We were very fortunate to have gotten a chance to see The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf in order to post our reviews, and in true fashion, you can read our review without worrying about spoilers, so without further ado, let's dig in:
Right away from the beginning of the film, we can tell we’re in the world of The Witcher. It’s a dangerous, dark and magic-filled place we’ve seen before, and yet at the same time, it’s unique. We see that Vesemir is an entirely different type of Witcher. He’s brash, talkative, and suave, and we can’t help but be pulled into his story. The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf takes us on a journey and has us follow Vesemir through the years, from a young boy to the story of the movie.
Vesemir serves as a guide to both welcome new fans as well as returning fans, bringing us deeper into the world with both wit and engaging storytelling. As the film plays out, time will fly by, and by the end, you’ll be wishing this was actually a series and you could press “play next episode”. Nonetheless, this film has a great story, a stellar cast of characters, and hauntingly beautiful music.
The choice to make an animated film rather than live action was interesting, considering that thus far, it’s the only spin-off/ Witcher property that’s being animated, but the medium works so well. It’s fluid, the movement flows non-stop - even in the quieter moments - and there are scenes where live action just wouldn’t have worked as well as live action with CGI. Studio Mir has a track record of making amazing animations, and they don’t disappoint. And don’t think that, just because it’s an animation, that the action will be more subdued. It’s bloody and raw and real, you’ll have no shortage of scenes to see the harsh world that the movie takes place in.
Something else that will pull you in is the music. Right from the get go you’ll be greeted with a disarming melody, and the incredible music continues throughout. There might be no ear-worm like Toss A Coin, but the music definitely hits in the right moments.
Of course, the movie is also a fascinating story, with some mystery and a lot of action. You’ll definitely get a sense for every character, and every one of them serves a purpose to further drive the story. As this is the spoiler-free review, we can’t share much, but suffice it to say that this film will pack a punch and leave you wanting more of the story, while also giving you a finite story that really helps to build the world before Geralt, and why the world in the show is as it is.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable film, and I would recommend everyone to watch it and be enthralled by the amazing story as well as the incredible animation and music.
