‘There are no such things as werewolves…’
There aren’t many Stephen King adaptations that I haven’t seen, especially in the horror genre. There are even fewer that I haven’t seen or read. Silver Bullet falls into that category as I hadn’t seen the film, nor read The Cycle of the Werewolf – the novella that the film is based on. Looking back now, I’m surprised at this omission as, in many ways, this is classic King. A new take on a tired trope. A small American town being forced to confront its dark heart. Characters that feel well worn and lived in. In short, this is a vintage Stephen King adaptation…
In a small town, a series of brutal slayings have the townsfolk up in arms. Sheriff Joe Haller (Terry O’Quinn) is struggling to keep the peace amidst rabble rousing from the local drunks and the whole town is terrified. Against this backdrop, we have the story of a trouble family. Nan Coslaw (Robin Groves) struggles to look after her paraplegic son Marty (Corey Haim) and her argumentative daughter Jane (Megan Follows). Her wildcard brother Red (Gary Busey) is also often more of a hindrance than a help.
Whilst the werewolf slayings are obviously the headline here, it is the family drama element that elevates Silver Bullet above the likes of more standard werewolf fare like The Howling. Daniel Attias’ film might not contain an iconic transformation scene, but it does feature a series of great performances from Haim, Busey and Everett McGill as the town reverend, and it also has a charming ’80s aesthetic and sensibility that will delight those of us raised on a diet of Back to the Future and The Goonies. It also contains a wonderful, scene stealing cameo from some guy named Kent Broadhurst who shows up halfway through as a grieving parent sporting an outstanding moustache and who nearly steals the whole damn thing away from the rest of the cast.
Silver Bullet has been largely forgotten now, relegated to the side-lines by An American Werewolf in London and The Howling, but honestly, in many ways, this is the most enjoyable of all the ’80s werewolf movies – and yes, I am including Teen Wolf in that also.