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Hour of the Wolf
Hour of the Wolf
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Hour of the Wolf

Hour of the Wolf

1968
Drama, Horror
1h 30m
An artist in crisis is haunted by nightmares from the past in Ingmar Bergman's only horror film, which takes place on a windy island... (imdb)

Directed by:

Ingmar Bergman

Screenwriter:

Ingmar Bergman

Starring:

Max von Sydow, Erland Josephson, Liv Ullmann, Ingrid Thulin, Gertrud Fridh, Georg Rydeberg, Naima Wifstrand, Gudrun Brost, Bertil Anderberg, Ulf Johansson

Genres:

Drama, Horror

AKA:

Vargtimmen

Country:

Sweden

Languages:

Swedish, German
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Hour of the Wolf

1968
Drama, Horror
1h 30m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 66.72% from 1411 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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beedubBeeDub
Rated 17 Nov 2020
82
50th
Not nearly as effective as most of Bergman's other works - either as a drama or a horror - but the acting and visuals are characteristically strong. Had the narrative and themes been more focused, I probably wouldn't have forgotten as much of the movie as I have in the month since I saw it.
Rated 17 Nov 2020
alex_watkinsAlex Watkins
Rated 08 Jun 2009
3
38th
This is more than a bit of a mess...but it's a fun mess. It fails on a couple of different levels - it's too abstract for its own good at times, it gets muddled plotwise, some of the elements are a bit sillier than they should have been - but the overall eerieness, the excellent photography, and the joy of watching von Sydow/Ullmann/Josephson acting is enough to overcome these flaws and make this, if not a favorite of mine, quite an enjoyable and interesting experiment.
Rated 08 Jun 2009
tjekhovTjekhov
Rated 14 Jan 2011
80
86th
David Lynch favourite Bergman film! The story isn't as firmly composed as some of his other work, but the depiction of a mental state like paranoia, jealousy or lust, doesn't have to be as tightly structured - and in this film the fluid narrative combined with the striking visual style, makes the film impeccable.
Rated 14 Jan 2011
mentaculusMentaculus
Rated 13 Mar 2009
82
77th
The most frightening thing in the world is for your spouse to desire someone else. While the film is not entirely effective in places, some images are uniquely disturbing. I believe this has Bergman's most interesting use of narrative construction - and most closely represents the dream state he kept attempting to acquire.
Rated 13 Mar 2009
jebJeb
Rated 27 Oct 2008
90
79th
You never would have thought that Bergman could actually make a horror film. Well, he did. Not among his golden age classics, but still worth a watch. Dazzling cinematography, and the cast all turn in terrific performances.
Rated 27 Oct 2008
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 03 Dec 2007
68
70th
I wouldn't necessarily call this a horror film as it adheres to none of that genre's conventions, but it truly may be Bergman's scariest movie, no small feat. Its cinematography is absolutely dazzling, and the film drips with symbolism. I like to be able to enjoy art movies at face value without the symbolism intruding, and at some points I did feel that the flow of the drama was interrupted by the film's vast metaphoric undercurrent.
Rated 03 Dec 2007
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 14 Aug 2007
87
89th
Bergman shows quite an aptitude for horror, with some of the most startling images of his career and a creepy surrealism. Generally compelling and Nykvist's work is amazing as always.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
bofbof
Rated 07 Aug 2019
86
94th
Bergman has been teasing us for 20 years with glimpses of the sort of horror director he might have made if he'd wanted to, and here he finally delivers. HotW isn't his strongest or clearest plot, but the visuals and the overall sense of surreal dread is like Lynch squared.
Rated 07 Aug 2019
suture_selfSuture Self
Rated 04 Dec 2011
9
90th
