Howler

Written and directed by Richard Bailey, Howler follows poet Leni (Rhonda Boutte) on the eve of the biggest night of her career. Before the award gala in her honor, Leni’s son, Gordon (Abel Flores), comes to help her get ready. But in the midst of that, Burt (John Flores) and Noelle (Christie Vela), Leni’s best friends, show up. They convince the poet to go out to the woods, where Leni has strange visions of a crime. Her only clues are “deer hoof” and “coyote.”

Before Leni has a chance to piece it all together, her publisher, Charlotte (Jenny Ledel), shows up to chauffeur her to the award ceremony. Well, that is after Charlotte and Gordon have some alone time to deepen their bond, without ever acting on their obvious attraction to each other. At the ceremony, Leni has even more apocalyptic images flash in her mind. What are these visions trying to tell her? Will this incident brand her crazy even after her laurels? How do the visions tie into the tragedy that recently befell Bron Ashe Sr. (Van Quattro)?

The first 3 minutes of Howler set up audiences for a different kind of film than the one it ultimately is. The prologue is almost completely wordless as the camera floats through the forest. It follows an unknown woman as ominous music creates an unsettling atmosphere. This opening ends with the phrase “I am alone” spoken aloud by the lady, who turns out to be Leni. This is pure horror, and it is great. It is eerie, compelling, and beautifully filmed. It is an intriguing beginning, a highlight of the entire 86-minute runtime.

“…Leni has strange visions of a crime. Her only clues are ‘deer hoof’ and ‘coyote.'”

But the rest of the film is a dramatic mystery. The drama lies in Leni’s relationship with her son and the strange things her best friends do. It is also very present in Charlotte and Gordon’s scenes together, which effectively lays out a would-be romance without ever giving in. The mystery surrounds Bron, his son, and how they are tied to the natural order of this place and the potential crime that happened. Now, all this is compelling and engaging stuff, especially as it all threads together at the end, but none of it is horror. So please watch this film with expectations in check.

Boutte has a lot of heavy lifting to do throughout Howler, but nails it. The actor comes across as down-to-earth, even with her life-changing award. She believably loves her son, but even more importantly, she sells the strangeness of the character’s visions as real. John Flores starts by overacting, almost a cartoon, but settles into his role later on. Abel Flores is lowkey, but that underacting actually works well for the role’s arc. His chemistry with Ledel is great, and she, too, is fantastic the entire time.

Bailey directs with a sharp eye, so even moments just in Leni’s house feel not quite real. Jay Flowers’s cinematography is dream-like yet hazy. It works for the story at hand. The music, also by Flowers, is incredible and strikes a balance between mysterious and hopeful.

Howler is not a horror film, despite what the opening 3 minutes suggest. While that will undoubtedly disappoint horror hounds, stick with it. The story is interesting, the characters engaging, and the direction dreamy. Plus, the cast ably helps maintain the odd tone of mystery, drama, and apocalypse in every scene.

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