Muzzle: City of Wolves – an unexpected sequel that disappoints

Where the first instalment was more grounded in realism, this one takes a much darker and more symbolic direction – particularly with the new villain Totec (played by Dylan Williams), who comes across more as a “boogeyman” figure, and whose portrayal differs sharply from the more realistic cartel boss of the first film.

Another problem I had was the lack of aerial shots, establishing shots, and panoramic or wide shots. The film is supposed to be set in Los Angeles but was shot in Cape Town, South Africa, and although it’s been said many times that South Africa – and the Cape in particular – is well known for standing in for various other parts of the world on film, and especially for L.A., I couldn’t see it in this film. It could literally have been filmed anywhere and it would have made no difference. For the “new” viewer who hasn’t seen the first film – and incidentally, I also wouldn’t say this should be watched as a standalone film – there would be no sense of where it’s set, or supposed to be set, without these kinds of shots. I saw only one wide night shot, on a highway heading toward a city that could have looked like L.A. Whether it was, I don’t know, but if it was, why couldn’t they have worked in more of it? Perhaps it was a deliberate directorial choice to make the world feel small and claustrophobic, so the viewer experiences Jake’s PTSD alongside him. If that was the intention, I understand it, but for me it ultimately just felt too suffocating.

Many local actors were used, and I want to specifically highlight Tanya van Graan as Jake’s wife, Mia, who did an excellent job with her convincing American accent. In the original film, an American actress played the role, and perhaps because I saw that film more than two years ago, I couldn’t even tell the difference. She should definitely be getting more international roles. But all the South African actors were very convincing in their roles as Americans.

Muzzle: City of Wolves completely caught me off guard with its shift from a realistic crime drama to something far darker and more symbolic. For me, the film unfortunately gave up its greatest asset in the process: the credibility that made the first film so strong. It’s still a tidy action film with good performances, but the direction the story took didn’t convince me. As always though, feel free to decide for yourself.