I'm not sure why Hour of the Wolf is ousted as "Bergman's horror movie" because while a great work in its own right, it shares much in common with surreal elements seen in Persona, Wild Strawberries and The Seventh Seal. The narrative is fractured, the photography is ambitious and Sydow, Ullmann and Josephson are all great, as usual. I particularly liked two of Sydow's monologues: one about the compulsion of artists and another about the humiliating nature of childhood.
Rated 04 Dec 2011
jpfergusonJPFerguson
Rated 15 Oct 2022
50
30th
So, Johan fears the dark and cannot sleep at night because he was locked in a cupboard by his parents as a child. Seriously, Bergman, is that the best you can come up with?! If the film was entirely set in the castle (the best scenes, including the puppet scene) and focused on its inhabitants suffocating Johan with their sexual fantasies while he purses/avoids Veronica Vogler, then you’d have a much better film. As it stands, this is just more of Bergman as pop psychologist and Buñuel wannabe.
Rated 15 Oct 2022
deaddillydeaddilly
Rated 23 Jun 2020
70
47th
A vision of death's doorstep for the tortured artist: In isolation facing the ghosts of lovers past, the emptiness of the loveless future, and the demons of suppressed guilt / exhausted creativity. A final succumbing. I think Bergman here is a bit too absolute with his symbolism - having each of these fears manifested into characters. I prefer something more provocative / mysterious like Persona.
Rated 23 Jun 2020
obdurateObdurate
Rated 04 Jun 2016
90
91st
Definitely belongs to another time, or at least in a different category of horror movie than audiences are used to these days: meaning that it's more creepy than outright scary. But I dig that because I want to have something gnaw away at me rather than throw meaningless jump scares my way. This is effective but it's interesting, has great performances, looks wonderful and showcases Bergman's talent in a completely different genre than we're accustomed to seeing him in.
Rated 04 Jun 2016
judo_koalaJudo Koala
Rated 09 Sep 2015
74
45th
Man, do I ever wish Bergman had completed more horror films! Bergman & Nyqvist's emphasis on shadows and light create the perfect aesthetic for the film's gothic-supernatural ghost story, and some of their most memorable imagery stems from some deliciously unsettling & surreal moments towards the film's final act. While narratively disoriented, its unhinged direction nonetheless represents a wonderful change of pace from the typically introspective Bergman.
Rated 09 Sep 2015
lisa_iilisa-
Rated 13 Feb 2014
6
83rd
yeah, definitely seems to be about an artist in psychological crisis. a lot of effective scenes, though it's not entirely cohesive, a bit messy plot-wise. though you could say that that is analogous to the artist's shattered psyche. lol. anyway, bergman's foray into proper horror (though it's still reasonably divergent from genre clichés) is mostly excellent.
Rated 13 Feb 2014
sirrobbieSirRobbie
Rated 19 May 2013
70
53rd
Atmospheric and full of haunting imagery piece by Bergman. Even with Nykvist's camerawork, the cast's suberb acting (Josephson needs no more than 3 min on screen to shine), it still however feels unsatisfactory. What's missing is the structure of a proper horror film. Bergman's standard slow pace doesn't feel right here. Still, it is a good watch.
Rated 19 May 2013
dougiedDougieD
Rated 28 Apr 2013
70
35th
Bergman's horror film is an experimental oddity that features haunting imagery and predictably great acting from Liv Ullman and Max von Sydow. The story of an artist and his wife being driven mad by walking nightmares is intriguing but I didn't find it very gripping. What I found memorable was not the plot, but rather Sven Nykvist's stunning black & white cinematography.
Rated 28 Apr 2013
ayizanAyizan
Rated 05 Mar 2013
88
55th
As usual, and there are scenes of great poetic beauty. Not as engaging as some of his greater films, but recommended for any horror connoisseur or Bergman fan. The film gets most points for it's incredibly nightmarish expressionistic shots, and set pieces within the film. There are sequences which could stand individually as silent shorts. Cinematography is amazing. Great to see his take on a more overt expression of horror.
