Warning: this Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf review may contain spoilers under the cut! Read at your own risk!
Let me preface this by saying I have only watched The Witcher Netflix show and not played the games or read the books, so I am decidedly not a Witcher expert by any means- I’m just someone who really enjoys the stories within The Continent.
Canon Typical Violence?
They open up this film right away with just bloody anime violence. I mean, the brutal murder of the father and sisters of this little boy by what looks to be a root of some sort. While it was cool to see young Vesemir take down the monster, I wasn’t exactly ready for that level of violence quite literally right out of the gate.
Where it really fit and WORKED though was in the Witcher trials the children faced. It drives home the fact that there are literal children who died in the process of becoming Witchers. How true the level of brutality and death is- I don’t know for sure. I loved the touch that Vesemir wears his friend’s medallion instead of his own though.
Of Monsters and Men
While I’m not super familiar with a Witcher’s Bestiary, the monsters are one of my favorite parts of the world of The Witcher. Nightmare of the Wolf was a little short on monsters, featuring a Leshen, a handful of wraiths, and a hybrid Kitsu, among others. I wanted to see more of Vesemir’s adventures as a young Witcher, maybe even struggling against monsters. But, Nightmare of the Wolf seems to be Vesemir in his prime, choosing instead to focus on the true monsters in the Witcher universe- men.
Hunters and the Hunted
Tetra, our main antagonist- really had me going for a little while. I’m not quite sure what I expected when she fought WITH Vesemir against the kitsune for the first time. But I know I didn’t foresee her using their fight against the Kitsune to her advantage.
The Kitsu agreed to help Tetra even though she fought against her as well as Vesemir; I suppose vengeance is worth it though when a child is involved. The mind games from the kitsu were expected in some capacity, but making Vesemir mistake Illyana for Tetra cut me deep. I just wanted them to be happy, but that’s always too much to ask it seems.
Not knowing Vesemir’s backstory (or even much of Geralt’s, for that matter) I had hoped a few other Witchers would survive the assault on Kaer Morhen. Alas, even the minor characters I had come to like didn’t make it out alive.
Final Thoughts
I wanted this to be an origin story for Vesemir, which half of it was. Seeing him in his prime might have more of an effect on well-versed Witcher fans who are more familiar with his character. I would have just liked to see a little more weakness from our protagonist. We had the emotional center of the story from his relationship with Illyana, but it didn’t feel strong enough to truly devastate me by the end of the story. You almost expect her to die, cheapening the death when it comes.
It was clever of them to hide kid Geralt by making him bald, and I’m glad we got to see him for a bit at the end. I also appreciated the moment of growth from Vesemir giving the kids a choice on whether they want to continue on the path as Witchers or not.
All in all, Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf was an entertaining watch filled with some familiar names and places. Well-versed Witcher fans may find more (or find more faults) with it than I- so for the casual watchers, I say give it a try if animated gore doesn’t bother you.
Did you enjoy this Nightmare of the Wolf review? For more reviews, click here. For a daily dose of pop culture and all things geeky, you can follow me on Instagram @glamgeekguru.
Where can I watch The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf?
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf is now streaming on Netflix.