Watch Big Bad Wolves

In the 2013 film Big Bad Wolves, Israeli directors Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado create a gritty and tense thriller with a disturbing premise. This revenge-driven crime drama follows the story of three men - a grieving father, a rogue cop, and a suspected pedophile - as they navigate a brutal and morally ambiguous world. At the center of the film is the hunt for a sadistic killer who has been abducting little girls and leaving their dismembered bodies scattered throughout the woods. When the police catch a suspect, Dror, a mild-mannered elementary school teacher, they bring him in for questioning. However, lead investigator Miki (Lior Ashkenazi) is convinced that Dror has information he's not sharing, and decides to take the case into his own hands.

Miki teams up with Gidi (Tzahi Grad), the vengeful father of one of the killer's victims, to torture Dror and get him to confess. Meanwhile, a corrupt detective named Micki (Rotem Keinan) has also been tracking the killer and becomes involved in the investigation. As they delve deeper into the case, each character is forced to confront their own morality and question how far they are willing to go to seek justice.

Throughout the film, Keshales and Papushado balance dark humor with graphic violence, creating a tension that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. The film raises important questions about vigilantism, police brutality, and the ethics of torture, without ever losing sight of the humanity at the core of the story.

The characters in Big Bad Wolves are all flawed and complex, playing into the film's overarching theme of blurred lines between good and evil. Ashkenazi's Miki is a man consumed by grief and anger, willing to take illegal measures to achieve his goals. Grad's Gidi is similarly fueled by vengeance but haunted by the ways in which his actions have affected his family. Keinan's Micki is the most questionable of the bunch, at once sympathetic and despicable, with his own motives for catching the killer.

Despite the dark subject matter, Keshales and Papushado infuse Big Bad Wolves with moments of levity and absurdity. The film's humor comes from unexpected places, such as a scene in which Miki and Gidi dance around a living room to a children's song. Keshales and Papushado also use the symbolism of the Big Bad Wolf from the popular fairy tale as a motif throughout the film, further adding to the film's multi-layered complexity.

The cinematography in Big Bad Wolves is stunningly visceral, with tight close-ups and bold colors capturing the intensity of the characters' emotions. The use of darkness and light is particularly striking, as the filmmakers make use of both natural light and neon to convey mood and atmosphere. The soundtrack, which includes classical violin pieces and creepy lullabies, adds an additional layer of tension to the film.

In conclusion, Big Bad Wolves is a thought-provoking thriller that forces the audience to confront their own notions of justice and morality. With a talented cast, a beautiful visual aesthetic, and a story that is both disturbing and compelling, Keshales and Papushado have created a film that lingers in the mind long after the credits have rolled.

Big Bad Wolves is a 2014 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 50 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.8 and a MetaScore of 64.