Rated 05 Mar 2013
kasperlKasperL
Rated 22 Sep 2012
80
86th
Liv Ullmann and Max von Sydow mesmerize, as do Bergman and Nykvist with their technique. The dinner scene at the castle is brilliant.
Rated 22 Sep 2012
yesistastyyesistasty
Rated 12 Sep 2012
96
92nd
First it's seductively unsettling, then it's downright terrifying, and finally it's overwhelmingly tragic. The idea of unconditionally loving someone too haunted by themselves to reciprocate, even to the point of experiencing their insanity as if first-hand, is an oppressive prospect. I'd say Bergman's film captures that feeling pretty accurately, if a little melodramatically.
Rated 12 Sep 2012
svengaliSvengali
Rated 25 Aug 2012
81
88th
Bergman doing some sort of Kafkaesque surrealist horror which is sometimes pretty awesome but sometimes you got the feeling that all of it didn't feel that organic, it's definitely one of his boldest films but stuff he does not always seem as organic as they do in Persona for example where it works perfectly. I'm not even sure it's his most scary film. He practices some of his phobias, especially his ornithophobia but also to some extent his claustrophobia.
Rated 25 Aug 2012
paxtonPaxton
Rated 04 May 2012
87
85th
The scariest part is that they don't speak English! Oh, the humanity!!!
Rated 04 May 2012
venicevenice
Rated 09 Feb 2011
89
90th
Well, eventually you get a few nightmares after watching. A brilliant film, nevertheless.
Rated 09 Feb 2011
valenzettiValenzetti
Rated 31 Oct 2010
88
81st
Another beautiful, unsettling entry in Bergman's most experimental stretch, and sharing Persona's source material. Together again with the great Sven Nykvist, he turns a host of unearthly sequences, but they sometimes only feel like that: sequences. The premises just aren't quite up to the task of supporting all of them at once. It's still fascinating, even if I did go in expecting werewolves and got Fellini's "Vampyr".
Rated 31 Oct 2010
cinemaasiaCinema_Asia
Rated 16 Feb 2010
80
84th
A bit murky thematically. It seems like Bergman wants us to consider the fact that this is a film and that what we are seeing is a representation of a horror film rather than an actual genre piece. There are some great visuals here though and several bizarre moments that frame the madness of the protagonist. I feel the film relies a bit too much on grotesque human behavior to cause revulsion more than actual horror or fear though.
Rated 16 Feb 2010
luna6ixLuna6ix
Rated 06 Jun 2009
74
48th
I've never been able to understand what avant garde filmophiles call surreal--when I grew up it was called weird--and isn't always a good thing, but regardless of Bergman's flaws he still knows how to work a camera--and it's got tits. Ok, enough of that, this film is watchable, but suffers from having no point except Bergman's interperatation of what passes as horror, and while it is strange, it's certainly neither scary nor insightful.
Rated 06 Jun 2009
nathan_sNathan S
Rated 05 Jun 2009
5
93rd
This is one of Bergman's most fascinating works, and it really grabs me by the throat in the second half of its fractured narrative (divided by one of the best late title cards ever), when it dives utterly into surrealism and an uncanny gothic horror. Do the strange occurrences in this film happen at all, or are they the fever dream of an ill anxiety? It is sinister, evil, and the director's famous close-ups are more grotesque here than they ever were.
Rated 05 Jun 2009
kahKAH
Rated 30 Apr 2009
3
74th
Not one of Bergmans best, by far, but the many chilling scenes and horror-like imagery makes this one worth a watch. When it comes to exploration of sexual anxiety and other inner demons, I would definitely recommend other Bergman movies before this one.
Rated 30 Apr 2009
farzanFarzan
Rated 26 Jan 2008
92
92nd
A very surrealistic look at a couple living in isolation. The terrific performances from the entire cast, as well as the mindblowing cinematography were extremely well executed.
