A fantastical title creates expectations of a fantastical film, and The True Adventures of Wolfboy periodically nods towards the fable it partially wants to be. Mostly however, the movie as helmed by Czech director Martin Krejcí, is told in a gritty, grounded style that shuts down those whimsical possibilities.
The Wolfboy of the title is Paul Harker (Jaeden Martell), a teenager who suffers from hypertrichosis, a real disease that results in excessive hair growing all over his body, including his face. Like most kids his age, Paul just wants to fit in, but his condition makes that virtually impossible. So when he gets a mysterious package from his long-lost mother on his thirteenth birthday with a map identifying her location in Pennsylvania and a note that claims "there is an explanation," he leaves home to find her. The adventure that follows is a classic coming-of-age story about self-acceptance. And while it has great elements, the narrative is ultimately a bit simplistic and less enchanting than it might have been had it leaned further into its storybook aspirations.
Before Paul hits the road, the film hammers home his self-loathing. He wears a knit mask in public, has painted the top half of the mirror in his bedroom so he can’t see his own face, and in case we missed it, at one point even tells his father Denny (Chris Messina), that he hates himself. As a result, Paul seems to believe he deserves the bullying he receives from his classmates, and therefore, has never stood up for himself. Instead, he runs away at the slightest provocation despite his father’s encouragement to ignore the stares and comments he elicits. So after a fraught birthday at a traveling carnival, his mother’s invitation to seek her out seems like salvation.
Yet Paul leaves without money or a plan. Consequently, when he crosses paths with carnival operator Mr. Silk (John Turturro), who promises him all the money he needs for his journey and more if he’ll appear in the carnival’s freak show, Paul takes him up on the offer. Although the sequence of Paul being ogled by carnival-goers is painful to watch, it’s also painfully on the nose. Still, Mr. Silk's predictable refusal to pay up when Paul asks for his money is also the first time Paul actually stands up for himself, and while this is certainly a pivotal moment in the story, it’s unfortunate Paul’s revenge against the carnival operator is so destructive.
Running from an understandably angry Mr. Silk, Paul meets Aristiana, a transgender girl (Sophie Giannamore), and Rose (Eve Hewson), a pink-haired, eye-patch-wearing misfit, who agree to help him get to Pennsylvania. To fund their trip, Rose commits a number of armed robberies with Paul’s help, an experience he finds strangely liberating. Along the way, the trio bond and Rose even insists on throwing Paul a birthday party, which is ultimately interrupted by the cops who’ve been tracking Paul since he left the carnival.
The story is broken up into chapters by elaborate title cards that look like something out of a children’s picture book and have labels such as "Wolfboy Deals with the Devil" and "Wolfboy Meets a Mermaid." These cards metaphorically articulate what’s going on in the next part of the movie while establishing playful alter-egos for many of the characters, including Mr. Silk as the Devil, Aristiana as a mermaid and Rose as the pirate queen. Yet, the movie is inconsistent in its approach to these alter-egos. Turturro overplays his role, chewing the scenery to the point that Mr. Silk becomes a caricature. In contrast, Martell (along with Messina and Chloë Sevigny) largely underplays his role, although given the amount of makeup he’s acting under, his ability to convey Paul’s emotions with just his eyes is impressive. It’s Giannamore that strikes the best balance, realistically conveying Aristiana’s inner conflict and desires while also bringing a charming magic to her character.
Meanwhile, although the movie follows a familiar trajectory as Paul learns to accept who he is through his friendships with Aristiana and Rose, its tendency to hold back certain information can be distracting. We know Paul is going to Pennsylvania and that he’s 13, but the movie never names the town Paul’s journey starts from nor are the ages of Aristiana and Rose disclosed despite the fact that Aristiana performs at a bar and both she and Rose appear far more worldly than Paul. Given the grounded way most of the story is presented, these omissions make it difficult to completely buy into certain plot points.
It’s nice to see Paul make friends, evolve and find inspiration in the way Aristiana and Rose have taken control of their own stories, but the movie never lands emotionally. Feeling different is something almost everyone can relate to, but The True Adventures of Wolfboy simply isn’t as rich or nuanced as some of its elements hint it could’ve been. In the end, it’s a pleasant diversion that doesn’t resonate.
Directed by Marin Krejcí and written by Olivia Dufault, The True Adventures of Wolfboy stars Jaeden Martell, Chris Messina, Eve Hewson, Michelle Wilson, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sophie Giannamore, Chloë Sevigny and John Turturro. It will be available on digital and on demand on Friday, Oct. 30.