by Joseph Perry and Mike Imboden
In our “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. For this installment, it’s Dusty Austen’s werewolf film The Beast of Walton Street.
Synopsis
As the homeless population of an Ohio town is ravaged by brutal deaths in the dead of winter, two outcast women — Constance (Athena Murzda) and Sketch (Mia Jones) — defend their turf and fight back against the deadly creature: a werewolf.
The Good
Joseph: We’ve had plenty of films about teen girls and young women turning into werewolves — the classic Ginger Snaps and Patrick Rea’s more recent I Am Lisa, for example — but here director/editor/cowriter (with star Athena Murzda) Dusty Austen delivers a nifty independent film with two young women instead battling a werewolf. That’s not the only battle our two protagonists face, though, as they are also homeless on the streets of an Ohio town. The plight of the unhoused is the soul of this film, with the characters of Constance and the terminally ill Sketch providing the heart. Austen and Murzda weave their social message into the plot without being too on the nose, balancing it well with a horror tale and solid friendship drama. Murzda and Jones display wonderful chemistry together as the two friends. The practical effects werewolf suit is a fun one, recalling the style used in An American Werewolf in London.
Mike: The Beast of Walton Street is pretty straightforward in its presentation - introducing us to a menacing creature, our main protagonist, and the setting for which the events will unfold. The low budget is hidden well when it comes to the werewolf, hiding it in shadows and with close-ups to show a very well crafted creature’s head and teeth.
There’s a good message about the ignoring of the homeless and how they’re swept under the rug by local governments not wanting them to be a blight, despite the hardships they deal with - in the case a most extreme obstacle in the form of a werewolf who is thinning their numbers.
The Bad
Joseph: Though Murzda is impressive in the role of Constance, the character sometimes borders on the unlikable, which in my opinion, protagonists should not be if the filmmakers want viewers to invest in them.
Mike: The first strike against The Beast of Walton Street is the dialogue which comes across as very over-written and quite unrealistic. What is supposed to be banter comes across like two people reading lines back and forth while never evoking any real type of camaraderie. The second, and bigger strike, is Murzda’s Constance who is both unlikable and guilty of the majority of the aforementioned bad dialogue. Perhaps in more capable hands the character wouldn’t be such a distraction.
The Verdict
Joseph: If you’re looking for a new Christmas-time creature feature this season, The Beast of Walton Street is well worth a watch. It punches well above its budgetary weight, delivering a thought-provoking addition to the cinematic lycanthropy subgenre.
Mike: A decent enough werewolf story with some impressive practical effects is hampered by some bad dialogue and a mostly unlikable main character. There’s a good message about the plight of the forgotten homeless population that sits front and center in The Beast of Walton Street, and that is something to be commended.
The Beast of Walton Street
Directed By: Dusty Austen
Written By: Dusty Austen, Athena Murzda
Starring: Aimee-Lynn Chadwick, LaVail Duncan, James L. Edwards
Run Time: 1h 29m
Rating: NR
Release Date: November 20, 2024
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