There can be barely anyone unfamiliar with the tale of Little Red Riding Hood. It’s one of those stories that even if we haven’t been directly exposed seep in to our consciousness almost by osmosis. Kelsey Taylor’s To Kill a Wolf is another reworking of the story, but eschews fantasy in favour of sombre realism and psychological drama. It’s quietly powerful and harrowing, but offers hope and compassion. Despite a few pacing issues, it’s a strong debut.

A social outcast known only as The Woodsman (Ivan Martin) lives alone in a cabin in the snowy wilds of Oregon. One day he finds traumatised runaway Dan (Maddison Brown), unconscious in the forest. He takes her back to the cabin and as she recuperates from hypothermia, the pair slowly bond as they gradually reveal their respective demons. The Woodsman agrees to take Dani to her destination, her grandmother’s house, but all is not as it seems.

In Taylor’s grounded, subdued take on the story it’s not the wolf to be feared. Humans have plenty big teeth on their own. A distinct parallel and affinity is drawn between The Woodsman’s missing leg – a lack directly linked to his past – and the snared wolf he rescues from a trap. It’s a clever spin on the expected beats of the story and Ivan Martin plays the role with stoicism and a pulsing internality. Maddison Brown is similarly impressive as a young girl who is also struggling to keep a lid on things, but is fighting a losing battle against her very current issues.

Taylor splits the film into chapters, further emphasising the film’s literary origins. These chapters also carve up the chronology, retracing events from the differing perspectives of the two protagonists and – to reference another tale – sprinkle some narrative breadcrumbs about what’s really going on. This approach is both a strength and weakness. It keeps the sense of mystery for longer than linear storytelling would. Yet once the characters of Dani’s aunt and uncle are introduced, it’s quickly becomes clear where the story is heading, and the previously measured pace suddenly begins to hurtle to a conclusion.

For the most part however, To Kill a Wolf is a rich and atmospheric drama that is all the more impressive for its relative restraint. It’s confident in its storytelling and in the ability of its actors to remain compelling even as the narrative keeps its revelations close to its chest for the first two acts. It’s a little unbalanced at times and once you’ve figured out just how the tropes of the fairy tale have been subverted its element of surprise is seriously blunted, but this is a hugely promising debut from Kelsey Taylor.

Screening as Part of Edinburgh International Film Festival 2024