Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- sweeping
- earnest
- tense
- nature film night
- historical drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly admired the magnificent landscapes, wolf imagery, 3D action, and emotional score while finding the adaptation narratively familiar and dramatically underdeveloped.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Chen Zhen witnesses the advance of civilization collide with nomadic traditions and the wolves' ecosystem.
The wolves' hunting, territorial behavior, and survival are rendered as central visual and emotional material.
The plot places a Beijing student among Inner Mongolian herdsmen, foregrounding friction between Han newcomers and Mongolian residents.
The Inner Mongolian grasslands and expansive wolf sequences provide the film's defining spectacle.
Films like Wolf Totem, and why
Seven Years in Tibet
shared historical adventure, environmental themes, and sweeping natural landscapes
The Bear
shared animal-centered adventure, ecological conflict, and visually spectacular wilderness
Embrace of the Serpent
shared environmental allegory, cultural encounter, and contemplative adventure drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Jean-Jacques Annaud
- Release Date
- 2015-02-19
- Runtime
- 116 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (409)
Cast
- William Feng
- Shawn Dou
- Ankhnyam Ragchaa
- Yin Zhusheng
- Baasanjav Mijid
- Tumenbayaer
- Han Tongsheng
- Huang Xiaolei
- Qi Na Ri Tu
- Xia Xing
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- 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 Wolf Totem about?
- A Beijing student’s immersion in Inner Mongolia becomes a sweeping struggle between nomadic tradition, modernization, and the wolves that embody the steppe’s fragile balance.
- What is Wolf Totem like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Wolf Totem as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Wolf Totem violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Wolf Totem as moderate.
- What did critics think of Wolf Totem?
- Critics broadly admired the magnificent landscapes, wolf imagery, 3D action, and emotional score while finding the adaptation narratively familiar and dramatically underdeveloped.
- Which films are like Wolf Totem?
- Films with a similar feel include Seven Years in Tibet, The Bear, and Embrace of the Serpent.
- How long is Wolf Totem?
- Wolf Totem runs 116 minutes.
- Where can I watch Wolf Totem?
- In United States, Wolf Totem is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
