WFG RATING: B+

Dark Star Pictures and Uncork’d Entertainment presents a Digital Guerrilla Cinema LLC production in association with Macrocosm Productions. Written and directed by Gregory Lamberson. Produced by Gregory Lamberson, Chris Cosgrave, Tamar Lamberson, and Keith Lukowski. Cinematography by Chris Cosgrave. Edited by Joseph Fusco and Aaron Krygier.

Stars Alyssa Grace Adams, Aaron Krygier, Karen Malika Walker, Gabrielle Nunzio, Harold Octavius Jacob, Steven Maiseke, Jacob Applegate, Chad Ridgley, and Katelynn E. Newberry.

From the director of Slime City Massacre and Guns of Eden comes this wild werewolf movie that makes the most of its practical effects and twists in the story.

Six college friends are on their way to stay at the cabin belonging to the family of one of them, Sheila. Along with Sheila’s boyfriend Marc, the other couples who are on their way to the cabin are Dante and Jennifer along with Clinton and Makayla. While en route to the cabin, Clinton accidentally hits a mysterious man and feeling bad, he takes him to the cabin.

When Clinton and Makayla tell the group about the mystery man, they discover his name is Gavin and he’s a former soldier who suffers from PTSD. When he awakens, he warns the group that there are werewolves in the area. His brother and sister-in-law fell prey to one nine months ago while working on a research project of forest animals. When the monsters surround the place, Gavin now must try to make sure the group stays alive under this deadly full moon before it’s too late.

Gregory Lamberson is definitely a major force in the world of indie filmmaking. Going back to his debut film, 1988’s Slime City, Lamberson is known for heavily making the most of the budgets he works with. Along with his recent action film Guns of Eden, Lamberson took to crowdfunding to help make his latest film, one that would focus on werewolves with a somewhat by-the-numbers story of monster vs. survivor with some pretty wicked twists. But let’s face it. Who doesn’t love a fun popcorn werewolf movie?

The cast is quite interesting here as they all have different personalities. Alyssa Grace Adams’ Jennifer is perhaps one of the most interesting as she defines herself as a vegan, which tends to show some detraction from some of the others. Kayla Malika Walker’s Makayla feels like the outcast of the bunch due to her reasoning being she feels she’s only there because the rest are loyal to her boyfriend Clinton, played by Steven Maiseke. 

Aaron Krygier is great as Gavin, a rugged hunter who has a vendetta for killing werewolves after his brother and sister-in-law fell victim to the monster, seen in the film’s opening scene. At first, we see Gavin decked out in a moss-like outfit as a means to look out for the monsters. It is after he awakens in the cabin that he not only tries to help the survivors, but goes as far as thinking that the idea of the group being there may not have been a vacation. But rather a trap for them as potential meals for the werewolves. 

As mentioned, there are quite a few twists in the film with not all of the group getting killed, but bitten, which leads to those affected slowly transforming. Relying on practical FX, the werewolves look quite good for the budget the team had. There are some visual FX when it comes to the gunfire, a thing Lamberson had utilized in Guns of Eden. While the film doesn’t have full transformation sequences like many other films of the genre, they still make quite an impact in its 80-minute run time. 

Frenzy Moon is a fun, popcorn werewolf film and those who are especially fans of the genre and director Greg Lamberson will surely enjoy this. 

The film will be released on VOD and Digital platforms on November 11.