Hour of the Wolf (1968)
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)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Ingmar Bergman
Written By: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Erland Josephson, Ingrid Thulin, Georg Rydeberg, Naima Wifstrand, Gudrun Brost, Gertrud Fridh, Ulf Johansson, Bertil Anderberg
AKA: Vargtimmen
Country: Sweden
Where to Stream
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Hour of the Wolf belongs to 59 collections
1. 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (collaborative: moderated by kozan26 - 233 stars)
2. Features under 91 minutes (collaborative: moderated by epiphany - 56 stars)
3. boobs (collaborative: moderated by Pickpocket - 51 stars)
4. Certified weird (collaborative: moderated by Dreamer - 46 stars)
5. Psychotronic Film and Video Guides (collaborative: moderated by Gregzilla - 40 stars)
6. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2008 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Scottathon - 39 stars)
7. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2010 revision) (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 32 stars)
8. Netflix Instant (collaborative: moderated by somnivore - 29 stars)
9. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2014 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Jehan - 27 stars)
10. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2012 revision) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 25 stars)
11. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2017 revision) (collaborative: moderated by iconogassed - 22 stars)
12. Best of criticker: Drama (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 18 stars)
13. Fourth wall (collaborative: moderated by djross - 16 stars)
14. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2013 revision) (collaborative: moderated by rant1229 - 16 stars)
15. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2011 revision) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 14 stars)
16. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2020 revision) (public: djross - 14 stars)
17. Fantastic and surreal (public: juandr - 9 stars)
18. Artist (collaborative: moderated by djross - 8 stars)
19. Sight & Sound 2012 Directors' Top 100 Greatest Films of All Time (public: Whyte Nite - 7 stars)
20. Scandinavian (public: cankutozturk - 7 stars)
21. Black and White Photography (collaborative: moderated by JooJoo - 6 stars)
22. Best of criticker: Horror (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 6 stars)
23. Arthouse Horror (collaborative: moderated by BeeDub - 6 stars)
24. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2007 revision) (collaborative: moderated by Scottathon - 4 stars)
25. Capsules, guest reviews, list candidates... (366weirdmovies) (collaborative: moderated by sesito71 - 4 stars)
26. Dark films (public: Hadleyreis - 4 stars)
27. Criterion Collection (Blu-ray and 4K) (public: PepeCamello - 3 stars)
28. Djross film as art (public: djross - 3 stars)
29. Sven Nykvist, Cinematographer (collaborative: moderated by CCLZA - 2 stars)
30. Swedish Cinema (collaborative: moderated by Svengali - 2 stars)
31. High contrast black and white cinematography (collaborative: moderated by juandr - 2 stars)
32. Foreign Language Films subtitled on Youtube (collaborative: moderated by Dunstan-xxx - 2 stars)
33. Robert Eggers Favorite Horror Movies (collaborative: moderated by offlineoz - 2 stars)
34. Djross horror movie of the year (public: djross - 2 stars)
35. Netflix Watch Instantly (public: dgeiser13 - 2 stars)
36. mwgerb's Netflix Instant Queue (public: mwgerb - 2 stars)
37. Eurohorror (collaborative: moderated by Shmendrek - 1 star)
38. Sight and Sound 2002 (Single Vote) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 1 star)
39. The Overlook Film Encyclopedia: Horror 1960s (collaborative: moderated by RoyalB - 1 star)
40. Tom & Bitches' Infinite Watchlist (collaborative - 1 star)
41. Djross best horror movies (public: djross - 1 star)
42. Cinetheque (public: allegreller - 1 star)
43. Versátil Home Video (collaborative: moderated by allegreller)
44. Foreign films on Divicast (collaborative: moderated by Dunstan-xxx)
45. The Leonard Maltin List (collaborative: moderated by wokelstein)
46. Djross 1968 top ten (public: djross)
47. us-tv McD 101 Horrors (public: timxyz)
48. Owned (DVD) (public: bizarre_eye)
49. 1968: Year in Review (public: polanski28)
50. Filmspotting Ratings Project: Week 28 (public: PeaceAnarchy)
51. Movies I Own (public: Farzan)
52. Films I watched in 2012 (public: jal90)
53. Lucbapt (public: lucbapt)
54. Djross Swedish feature films I've seen (public: djross)
55. Forrest Watch List (public: ForrestQ)
56. Sight and Sound 2012 - Combined list - Part II (public: Ariaz)
57. Movies I Have That I Haven't Watched Yet (public: TraverseTown)
58. A Spook-a-doodle October (public: Tarnop)
59. Halloween Month 2022 (public: Alan_Laidlaw)
Browse the full list of collections
| Stars | User | Rating | |
| 9 |  |
BeeDub | 82 50th |
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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.
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| 5 |  |
Alex Watkins | 3 38th |
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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.
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| 4 |  |
Tjekhov | 80 86th |
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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.
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| 3 |  |
MartinTeller | 87 89th |
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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.
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| 3 |  |
Moribunny | 68 70th |
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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.
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| 3 |  |
Mentaculus | 82 77th |
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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.
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| 3 |  |
Jeb | 90 79th |
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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.
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| 2 |  |
Suture Self | 9 91st |
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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.
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| 2 |  |
bof | 86 94th |
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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.
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| 1 |  |
CCLZA | 70 51st |
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Very interesting Bergman experiment in the horror field. The surrealist aspect of the film is haunting and many of the images are extremely eery.
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| 1 |  |
Nathan S | 5 93rd |
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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.
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| 1 |  |
Farzan | 92 92nd |
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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.
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| 1 |  |
KasperL | 80 86th |
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Liv Ullmann and Max von Sydow mesmerize, as do Bergman and Nykvist with their technique. The dinner scene at the castle is brilliant.
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| 1 |  |
Luna6ix | 74 48th |
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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.
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| 1 |  |
Obdurate | 90 91st |
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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.
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| 1 |  |
KAH | 3 74th |
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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.
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| 1 |  |
yesistasty | 96 93rd |
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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.
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| 1 |  |
Judo Koala | 74 45th |
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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.
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| 1 |  |
deaddilly | 70 48th |
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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.
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| 1 |  |
SirRobbie | 70 53rd |
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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.
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| 1 |  |
venice | 89 90th |
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Well, eventually you get a few nightmares after watching. A brilliant film, nevertheless.
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| 1 |  |
Cinema_Asia | 80 84th |
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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.
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| 1 |  |
Valenzetti | 88 81st |
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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".
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| 1 |  |
Svengali | 81 88th |
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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.
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| 1 | DougieD | 70 35th |
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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.
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| 1 |  |
Paxton | 78 83rd |
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The scariest part is that they don't speak English! Oh, the humanity!!!
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| 1 |  |
Ayizan | 88 55th |
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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.
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| 1 |  |
lisa- | 6 83rd |
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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.
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| 1 |  |
JPFerguson | 50 28th |
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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.
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| Average Percentile 66.9% from 1366 Ratings |  |