Never Cry Wolf

"They thought he couldn't do the job. That's why they chose him."

1983 1h 45m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 153

AdventureDramaAction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A scientific researcher, sent on a government study: The Lupus Project, must investigate the possible "menace" of wolves in the north. To do so, he must survive in the wilderness for six months on his own. In the course of these events, he learns about the true beneficial and positive nature of the wolf species.

“They thought he couldn't do the job. That's why they chose him.”

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Cast

Charles Martin Smith
Tyler
Zachary Ittimangnaq
Ootek
Samson Jorah
Mike
Hugh Webster
Drunk
Brian Dennehy
Rosie
Tom Dahlgren
Hunter #1
Walker Stuart
Hunter #2

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Carroll Ballard
Writers: Curtis Hanson, Sam Hamm, Richard Kletter
Languages: English, Inuktitut
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

43 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Inuktitut.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Carroll Ballard, shot by Hiro Narita. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Mark Isham. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Michael Chandler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Charles Martin Smith and Zachary Ittimangnaq and Samson Jorah carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "They thought he couldn't do the job. That's why they chose him.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Carroll Ballard directs. Hiro Narita behind the camera. Mark Isham scores. Michael Chandler cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Inuktitut.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

143 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Inuktitut.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Carroll Ballard, shot by Hiro Narita. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Mark Isham. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Michael Chandler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Charles Martin Smith and Zachary Ittimangnaq and Samson Jorah carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "They thought he couldn't do the job. That's why they chose him.".
9IMDB entry: tt0086005 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 16 themes, including "wolf", "narration", "inuit", "husky".

The technical file

Cinematography: Hiro Narita
Original score: Mark Isham
Editing: Michael Chandler
Runtime: 105 min · 1h 45m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $11,000,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Never Cry Wolf (1983)

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Carroll Ballard

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Community reviews

What people are saying

r96sk2020-09-16
★ 7/10
Almost loved it. The first 45 minutes of <em>'Never Cry Wolf'</em> are terrific, I enjoyed how they set everything up - I was very much intrigued. Unfortunately, for the next 15-30 mins events kinda plateaued, before eventually ending in underwhelming fashion. I would be rating this higher if it had been a 70-85 minute run time, that would've been perfect. I will say, from start-to-finish, the film is superb visually. Charles Martin Smith is very good as Tyler, he also does a grand job with the narration; the dialogue for which is excellent. This is a lot better than Disney's other wild animal style productions, this is probably what they were aiming for in the likes of <em>'The Legend of Lobo'</em> etc. It just ends, at least for me, in a disappointing manner. With that stated, it still rounds off to be classed as a film I liked - just with a hint of what could've been.

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