Time of the Wolf


Time of the Wolf is a 2003 French dystopian post-apocalyptic drama film written and directed by Austrian director Michael Haneke. It was released theatrically in 2003. Set in France at an undisclosed time, the film follows the story of a family: Georges, Anne, and their two children, Eva and Ben. The film also stars Olivier Gourmet and Serge Riaboukine.
The film takes its title from Völuspá, an ancient Norse poem which describes the time before the Ragnarök.

Plot

A disaster of some type has occurred, of which the audience only knows that uncontaminated water is scarce, and livestock has to be burned. Having fled Paris, the Laurent family arrives at their country home, hoping to find refuge and security, only to discover that it is already occupied by strangers.
The family is assaulted by the strangers and forced to leave, with no supplies or transport. As they seek help from people they have known in the village, they are repeatedly turned away. The family makes its way to a train station where they wait with other survivors, in the hope that a train will stop for them and take them back to the city.

Cast

Time of the Wolf was screened in the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, out of competition. Patrice Chéreau, a member of that year's jury, stars in the film, which made the film ineligible for any award. The film also screened at the Sitges Film Festival where it won Best Screenplay and was in the running for Best Film.

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Time of the Wolf holds an approval rating of 64%, based on 56 reviews, and an average rating of 6.2/10. It's consensus reads, "A lean and unsettlingly thriller." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "Generally favorable reviews".