Unforunately, the drugs have quite unpredictable, feral side-effects and Sanchez becomes a danger to others. Darlene Cates from “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”, Jordan Prentice, and Grace Jones play other carnival attractions.

More quirky romantic drama than horror film for much of its length, this 2001 film from director Thom Fitzgerald and screenwriter Lori Lansens is a small film that seems to have come and gone without much notice. That’s a shame, because although there are flaws, this is a solid and interesting. The title character and performance by Victoria Sanchez aren’t overly compelling to be honest, but everything else here worked well for me. It’s also a film that’s actually about something (bullying of people who are ‘different’ in some way), even if it’s not particularly subtle about it. If you’ve seen “Carny”, imagine that re-imagined with a Canadian teen romance thrown in.

It’s an interestingly offbeat film with Grace Jones in her androgynous element playing a carnival performer who literally has a feminine side and a masculine side (clearly the film is using a ‘freakshow’ to delve into issues of discrimination faced by the LGBTQ community). It may even be the part Jones was born to play. Tim Curry is similarly perfectly cast as the impresario and ringmaster of sorts, and likely enjoyed getting the chance to sing. It’s an interesting role for him, he’s outwardly friendly and paternal but these ‘freaks’ are his livelihood and he’s still a businessman. Meanwhile, the young punks who come along to tease Sanchez are some of the most repugnant creatures you’ll ever meet. They’re the real freaks, especially Shelby Fenner who is just horrid. Shawn Ashmore meanwhile, is really brave for taking on his wimpy bully role for reasons I dare not spoil. It would be a bit rude of me. Despite not great performances by Sanchez and Dov Diefanbach, the romance is kind of sweet nonetheless.

A peculiar film, but an interesting and enjoyable one that deserves to be much more well-known. Certainly a must for Tim Curry fans. Decent wolf girl makeup too, for what was likely not a large budget (it was originally made for Canadian TV).

Rating: B-