Movie review: 'Big Bad Wolves,' 2 stars

"Big Bad Wolves" is a nasty thriller that stands out because it comes from Israel, which hasn't been a repository for this sort of B-movie fare.

The never-ending conflict there is largely subtext here, only simmering toward the surface in a couple of absurdist asides.

Directors Aharon Keshales and Navot Parpushado stick close to the usual script in telling the story of a cop (Lior Ashkenazi) pursuing a murder suspect (Rotem Keinan) and the victim's father (Tzahi Grad), who complicates things.

The movie is tightly edited, filled with the sort of snappy dialogue and bursts of extreme violence that one would expect from a flick that owes an equal debt to "Saw" and Quentin Tarantino (who has professed his love for it).

But "Big Bad Wolves" is dreary, anti-septic and overwhelmingly glum, marching down a predictable narrative path without much in the way of enlightening ethical inquiry.

"Big Bad Wolves"
Directed by Aharon Keshales, Navot Parpushado
Starring Lior Ashkenazi, Rotem Keinan, Tzahi Grad
Not Rated
Playing at Cinema Village