Wolf Pack

Sarah Michelle Geller returns to the realms of teen horror TV in Wolf Pack, a supernatural outing on Paramount+ with substantially less bite than its premise would lead audiences to believe. When a devastating wildfire causes a chaotic stampede on a highway, teenagers Everett (Armani Jackson) and Blake (Bella Shephard) are caught up in the fray but escape with troubling bite marks. It quickly becomes apparent, though, that they weren’t attacked by your average animal. Their bodies begin to change, and they catch glimpses of a sinister shape in the smoke. Meanwhile, twins Harlan (Tyler Lawrence Gray) and Luna (Chloe Rose Robertson) are concerned about their father’s disappearance.

Based on Edo van Belkom’s novels of the same name, the introduction to this teen drama covers remarkably familiar territory. The ensemble of protagonists are different flavours of the social outcast, whose bland personalities aren’t helped by stiff performances and a clunky script. Equally blasé is the tropey set-up to what looks to become the series’ main mystery (a missing parent feels like it’s been done in every other similar show), alongside the uninspired take on the supernatural elements that only come across as less appealing thanks to some shoddy CGI.

Amongst the eye-rolling cliches, there is some reason to believe that the show still has the potential to become more interesting. A spattering of gnarly gore and knowingly schlocky imagery give the show an old-school flare that will resonate with Buffy fans. Likewise, the introduction of Geller as investigating agent Kristin Ramsey hints at there being more to the initial premise than there first appears. However, there’s far too little of the Buffy star within the first episode to gauge how much of an impact her presence will have later down the line.

Though it never becomes unwatchable, the first impression of Wolf Pack is that it’s incredibly generic. There are the occasional glimmers of hope that later episodes will rise above its forgettable beginning, however, viewers will likely be better off spending their time with similar shows that did more with the same material.

Andrew Murray

Wolf Pack is released on Paramount+ on 27^th January 2023.

Watch the trailer for Wolf Pack here: