Dog Soldiers

Six British soldiers go out on a routine exercise in the Scottish Highlands. All that is left of the special forces team meant to be opposing them is torn-up bodies and one wounded captain. Whatever they think is out there, once it gets dark they are the prey rather than the hunters. They spend the night trying to hold a single house in the woods. Neil Marshall wrote, edited and directed it as his first feature. Sean Pertwee plays Sergeant Wells, Kevin McKidd plays Private Cooper, Liam Cunningham plays Captain Ryan and Emma Cleasby plays Megan. The cast could have been different. Jason Statham was cast as Cooper first and chose Ghosts of Mars instead. Simon Pegg was offered Spoon and kept a prior commitment to Shaun of the Dead. Although it is set in Scotland it was shot in Luxembourg, where tax incentives and available crew made the production possible. The budget was 2.3 million pounds and it took 5 million. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 82 percent. The BBC called it a rip-roaring comedy action fest. It won the top prize at the Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film in 2002 and built a cult following over time. Who it is for: viewers who like werewolf films and siege stories in one location. Who it is not for: anyone expecting good creature effects. The budget shows, and Marshall deliberately keeps the wolves dark and mostly offscreen.