Rated 26 Jan 2008
cclzaCCLZA
Rated 05 Feb 2007
70
52nd
Very interesting Bergman experiment in the horror field. The surrealist aspect of the film is haunting and many of the images are extremely eery.
Rated 05 Feb 2007
rapmastergrapmasterg
Rated 26 Apr 2023
80
81st
Great atmosphere.
Rated 26 Apr 2023
bownBown
Rated 31 Oct 2022
82
61st
Not one of Bergman’s most successful works, but still pretty fantastic with all of his collaborators in their usual top form and some seriously effective creepiness. Easily one of most Bergman’s most personal films and one that feels essential to understanding him as an artist - I can’t believe it took me so long to watch it.
Rated 31 Oct 2022
shockularSHOCKULAR
Rated 08 Oct 2022
58
18th
I was finding this fairly compelling through the first two thirds, but the last act is just bizarre and I had no idea what the point was. The acting is good, especially from Ullman, and there are some effective shots--it's not a total waste or anything, and at times is an interesting mess, but the weirdness and seeming nonsensicalness drags it down quite a bit.
Rated 08 Oct 2022
maxmodemaxmode
Rated 29 Jun 2022
50
26th
And in the "hour of the wolf"... nothing interesting really happens...
Rated 29 Jun 2022
taurus1982taurus1982
Rated 01 May 2022
70
60th
Undeniably chilling. Von Sydow and Ullmann are magnificent actors. It feels like a disjointed dream or a jumbled nightmare, and that's certainly the point, but it's not necessarily a good thing. As an allegory about a tortured artist's inner demons, it's too clunky, silly, and self-important for me to take seriously.
Rated 01 May 2022
recepRecep
Rated 13 Jun 2021
100
98th
rewatched: 06.01.22
Rated 13 Jun 2021
honeybHoneyB
Rated 21 Oct 2020
75
58th
Mind as a mirror.
Rated 21 Oct 2020
doyler29doyler29
Rated 09 Aug 2020
90
87th
I'm very fond of the triplet of chamber dramas Bergman made in the late 60's. This is the one that has the strongest claim on being a horror film. yet it's not exactly a film that sets out to scare you so much as depict personal horrors. The boundaries between delusions and the supernatural is blurred, as are the boundaries between Von Sydow and Liv Ullman as his doting, but terrified wife. Some of the terrors manifesting seem to be hers.
Rated 09 Aug 2020
fra_paolofra paolo
Rated 24 Apr 2020
41
39th
Fascinating film-making, but I just wasn't interested in the film's concerns.
Rated 24 Apr 2020
nathanbatesNathanBates
Rated 20 Mar 2020
60
36th
This folk horror film has a lot of interesting parts but not enough to be completely effective. The story itself is a little haphazard, but the cast turns in good performances, and the cinematography allows a creepy feel to permeate throughout. It's even creepier when you learn about Bergman's own personal demons; many of those seem to make an appearance here. (Reminder to self: If Bergman invites you to a dinner party, politely decline.)
Rated 20 Mar 2020
bolivarbolivar
Rated 13 Jun 2019
75
75th
fascinating lynchian psychotic nightmares although somewhat lacking in actual plot.
Rated 13 Jun 2019
napolenbradynapolenbrady
Rated 15 Mar 2019
83
18th
83.00
Rated 15 Mar 2019
jbynjbyn
Rated 31 Oct 2018
65
31st
Hour of the wolf is both beautiful and haunting. It managed to be captivating even through the patient pacing.
Rated 31 Oct 2018
picklemanPickle_Man
Rated 05 Oct 2018
90
78th
Ullmann and von Sydow host Story Time with Mr. Bergman, Spooky Edition. It's got lots of the hallmarks I've come to associate with Bergman - the long expository flashbacks framed as stories, the ticking clocks, cold detachment, obsessive morbidity, even pieces of the merging identities theme from Persona. In the case of HoTW, it's just not executed quite as well, especially in the first half of the film.
Rated 05 Oct 2018
oskarhuoskarhu
Rated 24 Jun 2018
78
63rd
Needs a second watch but I feel that this supernatural trickery eats away Bergman's better qualities in this film.
Rated 24 Jun 2018
grapeGrape
Rated 30 Dec 2016
60
14th
