Brotherhood of the Wolf

In 18th century France, the chevalier Grégoire de Fronsac travels to the Gevaudan region with his Native American ally Mani to answer the crown's summons. They are sent to investigate a string of brutal killings that locals fear the work of a single mysterious creature. The king hopes for a swift explanation and a decisive end to the terror, and the two men quickly find themselves drawn into a web of superstition, politics, and rumor. Fronsac combines diplomacy and observation to study tracks while Mani uses a hunter's instinct to interpret signs beyond ordinary logic. As suspicion grows, they must sift truth from legend even as intrigue within the court threatens their mission and their lives.

Directed by Christophe Gans with a screenplay by Stéphane Cabel, Brotherhood of the Wolf blends history and myth with striking visuals. The film marks a bold take on a European legend, using sumptuous costumes and kinetic action and a score.

Produced for about 29 million, the movie grossed roughly 70.8 million worldwide, delivering a solid return on investment. Its international appeal helped bring European fantasy into wider theatrical circulation. It performed best in Europe and Asia and found a following.

The film's lavish design and orchestral pace helped popularize a more stylized werewolf aesthetic in early 2000s cinema. Its blend of period atmosphere with brutal creature sequences left a memorable mark on genre fans and sparked discussions about history, myth, and national identity onscreen in international markets and home screens.

Critics praised its bold visuals and action while noting uneven pacing in places. The film tackles themes of science versus superstition, colonial outlook, and the tension between civilization and wild nature, using a grand scale to fuse myth with historical intrigue. It invites viewers to question what is real, too.