Review of The Legend of the Wolf Woman

Following a brutal rape, Daniela's father takes her away to the family's country home to mentally recover from the trauma. However she becomes fixated on a legend of an ancestor who was allegedly a werewolf. When Daniela discovers a picture of her relative and realizes the disturbing similarity, her fixation becomes a flat out obsession complete with nightmares and hallucinations. When observing her sister and husband having sex, Daniela's mind snaps, luring him out to the wood to seduce him and then rip out his throat with her bare teeth. After her brother in law's death is ruled an accident, Daniela becomes near catatonic and is moved to a mental institution. Daniela then becomes very violent and verbally abusive and is thus restrained. A female patient (and nymphomaniac) comes to her at night and molests her. Daniela persuades her into taking off the restraints and then brutally kills her and escapes. Several brutal(and graphic) murders later Daniela is picked up in the rain by a very kind man who shelters her and loves her. Daniela has never met a man who didn't try to hurt her, so consequently she is quite taken aback with the gentle stranger. Strangely enough all of her psychotic urges are quelled. The happy couple lives in absolute bliss (shown by slow motion strolls on the beach) until a band of thugs break into the house, rape Daniela, and kill her newfound love. Needless to say, Daniela is a little bit angry.... I found Werewolf Woman to be a very disturbing and depressing look at the darker side of humanity. . The best part of this movie is that it allows you to decide for yourself whether Daniela is simply a psychopath or truly possessed by the spirit of her lupine ancestor. Annik Borel plays the role of Daniela to a tee. Once again Rino Di Silvestri directs an absolute masterpiece of Italian sex/gore/horror cinema.