Octubre? 2016 - Aquesta cosa surrealista que intenta simbolitzar pors m'ha avorrit una mica. Sembla que no tinc prou paciència amb el cinema antic (cal afegir que tenia son quan la vaig veure). Segurament està ben pensat, i en aquests monòlegs sempre sembla que hi pugui haver força cosa, però el fet és que no l'he gaudit gaire.
Rated 30 Dec 2016
cinegeekdecinegeek.de
Rated 31 Aug 2016
88
75th
(...)Nacht für Nacht bleibt er wach, erzählt von seinen Träumen (oder sind es Erinnerungen?). Die Realität, für ihn nur ein Drahtseilakt. Wo beginnt sie und wo hört sie auf? Schleichend werden seine Träume wahr...
Rated 31 Aug 2016
salomaordsalomaord
Rated 02 Jan 2015
50
0th
Ingmar Bergman #1
Rated 02 Jan 2015
lonewolf2003Lonewolf2003
Rated 03 Dec 2014
80
80th
(3rd watch, 1st: 85, 2nd: 78)
Rated 03 Dec 2014
triptolemosTriptolemos
Rated 29 Oct 2014
70
87th
Hour of the Wolf shows us the mental deterioration of painter Johan due to his insomnia. This movie had the typical Bergman shots which made it enjoyable to watch but unfortunately also lacked in plot.
Rated 29 Oct 2014
graveyardtangraveyardtan
Rated 23 Oct 2013
75
44th
Bergman cribs heavily from Fellini and Germaine Dulac resulting in his strangest rumination on identity yet. Too bleak to be considered an enjoyable experience, Hour of the Wolf nevertheless is technically astounding, with fine performances from Van Sydow and Ullmann.
Rated 23 Oct 2013
glm01glm01
Rated 02 Oct 2013
82
71st
82.000
Rated 02 Oct 2013
shewasSheWas
Rated 04 Sep 2013
87
92nd
I tried hard to tune in, and it actually worked, for a change. It made me nervous and edgy, I wanted to cry when it ended but couldn't. The photography was tantric. A great experience. p.s. I had in mind the whole time that Divine watched it on acid. Holly fuck.
Rated 04 Sep 2013
lady_moeLady Moe
Rated 25 Apr 2013
87
72nd
Like most Bergman films, this one really needs a re-watch to do it justice. What I saw on my first viewing, though, fascinated and confused me. The surreal cinematography is some of the best I've seen, and the horror that is present casts such a contrast with the rest of the rather normal (though slightly offsetting) parts of the movie.
Rated 25 Apr 2013
nepetaNepeta
Rated 05 Feb 2013
85
80th
A fascinating, beautiful and disturbing piece of Gothic horror that has many extraordinary moments that for me didn't always gel together very well. Even in a horror film Bergman's obsession with the human face is as affecting as always.
Rated 05 Feb 2013
taumpytearstaumpytears
Rated 06 Oct 2012
90
60th
Lots of good elements to this film, and it clearly inspired the beloved works of David Lynch, but it lacks something, a cohesiveness perhaps. Even Bergman himself admits that this movie is flawed. Still, very happy to have seen it. The surrealism is enjoyable, but with David Lynch, even at his most surreal, there are both a logic and a character study, albeit not always easily discernible, at play.
Rated 06 Oct 2012
judge_holdenJudge Holden
Rated 23 Sep 2012
5
69th
Somewhere between Vampyr and Persona, this film exists. Eerie and abstract, but nonetheless very direct in its analysis of the "tortured artistic soul" (lol). Nykvist's cinematography breathes a great deal of life into this. On its own, the text just isn't that evocative. The plot is dusty and threadbare and the characters, despite some phenomenal acting by Sydow and Ullmann, are rather flat. An admirable failure but not Bergman at his best.
Rated 23 Sep 2012
beautyblissBeautyBliss
Rated 05 Jun 2012
75
42nd
Interesting, and very strange. But too experimental for me. Lots of time was spent on incoherent things. Which is appealing in some way, but I wanted more.
Rated 05 Jun 2012
calabriaCalabria
Rated 26 May 2012
70
16th
Visually similar to Persona but just so...dull, flat and generally boring. I know it's Ingmar Bergman so I'm supposed to S his D but basically this is the prettiest blank slate you'll ever stare at for 90 minutes.
Rated 26 May 2012
theyshoot11theyshoot11
Rated 02 Dec 2011
62
24th
#755
Rated 02 Dec 2011
schizotoastschizotoast
Rated 12 Sep 2011
60
37th
Must rewatch ASAP.
Rated 12 Sep 2011
hulothulot
Rated 05 Apr 2011
80
82nd
watched: 2011, 2018
Rated 05 Apr 2011
rubanddugRubAndDug
Rated 01 Mar 2011
76
66th
