Teen Wolf: The Movie (2023)

Written by: Jeff Davis (teleplay by), Will Wallace (story by), Joseph P. Genier (story by)

Directed by: Russell Mulcahy

Distributed by: Paramount+

Runtime: 140 minutes (2 hour 20 minutes)

Certificate: TV-MA (UK)

Intro:

When Teen Wolf the series ended with it’s sixth season back in 2017, there were a lot of unanswered questions, and fans left guessing what happened next with Scott McCall and his pack. Now, in 2023…most of those questions are still left unanswered. However, we are presented with a fun, emotional and nostalgic movie that reminds us of our love for the characters introduced in the series.

Plot:

In Japan, a mysterious hooded figure has tracked down, and released the dark spirit that feeds on havoc and chaos. A spirit that is without a doubt, one of the toughest enemies the pack has ever gone up against. So who released it, and how will they stop it once again?

Fifteen years after Allison Argent’s death at the hands of an Oni Demon controlled by an even more terrifying dark spirit known as a Nogitsune, Scott McCall and his friends have all gone their separate ways, having left the supernatural beacon that is Beacon Hills. Things have been peaceful for the pack but things never stay peaceful in the supernatural world. Now the pack must return, but after reviving a previously deceased ally, things take a turn for the worse. Can they save Beacon Hills once again from a villain who already knows them all too well?

Story:

If you’re a fan of the series, then you have been through one hell of a journey with these characters, and that journey is reflected, very much so, in this film, especially ther first three seasons that involve Crystal Reed’s character Allison Argent, Scott’s first and truest love. If you haven’t watched the series before viewing this film, I would recommend doing so because it’s very much a film for the fans, and one that may feel confusing to new viewers, especially when referring back to previous events.

The biggest power in the series and this film, is the connections between the characters, the relationships they have with one another not just as friends but as a pack, which is how they are always referred to by fans and the characters themselves. When Allison returns through supernatural means, it causes a huge shift in the emotional drive of the film because as fans, we all know what she meant to more than just Scott, but to her father, to Lydia and even to characters like Derek, who she hasn’t always seen eye to eye with.

The other big emotional shift in the film is the introduction of a new member of the Hale family, Eli Hale, son of Derek Hale. That’s right, Derek is a dad now, although it’s not mentioned who the mother of Eli is, leaving fans to speculate. Eli is the new young star character with werewolf issues. You think being the son of a werewolf would make your own abilities easier to handle but that’s not the case with Eli, and he needs Derek and Scott to help him through it.

Characters:

It’s so good to see so many of the main cast return, along with so many other surprise pop ups. I don’t want to spoil too much at this time, so I’ll mention the ones that are widely known to fans. These include Colton Haynes returning as Jackson Whittemore, who we saw return to London at the end of season six. Jackson is called up by Lydia for help with the impending doom that has returned to Beacon Hills and provides a lot of to comic relief in the tense scenes, whilst also being one of the characters that helps push the characters in the right direction when he helps decipher Lydia’s banshee scribbles.

There is one character we all wish was returning in this film, but sadly it was confirmed last year that Dylan O’Brien’s loveable best friend character, Stiles Stilinski, would not be making a return appearance in this feature length sequel. O’Brien stated in an interview with Variety in March 2022, that whilst the show was dear to him since it launched him into fame back in 2011, he made the difficult decision to not return for this sequel film because to him it all happened very fast and personally the show ended in a good place for him, but he hopes that the film kicks ass and stated that he will be watching it the first night it releases. However, despite having no physical presence in the film, Stiles is still there very much in spirit, as he is mentioned various times by those closest to him, such as Lydia and of course his father Sheriff Stilinski, but more than that, the iconic Jeep that Stiles drove throughout the series from start to finish, makes an appearance, playing a major role in the films finale. The jeep itself actually belongs to O’Brien, who let the cast and crew of the film borrow his vehicle since it is very much iconic to the series. The jeep helped Lydia, Scott and Malia all remember Stiles after his existance was wiped from everyone’s memory in season five, when facing The Wild Hunt. Not to mention the amount of getaways and stakeouts Stiles and the other characters have had using that jeep from the very first episode.

Overall:

This film was a fun, nostalgic trip that brought fans back through the emotional journies of the first three seasons of the series, whilst providing us with a new plot that sees Scott and his pack return to face one of their most dangerous foes. The Nogitsune is still as terrifying and manipulative as the first time.

The series ends with a lot of unanswered questions, and honestly this movie only leaves us with a few more, but it’s a fun, action packed film that reunites us with the familiar characters we love. There’s all the drama, mystery and adventure that we love from the series, whilst providing us with a somewhat unique new story for the characters to get involved with. The finale is emotional, and honestly it’s a great sequel to the series, but leaving us wanting so much more. There’s still lots of questions left unanswered and now we are left with even more. However, if you ignore those unanswered mysteries and take the film for what it is, it’s an emotional rollercoaster adventure that is created for the fans of the series.

Teen Wolf: The Movie is now available to watch on Paramount Plus!