Time of the Wolf
After ecological collapse, a mother and her children confront the frightening erosion of solidarity among desperate survivors.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- austere
- foreboding
- oppressive
- serious arthouse viewing
- bleak dystopian double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly found Haneke's austere post-apocalyptic drama tense and disturbing, while divided over its emotional resonance and thematic substance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The environmental collapse and contaminated water are established without a clear account of what caused the disaster.
Anne and the other survivors are observed amid fear, scarcity, refusal, and exploitation without conventional emotional reassurance.
Burned animals, contaminated resources, abandoned homes, and hostile survivors make social breakdown inseparable from ecological ruin.
The survivors wait at a train station for a possible better place, but neither the destination nor salvation is confirmed.
Films like Time of the Wolf, and why
The Road
shared post-apocalyptic social breakdown, austere atmosphere, and moral pessimism
Children of Men
shared bleak dystopian setting, institutional collapse, and psychologically unsettling realism
The Turin Horse
shared slow-burn catastrophe, alienation, and severe human behavior under crisis
The Seventh Continent
shared European art-house approach to collective fear, social disintegration, and ambiguity
Movie Details
- Director
- Michael Haneke
- Release Date
- 2003-08-28
- Runtime
- 113 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (224)
Cast
- Isabelle Huppert
- Patrice Chéreau
- Brigitte Roüan
- Daniel Duval
- Béatrice Dalle
- Anaïs Demoustier
- Olivier Gourmet
- Maurice Bénichou
- Luminița Gheorghiu
- Rona Hartner
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Strand Releasing Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Time of the Wolf about?
- After ecological collapse, a mother and her children confront the frightening erosion of solidarity among desperate survivors.
- What is Time of the Wolf like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Time of the Wolf as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Time of the Wolf violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Time of the Wolf as moderate.
- What did critics think of Time of the Wolf?
- Critics broadly found Haneke's austere post-apocalyptic drama tense and disturbing, while divided over its emotional resonance and thematic substance.
- Which films are like Time of the Wolf?
- Films with a similar feel include The Road, Children of Men, The Turin Horse, and The Seventh Continent.
- How long is Time of the Wolf?
- Time of the Wolf runs 113 minutes.
- Where can I watch Time of the Wolf?
- In United States, Time of the Wolf streams on Strand Releasing Amazon Channel.
