Thanks for dropping by! This week for my featured Disc Dive review I’m revisiting a movie that I discovered during my tenure at Hollywood Video. I instantly became a fan and would watch it repeatedly. Well, it’s been about 10 years since I’ve last seen it. So now it’s time to pop in my blu-ray copy and find out if I still feel the same way about… Dog Soldiers (2002).
Title: Dog Soldiers
Director: Neil Marshall
Released: May 10, 2002 (Theatrical – Ireland and the United Kingdom)
Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes
Disc Format: Blu-ray
Dog Soldiers (2002) opens with a couple camping in the woods of the Scottish Highlands. As they settle in, the woman presents the man with a silver letter opener as a gift. Later that evening they hear a rustling outside their tent and notice the zipper being opened. Seconds later, the couple is mutilated by an unknown killer.
We then meet Cooper (Kevin McKidd), a soldier trying to earn a spot on a special forces unit. His chances take a hit when he refuses an order from Captain Ryan (Liam Cunningham) to kill a dog in cold blood.
Some time later, Cooper is back in the Scottish Highlands with his unit, led by Sergeant Wells (Sean Pertwee), participating in a war games exercise. While the squad determines strategy, one soldier mentions that two campers were recently torn to shreds in their tent. Apparently it’s become a trend. People wander into these woods and are never seen again.
That night, a dead cow drops into their camp. Unsettling on its own, but what really puts the squad on edge are the teeth marks. Something much bigger than the cow decided to make it its prey.
The next morning they stumble upon Captain Ryan’s camp. Signs of a struggle are everywhere, no bodies to be found, except for Ryan himself. Alive, barely, with claw marks across his chest and one thing on repeat. “You’ve got to get me out of here. There was only supposed to be one of them.”
War games are over, live rounds only from here on out. The squad eventually takes shelter in a farmhouse where a zoologist informs them exactly what is hunting them out there in the dark. Werewolves.
But why would they spare Captain Ryan?
And why did he say there was only supposed to be one of them?
Well, things get off to a bit of a rocky start with Dog Soldiers (2002). We’re in the present, then the past, and then the future, all within the first ten minutes. Though once we’re firmly in the timeline of “two weeks after the camping incident”, the film finds its footing and we’re off to the races.
One thing that stood out to me on this rewatch was the comedy. By no means is this a horror comedy, but the laughs that are here feel completely natural to the characters and the situation rather than shoehorned in for effect. It is smart, earned comedy, and it makes the film more enjoyable without ever undercutting the tension.
Neil Marshall and his team did remarkable work considering they were operating on a budget of roughly £2 million. The werewolves are a genuine highlight. The design, the way they move, the way Marshall keeps them just at the edge of the frame long enough to build dread before putting them fully on screen. It all holds together far better than you might expect.
Equally impressive is the use of location. Marshall wrings every bit of atmosphere out of the Scottish Highlands setting. And once the squad lands in that farmhouse, the film stops being a chase movie and becomes something closer to a pressure cooker.
The cast is a big reason why it works as well as it does. Sean Pertwee is excellent as Wells, and Kevin McKidd anchors the film in a way that keeps you invested even when the script asks you to just go along with things. The camaraderie between the soldiers feels earned, which matters more than you might expect in a werewolf movie.
Admittedly, I was hesitant to revisit this. I was worried that a rewatch would taint my previous feelings on it. Luckily, that was not the case at all.
If you’re a fan of werewolf horror, Dog Soldiers (2002) is one that simply needs to be seen.
Have you seen Dog Soldiers (2002)?
If so, leave a comment below or reach out on Bluesky and let me hear your thoughts on it!
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