REVIEW: 'The Witcher Nightmare Of The Wolf' Is A Visceral Triumph

With impeccable animation, outstanding voice work by lead actor Theo James, and a hauntingly remarkable musical score, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf is a load of fun that will please anime fans.

I made the decision to stop watching 2D animation years ago but Netflix is making a believer out of me again with the quality of their anime content. I'm glad to say this film lives up to expectations.

Helmed by Kwang Il Han, the film is based in the world seen in The Witcher series but focuses on the origin story of Geralt's mentor and fellow witcher Vesemir (Theo James).

As a boy, Vesemir was impoverished and longed for a life of fun, thrills, and coins. He gets a chance to become someone of repute when a rugged witcher comes to his village to rid a woman of demonic possession. He follows the stranger, partakes in the grueling and horrific training involved, and undergoes the transformation to become a witcher.

Many decades later, the protagonist strikes a deal with a town to hunt down the ravenous beasts laying waste to the area. His quest reunites him with a long-lost childhood friend and pits him against his most formidable foe yet.

In the epic battle to save himself, his childhood friend, and his brothers-in-arms, Vesemir must confront the demons of his past while fighting the ones in front of him to survive.

The character designs are beautiful, the dialogue is engaging, the action visceral and bloodily entertaining, and the hero himself is one heck of a sword-wielding fighter.

Films like these bank on their visual appeal and action to make an impression. In that regard, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf lives up to expectations. Also, the story itself is engrossing and the banter between the characters is never dull.

The musical score is so well-composed and executed that it adds to the viewer's suspension of disbelief, making everything seem so medieval and real.

Theo James' vocal performance is arresting and commanding. His performance helps flesh out a character who doesn't give a hoot about honour, morals, and stuff like that. Vesemir is all about the coin and doesn't pretend to be what he is not.

Despite his annoying personality and ability to keep on yammering without stopping, the hero is a good man at heart. His chance meeting with his childhood friend stirs up feelings of love and devotion in him and these prove instrumental in his subsequent fight against evil.

Well done to the director, Netflix, and everyone involved in making this film fun from start to finish. I hope more animes like these keep coming.

Rating: 7.5/10.