Surreal Bergman with beautiful photography and an eerie atmosphere
Rated 01 Mar 2011
caimancaiman
Rated 16 Feb 2011
88
87th
I didn't know much about this going in and at first I was trying my hardest to follow the story. It wasn't until about thirty minutes in that I understood what the film was going for and realized I needed to just let go and let Bergman take me where he may. Much like Lynch's Eraserhead, Hour of the Wolf is an exercise in creepy atmosphere and strangeness that you just need to lose yourself in. The result is an oddly satisfying and unsettling experience. I can't wait to watch it again.
Rated 16 Feb 2011
anomalyAnomaly
Rated 14 Jan 2011
80
75th
Somewhat uncoordinated but effectively creepy. The acting carries it over the rough parts, and while very slow it remains engaging the entire time. I shouldn't even have to mention the cinematography and direction at this point, it's Bergman. The hellish dinner scene is memorable, but the climax is a bit flat. Unique.
Rated 14 Jan 2011
glmglm
Rated 25 Dec 2010
84
77th
84.375
Rated 25 Dec 2010
neonmanNeonman
Rated 06 Sep 2010
76
53rd
Inconsistent; sometimes it's brilliantly haunting (the "minute scene is excellent) and other times it's comical (the dreamy ending). Each scene is great, but overall it doesn't come together as a film.
Rated 06 Sep 2010
amerigoamerigo
Rated 31 Aug 2010
83
82nd
While emotionally impactful, the film is stifled by its structure, which explicates the themes and events either too heavy-handedly or too subtly. The end result of these oscillations is something of a mess that has moments where the viewer is enraptured in a sort of awe of Bergman's directorial decisions and moments of complete disinterest. However, the astounding cast and beautiful camera-work keeps the whole thing glued together.
Rated 31 Aug 2010
djrossdjross
Rated 27 Apr 2010
78
90th
Bergman: "HOUR OF THE WOLF is seen by some as a regression after PERSONA. PERSONA [...] gave me the courage to keep on searching along unknown paths. [...] HOUR OF THE WOLF [contains] a consciously formal and thematic disintegration. [...] HOUR OF THE WOLF is important since it is an attempt to encircle a hard-to-locate set of problems and get inside them. I dared take a few steps, but I didn't go the whole way. HOUR OF THE WOLF is not a regression but an unsteady step in the right direction."
Rated 27 Apr 2010
augustoAugusto
Rated 23 Apr 2010
90
59th
Magnific.
Rated 23 Apr 2010
theyshoot10theyshoot10
Rated 15 Jan 2010
64
28th
727
Rated 15 Jan 2010
dougreeseDougReese
Rated 09 Sep 2009
100
96th
A haunting experience, "Hour of the Wolf" gets most of its horror from the human condition rather than cheap scares, jumps, etc. Almost all scenes consist of terrifying images that make the viewer question just as much as the characters on whether or not they truly exist, or are all apart of this one man's insanity. Not only is it a chilling tale of hallucinations and the realism deep within them, it is also a devastating exploration into the pain of an artist's scattered mind.
Rated 09 Sep 2009
joojooJooJoo
Rated 05 Jun 2009
5
81st
What the hell Bergman.
Rated 05 Jun 2009
paulofilmopaulofilmo
Rated 06 Mar 2009
70
57th
I think what I assumed was not intended, and what was intended, I did not assume. Needs a re-watch.
Rated 06 Mar 2009
theyshoot08theyshoot08
Rated 19 Dec 2008
59
18th
826
Rated 19 Dec 2008
driscarpindriscarpin
Rated 01 Dec 2008
99
98th
Mês especial do centenário de Ingmar Bergman filme #26. Finalmente o mês está acabando, há 26 dias estou a ver/rever filmes do Bergman e NÃO AGUENTO MAIS. Rá! Coleção Versátil Ingmar Bergman Volume 7
Rated 01 Dec 2008
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 02 Aug 2008
84
77th
Mysterious and intriguing Bergman film with great cinematography.
Rated 02 Aug 2008
torontodogtorontodog
Rated 01 May 2008
75
77th
Bizarre, surreal horror film from Ingmar Bergman. Not among his greatest films, but certainly interesting enough for fans of his.
Rated 01 May 2008
theyshoot07theyshoot07
Rated 02 Mar 2008
64
42nd
# 724
Rated 02 Mar 2008

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