Plot
Locked away from society in an apartment on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the Angulo brothers learn about the outside world through the films that they watch. Nicknamed, 'The Wolfpack,'... See full summary »
Storyline
Locked away from society in an apartment on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the Angulo brothers learn about the outside world through the films that they watch. Nicknamed, 'The Wolfpack,' the brothers spend their childhood reenacting their favorite films using elaborate homemade props and costumes. Their world is shaken up when one of the brothers escapes and everything changes.
Filming Locations: Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Technical Specs
Runtime:
User Review
Author:
Rating: 7/10
Greetings again from the darkness - from the Dallas International Film
Festival. In what is one of the oddest real life stories I have ever
seen, director Crystal Moselle takes her camera inside the Lower East
Side apartment of the Angulo family – 6 brothers, one sister, and their
parents. In their spare time, the kids re-enact movies within the
apartment using elaborate costumes, sets and props. And no, that's not
the odd part.
Despite being mostly teenagers, these siblings have only left their
apartment a few times in their life – a very few times … maybe once or
twice a year, and not at all one year. They have been home schooled by
their mother and are quite charming and articulate, despite the
quasi-prison environment. The kids are not abused in the physical
sense, but an argument can be made that mental anguish is in play here.
Their movie scenes are fun to watch, especially given their Tarantino
leanings with Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. Ms. Moselle manages to
capture a significant amount within the confines of the apartment. Her
interviews with the boys are enlightening, but it's the mother that
provides the most context. Her regrets and dashed dreams for her kids
cause her much pain, and it's quite clear that the dad has some type of
psychological vice grip on the family. The dad raises some eyebrows
when he states "My power is influencing people". As viewers, we don't
see this, but there is physical proof to his claim.
With no shortage of powerful moments, there are still two that jump off
the screen. The first occurs as the boys head out on their own to watch
their first movie in a real theatre, and then have such a fan boy
moment after watching The Fighter. The second involves the mom having a
conversation with her mother after not speaking for more than two
decades. It's an emotional moment.
We can't help but like the boys and pull for them to find some normalcy
outside the walls of the apartment. Their final film project needs no
additional commentary as the lead character watches various emotions
travel past his window … fitting since a NYC apartment window provided
this family its only glances at the real world for so many years.
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