SILVER BULLET

Silver Bullet Movie Review

A werewolf is terrorizing the small town of Tarker’s Mill. It’s now up to handicapped child Marty (Corey Haim of The Lost Boys), his sister Jane (Megan Follows) and Uncle Red (legendary lunatic Gary Busey) to stop the hairy beast. Based on the Stephen King story Cycle of the Werewolf, this 1985 film came out during a period in which a ton of King’s works were being presented on the big screen—the result of this was very hit or miss, but to me, Silver Bullet is one of the more enjoyable films from this batch. Growing up, I was always a fan of Haim. He was a rare child actor in that he was actually likable and talented, and he really does do a great job in this movie. Busey is about what you would expect—he’s essentially playing himself in this movie, as most of his lines are improvised. Everett McGill is pretty good as the Reverend, and Follows turns in a decent performance, but much of the rest of the acting is quite dreadful. How much you like the werewolf will largely depend on your horror preferences—if you prefer CGI monsters, you will hate it, but if your appreciation is more in the classic approach, you may be satisfied here—I personally love it.

"Gimme a hug"

Even if you are not a fan, a lot of the scenes with the werewolf are done with quick cuts, effectively making the monster scarier. The transformation scenes are also solid, and the Reverend’s nightmare sequence is quite memorable. The ending is rather abrupt, and much of this movie is a little corny, but I have liked Silver Bullet since first seeing it as a kid, and still find myself watching it every couple years in October.

On A Scale From One To Ten: 7

Silver Bullet Movie Trailer