Overview
A haunting exploration of the mind's darkest corners unfolds on a desolate island.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Dense
- Violence
- Moderate
- brooding
- eerie
- surreal
- late night viewing
- arthouse horror night
What critics said
Critics broadly praise the stark black-and-white cinematography, performances, and gothic atmosphere while finding the psychologically opaque film difficult and less fully successful than Bergman’s major works.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Johan’s nightmares, memories, and encounters with the island’s aristocratic figures blur inner turmoil with apparent supernatural threat.
Alma discovers Johan’s diary and reconstructs his experiences through his written account, while the film keeps memory and reality uncertain.
Sven Nykvist’s black-and-white imagery makes the windy island, castle, and nocturnal figures starkly beautiful and ominous.
Johan and Alma’s secluded island residence cuts them off from ordinary social life while his crisis deepens.
Films like Hour of the Wolf, and why
Repulsion
psychological horror, marital intimacy, and stark black-and-white surrealism
Persona
nightmarish interiority, identity destabilization, and minimalist Scandinavian modernism
The Lighthouse
gothic fantasy, artistic crisis, and oppressive dreamlike atmosphere
Movie Details
- Director
- Ingmar Bergman
- Release Date
- 1968-02-19
- Runtime
- 88 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (576)
Cast
- Max von Sydow
- Liv Ullmann
- Gertrud Fridh
- Georg Rydeberg
- Erland Josephson
- Naima Wifstrand
- Ulf Johansson
- Gudrun Brost
- Bertil Anderberg
- Ingrid Thulin
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel, TCM
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Hour of the Wolf about?
- On a remote island, a tormented artist’s nightmares and repressed memories invade the fragile refuge he shares with his wife.
- What is Hour of the Wolf like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hour of the Wolf as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as dense.
- Is Hour of the Wolf violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Hour of the Wolf as moderate.
- What did critics think of Hour of the Wolf?
- Critics broadly praise the stark black-and-white cinematography, performances, and gothic atmosphere while finding the psychologically opaque film difficult and less fully successful than Bergman’s major works.
- Which films are like Hour of the Wolf?
- Films with a similar feel include Repulsion, Persona, and The Lighthouse.
- How long is Hour of the Wolf?
- Hour of the Wolf runs 88 minutes.
- Where can I watch Hour of the Wolf?
- In United States, Hour of the Wolf streams on Criterion Channel, TCM.
