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“The Wolf, the Fox and the Leopard” Film Details
- Runtime: 2 Hour(s) and 4 Minutes
- Seen Via: Film Festival – Tribeca Film Festival
- Released On: In Theaters
- Public Release Date: June 7, 2025 (Get Tickets)
- Director(s): David Verbeek
- Writer(s): David Verbeek
- Genre(s): Drama, Young Adult
- Rating: Not Rated
Summary
Set up as the adaptation of a scientist’s book, we are introduced to a girl who has no name but is given many. In each chapter, her identity is changed from “One” to “The Wolf” or “Alice,” and you see the young woman try to live and adapt to the unnatural environment and the requests humans have for her, breaking her spirit little by little each time. But, there comes a point when there is a need to ask, can you truly domesticate a wolf?
Cast and Characters
The Wolf, One or Alice (Jessica Reynolds)
- Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
- Character Summary: With unknown origins, besides the forest, what is eventually named “Alice” is considered a pure being—one who captures the interest of many who wish to mold her, while ignoring what she wants.
Wyona, The Fox (Marie Jung)
- Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
- Character Summary: Elias’ wife, Wyona struggles at times with her place in who she and Elias name “One.” With spending the most time with “One” comes a love/hate relationship that could unravel the family dynamic being built.
Elias, The Leopard (Nicholas Pinnock)
- Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
- Character Summary: Elias is Wyona’s husband, who is pushed to be the person who holds a stronger belief of how the world is doomed, and what “One” will mean to the world. But, like anyone who paints themselves as strong-willed, he has flaws that can undo everything.
Tanaka – The Scientist (Naomi Kawase)
- Check out other productions we’ve covered starring this actor: [Link to Actor’s Tag]
- Character Summary: Dr. Tanaka is the first human to touch and present “The Wolf” human kindness and it is their interaction that inspires Dr. Tanaka, in her later years, to write a book about how The Wolf became One, and later Alice.
Why Is “The Wolf, the Fox and the Leopard” Not Rated?
- Dialog:
- Cursing: Occasional
- Violence:
- Violence Against Animals: Yes
- Gore/ Blood: Moderate
- Notable Violence: Fight Scenes
- Sexual Content:
- Nudity: Moderate
- Sexual Situations: Implied
- Miscellaneous:
- Drinking: Yes
Collected Quote(s)
- Honesty means that everything you say is true. Not that everything that is true needs to be said. — Wyona
Links
- Check out our movies page for our latest movie reviews and recommendations.
- Official Site Link
Review and Commentary
Highlight(s)
Jessica Reynolds And The Journey David Verbeek Puts Her On [86/100]
Watching Reynolds’ physical transformation and how she reacts to her character being molded by people or society, it does more than present a compelling coming-of-age story. What she does is give you the arc of what people go through when they lose themselves to fit in or survive. As a naked feral creature, The Wolf survived, had a pack, and from what it appears, was loved and protected. Yes, her posture likely led Reynolds to need a chiropractor after the movie, but you got the sense that this was a woman comfortable with moving on all fours like a horror movie villain, and wanted for nothing.
But then there is One. What we loved about that chapter is that there was a longing for the comforts the wolves gave, and the forest, but this was absent, and as One was seeking comfort and connection, Verbeek doesn’t give us this childlike person with arrested development. Things might have been foreign to One, but it is never lost on her that she has survived on her own all this time, and even if humans are strange, there is a recognition that some things translate.
The way Reynolds carries this in her looks, how she smells things and people, not in a showy way but to make it so you never forget the core of her being is that of a wolf, reminds you of how humanity has adapted to survive for generations. However, as shown in the Alice chapter, sometimes that adaptation has been deadening the nerve, getting us stuck on the hamster wheel, and allowing society to domesticate us.
In many ways, seeing The Wolf transform into Alice prompts you to realize the journey that almost all animals go through to become the lovable pets we keep in our homes. At one point, they were wild, free, amongst their own, then integrated, with the push that it is a mutually beneficial relationship. That is until the shoe drops and there is a realization that leads to the need to remind the person who sees themselves as the master, boss, parent, or what have you, there is a spirit inside that can’t be tamed and as docile as that former wild animal may seem, it can snap right back into it and reassert its position if need be.
On The Fence
The Things Which Go Unanswered [77/100]
Being that the narrative of The Wolf/One/Alice is essentially taken from her, it is understandable that we can’t get the complete story. However, I can imagine that for some, not knowing what The Wolf/One/Alice’s story was before she was discovered could be bothersome. But, I should note, while the chapter system allows you to see notable parts in The Wolf/One/Alice’s life, more often than not, you’ll feel dropped in with little to no questions being answered.
Even for one of the final chapters, the Alice chapter, from trying to figure out how much time has passed to how much Alice set up her own life, and how much of her life is guided by someone else, it is hard to say. Thankfully, Reynold’s performance is strong enough to compensate for the lack of answers, but the questions will still linger nonetheless.
Supporting Characters May Not Feel Noteworthy Enough [75/100]
This is more of an issue with development than performance, but I will say from the Fox and Leopard character to the scientist who wrote a book about The Wolf/One/Alice’s life with them, you may feel that supporting roles don’t pop as much as you’d want or need. To put it another way, the roles don’t stand out to let individuals shine; they more so just serve Reynolds and The Wolf/One/Alice’s story.
Because of this, as much as you understand the influence, it lessens the impact for when things happen or when The Wolf/One/Alice finds herself at that point where she has to rediscover who she is and whether she wants to keep any parts of her from the life that was forced upon her.
Overall
Our Rating (79/100): Mixed (Divisive)
Jessica Reynolds delivers a captivating and transformative performance in a film that explores identity, survival, and what’s lost and gained when adapting to society’s demands. Under David Verbeek’s direction, the story of “The Wolf” evolving into “One” and eventually “Alice” becomes more than a coming-of-age tale—it’s a layered metaphor for how identity can be shaped, and sometimes buried, by external forces. Reynolds grounds this journey with physical intensity and subtle emotional beats, always reminding you of the feral spirit still within, even as the world around her domesticates her character.
However, the film may frustrate viewers who seek clear answers, as it leaves much of The Wolf/One/Alice’s backstory ambiguous as it transitions from chapter to chapter. Also, the supporting characters serve their purpose but don’t leave a lasting impression as they generally lack the depth or development necessary to stand out and exist beyond serving the protagonist’s arc. Yet despite these flaws, the emotional core—the push and pull between who you were, who you’ve become, and who you want to be—resonates long after it ends.
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