Originally written on October 30th. Forgot it was in drafts.
I watched Wolf Girl because I was in the mood for a werewolf story, more than usual because October. Honestly, I wasnât expecting it to be as interesting as it was. Specially, the way it portrays characters who intentionally or not broke gender norms. Itâs not explicitly an LGBTI movie, but thereâs a bunch of androgyny and the bullies grapple with their sexuality.
First off, Tara isnât a typical werewolf. She has hypertrichosis and is part of a freak show, thus âWolf Girl.â An experimental injection used to treat hirsutism is what makes her go feral. Sheâs played by Victoria Sanchez, so she becomes outwardly conventionally attractive even as she devolves. (The poster doesnât lie. There is nudity.)Â Before that, a group of townies argue over her sex.
If youâre wondering why she doesnât just get laser hair removal, she was adopted by a morally gray showman.
(Thereâs the typical exploitative stuff youâd expect, and when Tara goes missing he forces the caravan to go on without her. Then thereâs a scene where he admonishes two townies for being disrespectful towards the freak âbaby show,â where infanticide victims are displayed. Harley Duneâs complicated.)
Taraâs love interest is townie Ryan. Whoâs the Y2K version of a soft boy. In the first scene he gets called a pussy for âtaking his bunny on a walk.â (The rabbitâs actually a lab animal that belongs to his scientist mom.) Ryan also freely admits he was labeled a crybaby in grade school and went to therapy as a result. He calls Tara pretty while talking to a lab rat, when sheâs right there. Very demure.Â
Ryanâs bully Beau likes to admire himself in the mirror. Except for his micropenis, which heâs deeply ashamed of. To the point where he decides to kill Tara when he catches her peeping on him. Thereâs also a scene where he threatens Ryan because heâs terrified of anyone letting others know he was afraid. Itâs not like in either case his victims would be believed. Beauâs just that insecure in his masculinity.Â
Another bully, Krystal, is sapphic. She tries innocently kissing âshavedâ Tara, who she doesnât recognize. By that point the latter is feral so it doesnât end well for the former. TV Tropes agrees with me that itâs ambiguous as to whether sheâs attracted to Darlene Catesâs character.Â
The sign outside Athenaâs exhibit features her reclining in a one piece. Krystal wanders in by herself where Athenaâs dolled up burlesque-ily. Athena sucks the cotton candy Krystal wordlessly handed over off her own fingers. Krystal, still wordless, wanders out. Where she forces herself to upchuck. Itâs not a natural reaction. I prefer to think Krystalâs attracted to her, but who knows?    Â
Grace Jonesâs character is the most explicitly androgynous. Itâs unclear whether Christoph and Christine are personas or what. He/she has a kind of Two Face thing going on. The female side has long hair, mascara, and a dress; the male short hair, a mustache, and a suit. Christoph/Christine jokes about how weeing on the wrong side of Harley gets the showman flustered. The âTwo Sides to Every Storyâ performance also features two crossdressing background dancers who strip on stage.Â
Anyway, Wolf Girl is an underrated movie with good actors playing interesting characters and itâs on Tubi rn. On second watch I think itâs gonna be a fave.
