My Review Of “Medium Raw: Night Of The Wolf” (2009)

Directed by Andrew Cymek  “Medium Raw” has a very in depth synopsis with multiple stories playing out centering around a serial killer and his connection to the other cast of characters in this action/horror flick. A rookie cop catches a notorious serial killer known as “The Wolf” who killed his sister when he was a child and left him scarred. While seeing the killer to his new digs at Parker’s Asylum officer Johnny Morgan and a small group of others find them selves in a twisted battle for survival when pandemonium ensues bringing them face to face with some of the worlds sickest killers. The film stars William Davis, John Rhys Daves, Brigette Kingsley, Mercedes McNab, Jay Reso, Kristina Miller and Andrew Cymek.


“Medium Raw: Night Of The Wolf” has some really cool elements and some very bad ones. The things that I enjoyed about this film most were eclectic group of serial killers locked within the asylum and the fact that it happens on the eve of the Christmas holiday. There was a big flirtation with the Little Red Riding Hood fairytale between “The Wolf” and a small child that really should not have been in the facility to begin with. For me the most exciting thing about this film was the “smack down” concept as the killers are released from their cells forcing the people trapped inside to fight or flee in order to survive. The best character in “Medium Raw” was Mabel Hannibal. A crazy woman who was captured and locked away for killing and cooking people. If Hell has a chef then Mabel Hannibal is that chef.

The few things that fell flat for me in this blended plot structured action/horror flick are simple and only minor irritations at best. First Andrew Cymek’s direction and vision for this story was awesome but his portrayal of Johnny Morgan came of a little more comical than I think it was intended. The second thing that seemed to take way from the story was the under utilization of the twisted and dark doctor of Parker’s Asylum. William Davis as a sinister figure is commanding. He is evil incarnate on screen and I would have rather seen more of his character as well as the iron wolf suit than all the flashbacks to Johnny Morgan’s past.

“Medium Raw: Night Of The Wolf” has a lot of good qualities to entertain. The gore and blood is there and great quality effects. The acting for the most part was believable and the haunting air of the Christmas holiday gave an added darkness to the film that I loved. The soundtrack played out perfect with the scenes and helped to bring the emotion outward. The asylum could have had a stronger story with more face time for the other killers but oh well. The fact is “Medium Raw” gives us a holiday gathering that only Hell could conjure.