PG-14 | 1h 55m | Action, Thriller | 2019
Submarine war movies instill a palpable sense of tension, owing not only to the confined, claustrophobic setting they depict, but also to their exploration of the unknown.
The vast depths of the ocean have always been a realm shrouded in mystery and unease, with tales of mythical sea creatures haunting the collective imagination. From the confines of a submarine, filmmakers delve into this primal fear, leveraging the uncertainty of what lies beyond the vessel’s steel walls to amplify the suspense.
This exploration of the deep sea’s mysteries skillfully captures the essence of maritime uncertainty and the relentless tension it evokes.
Dicey Waters
Set in a not-so-distant future, “The Wolf’s Call” follows the journey of Chanteraide (François Civil), known as “Socks” by his fellow sailors, a skilled acoustic warfare analyst (AWA) serving aboard the Titan, a French submarine. The vessel is on a covert mission off the shores of Tartus, Syria, plunging Chanteraide and his crew into a high-stakes game of cat and mouse beneath the waves.
As the Titan, helmed by Capt. Grandchamp (Reda Kateb) and his Executive Officer D'Orsi (Omar Sy), executes its mission to retrieve a French Special Forces squad seeking to be picked up after its mission, the atmosphere aboard the submarine shifts. Chanteraide’s extraordinary hearing detects enigmatic sonar vibrations reverberating through the water—a phenomenon dubbed the titular “Wolf’s Call” for its eerie resemblance to the animal’s cry. Suspicion immediately falls on the possibility of an enemy submarine lurking nearby, disrupting the otherwise smooth operation.
Meanwhile, on land, the Special Forces soldiers find themselves besieged by Syrian ground forces, while desperately clinging to the hope of reaching the safety of the water and being rescued by the Titan.
For Chanteraide, the pressure mounts exponentially as he grapples with the weighty responsibility of discerning the true nature of the detected threat. With time ticking away, and the fate of both the stranded soldiers and the Titan’s crew hanging in the balance, Chanteraide’s ability to accurately identify the source of the sonar vibrations becomes paramount.
Chanteraide’s initial assumption of an enemy submarine is met with skepticism from his comrades. It soon becomes apparent that the mysterious anomaly is more likely attributed to a benign presence, perhaps a sperm whale. Chastised for his hasty misidentification, Chanteraide must reconcile his instincts with the reality of the situation, knowing that a single misstep could have dire consequences for all involved.
As the Titan’s mission unfolds, Chanteraide’s acute senses once again pick up the enigmatic underwater sounds, prompting him to reconsider his earlier guess. Convinced that the threat may indeed be a submarine lurking beneath the waves, Chanteraide is determined to delve deeper into the mystery after rescuing the stranded soldiers.
Real-World Implications
What ensues proves this film to be a well-executed international thriller with a timely plot; in this case, France could be drawn into a potential conflict with another nuclear power.Similar to “Hunter Killer,” the opening act is tense and riveting. It feels like you’re in the submarine with the sailors as they try to navigate the unknown. These scenes are so well done that very little character development is needed to feel connected to them. It also has a bit of ground combat thrown in for good measure as the Special Forces squad seeks its escape from land, although not on the same scale as the spec ops team featured in “Hunter Killer.”
The plotline is also eerily similar to some of the current real-world geopolitical conflicts that are unfolding, or are continuing to worsen by the day. It accurately conveys how subterfuge and miscommunication can spiral into unexpected hostilities between nations, and sometimes even allies.
Unfortunately, the love interest subplot between Chanteraide and a woman named Diane (Paula Beer) seems tacked on strictly for marketing purposes. There’s also a very steamy scene between their characters that goes beyond a PG-14 rating.
However, besides this minor complaint, “The Wolf’s Call” is an entertaining submarine thriller that illuminates the duties of the lesser-known AWA sailor. It’s also a film with a rising sense of tension that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats, with explosive action sequences that are sure to delight genre fans.
