“Out Come the Wolves” is IFC’s new horror-thriller film with Shudder. It follows three people in their early forties who spend a weekend hunting in the woods together. However, their journey takes a swift turn when they face seemingly unlikely dangers along the way. This is a survival thriller directed by Adam MacDonald that explores ‘survival’ in different contexts. The screenplay, written by Enuka Okuma, analyzes masculinity and its connection to innate desires, whether constructive or destructive. Despite its minimal plot, it highlights these elements in a flick filled with blood and violence. The film stars Missy Peregrym, Joris Jarsky, and Damon Runyan.
Spoilers Ahead
Out Come the Wolves (2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
“Out Come the Wolves” (2024) revolves around three people meeting at a cabin in the woods for a weekend plan to go hunting. They are forced to confront their fears, insecurities, and grievances during this time.
What happens in ‘Out Come the Wolves’?
“Out Come the Wolves” follows three people in their early forties – Sophie (Missy Peregrym), her childhood best friend Kyle (Joris Jarsky), and her fiancé Nolan (Damon Runyan). Kyle is coming to meet Sophie after years of distance. So, he is excited to see how she is and to share something personal with her. As kids, he and Sophie used to hunt together. She claims that she is out of practice. That’s why she wants Kyle to teach Nolan how to shoot. Unlike Kyle, Nolan appears to be a city person who never needed to kill an animal for a meal.
Kyle guides Nolan on the hunting techniques they will need during their weekend getaway. Kyle reveals that Sophie once gifted him the arrows he is using now. While practicing, Kyle tells Nolan that Sophie used to be a great shooter. Then, Kyle invites her to take a shot, but she misses it. He believes she purposefully missed to make him feel better as she used to do. Sophie denies that. Then, Kyle guides Nolan about gun use. Later that night, Sophie plays music and begins dancing by herself. Nolan stays busy with his work assignment and doesn’t join her. He is meant to write an article about his hunting experience.
The Night at the Cabin
Since Nolan stays busy with his work, Sophie spends time with Kyle and asks him about Nolan’s hunting skills. Although they speak quietly, Nolan can hear them slightly from a distance. Soon, while playing cards, Kyle tries to get hold of a card from Sophie’s hand. They almost forget that they are adults and behave like the best friends they once were. Then, while collecting the cards, Sophie realizes Nolan has walked away. She goes to speak with him and to see if he is upset. Sophie senses that he is annoyed and likely jealous of her and Kyle’s bond.
Nolan wonders why Kyle did not bring his girlfriend for the weekend, as he had mentioned before. He knows that Kyle and Sophie once had sex. So, he assumes Kyle is hoping to be in a relationship with her. She mentions that they had sex only once when they were young and immature. But it doesn’t put Nolan’s worries to rest. He gets annoyed and turns it into an argument. Kyle overhears it in bits and pieces. Later that night, he tells Sophie that he broke up with his girlfriend. Now, he wants to be with Sophie because, as kids, they made a pact to marry each other if they were not in a relationship by the time they hit 40. Sophie refuses Kyle’s advances and says she is happy with Nolan.
The Hunting Trip
Sophie breaks Kyle’s hope about their future together and makes up with Nolan. The next day, Kyle and Nolan head to the woods to hunt while Sophie stays in the cabin. Before they leave, Sophie offers Nolan something that she used to bring while hunting. Eventually, the two men reach the woods. Kyle guides Nolan on how to find a good spot for hunting. He speaks about it from a place of authority. Then, during a casual conversation, Kyle reveals that, as a kid, he was not close with his parents. Nolan assumes that is why Kyle is closer to Sophie’s parents and family.
Nolan realizes Kyle may have overheard his argument with Sophie. So, he apologizes for his behavior. Kyle doesn’t say he forgives Nolan. He abruptly leaves that conversation to find another spot. Along the way, Kyle notices a prey and prepares his arrow to shoot. Then, he tells Nolan to shoot the deer. But Nolan gets the jitters and backs off. So, Kyle takes the shot. Soon, the two go closer and realize that the deer is only wounded and alive. The next moment, they notice another deer nearby. Kyle tries to shoot it, but the deer runs away. Nolan asks him to return to the deer they hit before. But Kyle doesn’t want to return until they find the next prey.
Out Come the Wolves (2024) Movie Ending Explained:
Nolan forces Kyle to return to the wounded deer instead of looking for a new target. There, the two notice a wolf next to the deer devouring it. Kyle slowly begins to take out his gun to shoot the deer. Nolan mistakes it for Kyle’s apprehension. In that heated moment, he rushes to grab it. This leads to the wolf panicking, which attacks Nolan. As it tears Nolan apart, Kyle scares it away with a few gunshots. Once the wolf leaves, Nolan asks Kyle for help. For a moment, Kyle contemplates shooting Nolan. As Nolan pleads for his life, Kyle decides to leave instead of helping him.
Do Kyle, Nolan, and Sophie survive the attack by the wolves?
Kyle returns to the cabin and tells Sophie that he couldn’t save Nolan. Sophie drives to the woods to find Nolan. Although Nolan guides her, he doesn’t tell her the exact location where Nolan is attacked. Subsequently, Sophie and Kyle split ways to cover more area. Then, Sophie finds the wounded deer. She realizes Kyle has been lying to him. She confronts him. He clarifies his intentions; he wants to be with Sophie and claims Nolan doesn’t deserve her. Sophie slaps Kyle and goes looking for Nolan by herself. Earlier, she didn’t believe a wolf attacked Kyle and Nolan. Now, she faces a deadly wolf, and Kyle faces another.
A wolf tears Kyle’s body apart and kills him. On the other hand, Sophie manages to kill the wolf. Then, she faces one more wolf. She shoots it with an arrow but misses it. Moments later, the wolf attacks her. Luckily, she gets hold of her knife and stabs it. Then, after protecting herself from this deadly attack, she finds Nolan lying on the side. She carries him back to her bike. There, she finds Kyle’s dead body. After mourning for a moment or two, she drives back to the cabin with Nolan. At the end of “Out Come the Wolves,” Sophie and Nolan survive, but Kyle doesn’t. Beyond the plot, the film explores themes of masculinity, survival, and gender dynamics.
The Themes in ‘Out Come the Wolves’ (2024):
Throughout its duration, the film maintains its undertones of Darwinian evolution theory that claims the ‘survival of the fittest.’ Kyle and Nolan constantly feel a need to prove their manliness, strength, and dominance. So, Sophie appears almost like a trophy to them, just like any prey they manage to kill. They seek control in every situation as much as they seek control over her. The same insistent need puts them on the path of disaster. On the other hand, she presumably lies about her shooting skills so as not to affect Nolan’s ego. Still, after tending to his or Kyle’s emotional needs, she becomes their savior.
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