Skinwalkers is a 2006 action horror film directed by James Isaac and written by James DeMonaco, Todd Harthan, and James Roday. Produced by Lions Gate Entertainment in association with Constantin Film Produktion and Stan Winston Productions, the film stars Jason Behr, Elias Koteas, and Rhona Mitra. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in France on May 22nd, 2006. It focuses on werewolves and the ancient prophecy surrounding them.
The film's tagline, "For them to live, we must die," sets a dark tone, hinting at the sacrifices and struggles within the werewolf community.
Theatrical release poster of Skinwalkers
Synopsis
In a small town populated by lycanthropes, Rachel (Rhona Mitra) and her son Timothy (Matthew Knight) prepare for the boy's 13th birthday. Two packs of werewolves know that the red moon is fast approaching, and the child's true power will soon come to fruition. One pack believes that the child will lead the race into the future, while the other decides to destroy him.
Two packs of werewolves, divided by principles, are signaled by the moon of the coming of an ancient prophecy. A young boy named Timothy approaches his 13th birthday, unaware this marks the time of his transformation. He has been raised by his grandmother Nana, his mother Rachel, his uncle Jonas, his cousin Katherine, and Katherine's boyfriend, Adam. Rachel and Timothy have been unaware that the rest of the family are "good" werewolves who have guarded Timothy and his secret since birth.
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They know that Timothy is a "half-blood" who is prophesied to end the curse. But they also know that Timothy's power will put him in danger, for there are other werewolves that revel and embrace their blood-lust and are bent on finding and killing the boy.
Varek (Jason Behr) discovers Timothy's location. Reaching Huguenot, Varek saw Nana and Timothy and proceeds with a gunfight between his pack against the "good" werewolves and various townspeople. Adam's father is killed in the gunfight and Nana sacrifices herself to let Timothy and the others escape. The next day, Timothy faints and is sent to a nearby hospital. Varek's gang infiltrate the hospital and attack Timothy. Grenier is killed by Adam while Katherine is being held hostage by Varek. After escaping to a safe place, Adam goes off on his own and finds Katherine and brings her back.
At sundown, Katherine was discovered to have been forced to feed on humans and kills Adam with his own gun. They manage to find their next safe place, with Rachel and Timothy hiding in a steel cage while Jonas sets out to ambush Varek, Zo and Sonya. Zo is killed after being trapped and being dropped down from a height. Sonya tries to attack Rachel and Timothy but is shot by Timothy. Rachel then proceeds to finish Sonya off. Varek then tries to kill Timothy but is stopped by Jonas. They get into a struggle and in a bid to win, Jonas feeds on Varek's arm and knocks Varek unconscious. Taken over by the blood frenzy, Jonas attempts to attack Timothy, but is shot to death by Rachel.
Varek wakes up and bites Timothy but the clock chimes midnight. He is then struck by Rachel and knocked to the ground. It is later revealed that Timothy is the cure via his blood and that they travel around, giving the cure to those who want it. They also fill bullets with Timothy's blood.
Making of Skinwalkers
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Cast
- Jason Behr as Varek
- Elias Koteas as Jonas
- Rhona Mitra as Rachel Talbot
- Natassia Malthe as Sonja
- Kim Coates as Zo
- Sarah Carter as Katherine
- Matthew Knight as Timothy Talbot
Production
Production on Skinwalkers began on September 19th, 2005. The film was shot at Century Manor in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and in Creemore Ontario.
Release and Reception
Skinwalkers premiered at the Canne Film Festival in France on May 22nd, 2006. It was screened at the European Film Market in Germany on February 12th, 2007. Skinwalkers closed out of theaters on August 26th, 2007 after being in release for a total of twenty-one days.
| Opening Weekend Gross (US) | Total Domestic Gross |
|---|---|
| $553,520 | Slightly more than $1 million |
The film was not widely released, appearing at its peak on 745 screens during the course of its 21⁄2 week run. Skinwalkers had no advance screenings for critics, though Lionsgate did provide DVD screeners to those who asked. In Canada and worldwide, the film was released in its uncut form in the theaters and on DVD.
An action scene from Skinwalkers
Many critics found the movie lacking in scares and coherence. Some described it as a shallow action movie, while others criticized the special effects and acting. Despite a strong cast and some interesting ideas within the script, the film failed to deliver real tension and suspense.
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One of Skinwalkers’ most significant stumbling blocks is inadvertently pointed up by the poster tagline, “For them to live, we must die.” Despite that ominous promise, there’s rarely a sense that anyone outside the main characters’ circles are in danger; only a brief massacre at a redneck bar (another too-familiar setting) suggests the menace that Varek and his followers pose to the world at large.