Look, Wolf has a familiar, even cliché, plot. The idea of having a lead wanting to shift their life around through kickboxing is the usual stuff of cheesy sports dramas that want more viewers to watch the matches, or to learn to play the sport. But rather than take this path, Wolf instead delves into the other reasons why people might want to join the sport in its story– the money, the physical venting of frustration, and making use of skills. It’s also why, for Majid, the passion proves to falter in the face of his character. His loyalty to others, his spite, and the unresolved anger he holds paints a literally black-and-white picture of what inevitably pushes him to the film’s end. Wolf is familiar, yes, but it takes this plot to a different place that Dutch cinema doesn’t usually visit.
A promising kickboxer struggles to resist the temptations of a life of crime.
Looking for ways to earn money for his brother’s medical bills, ex-con and promising athlete Majid finds himself falling deeper into the underworld of kickboxing, gambling, and organized crime.
If you’re an English speaker, try to find subtitles rather than voice dubbing, if you can.
It’s a familiar story, but it’s done pretty well.
