Mark O’Connor is no stranger to exploring the dark, grimy underworld of Dublin’s streets. In fact, he’s made a bit of a name for himself through films like Cardboard Gangsters and Between the Canals by doing exactly that. O’Connor adds to his collection of gritty crime dramas with the release of Amongst the Wolves, which peaks inside the world of a homeless combat veteran (Luke McQuillan) who hopes to redeem himself through helping a troubled, young drug dealer (Daniel Fee) on-the-run from a sadistic drug-lord (Game of Thrones’ Aiden Gillen). It feels like stories of redemption have been in short supply recently. Then again, I’m often on the more extreme horror beat, which prefers bloody-spectacle comeuppances for irredeemable characters. As it were, Amongst the Wolves was a bit of a welcome change of pace, even if it does go to some extreme places.

Introducing us to Danny (McQuillan), Amongst the Wolves shows a guy who’s just trying to get through life. After a brief glimpse into happier times with his wife and son, Danny is seen navigating the urban jungle where fights break out on the streets and sirens can be heard in all directions. Soon, finding himself being harassed by some arrogant street punks, Danny is left roughed up and looking to get off the streets. After receiving help from a shelter and compassion from volunteer Kate (Louise Bourke), Danny goes back out on his own. Camping out in a hidden spot in the woods and hoping not to be disturbed.

O’Connor and McQuillan dive into Danny as a character, exploring the trauma of a soldier who has exiled himself for actions he can never forgive, having fallen asleep while watching his son and nearly losing him in an accident. His victimization at the canal isn’t because he couldn’t fight back, but more so that he feels it’s what he deserves. When he meets Will (Fee), Danny is reluctant to get involved with the teenager, but the two inevitably forge a tight bond, and Will feels he’s been bestowed a second chance. Will tells Danny he’s on the run from Power (Gillen), the leader of a sadistic gang, owing him a lot of money he doesn’t have. Danny hopes to help Will pay off his debt and cut ties with Power for good, but Power doesn’t back down, bringing out the tactically trained beast in Danny that he fears.

It isn’t hard to toss a stone in the UK and find a film about gangs–if anything, it’s a considerable export of the region’s filmmakers. Gillen and McQuillan both give outstanding performances in the movie, and the moments they’re head-to-head on-screen together bring Amongst the Wolves up a notch. However, there are ghosts of many other films that laid similar groundwork all over the film. Essentially, we’ve seen this story before, from 2020’s Archenemy, all the way back to 1953’s Shane and possibly further. Even the recent Cara uses a lot of similar angles to tell a gritty psychological story.

However, the difference is in the details. Though the story isn’t anything new to cinephiles, O’Connor manages to elicit strong performances, and the script sits in a place that brings attention to a growing problem of servicemen and women living on the streets, not receiving the care their country owes them for serving. Cinematographer Ignas Laugalis captures the Irish streets gorgeously. Although most of the film is shot through a shaky lens, there are moments where Laugalis sets up some steady shots revealing the unflinchingly raw side of a corner of society we often turn away from. There’s grace and sadness throughout the imagery, and it sets Amongst the Wolves apart from most of the pack.

Amongst the Wolves finds most of its trouble in weaving Danny between two worlds. Though we get an occasional flashback, he’s still fighting to spend time with his son. His ex (You Are Not My Mother’s Jade Jordan) opposes any arrangement, given the circumstances that led to Danny sleeping on the canal. Additionally, there is also a charming B-story romance brewing between Danny and Kate, though it never has the opportunity to go anywhere. These scenes provide a lot of added drama and depth to Danny’s character, but they also convolute Amongst the Wolves’ momentum.

The film’s ending is obviously the big pull. Power inevitably provokes a turf war that ratchets tensions against Will and Danny, heading for a bloody, original knee-cap busting technique your wincing faces may not be able to withstand. It certainly breaks the film into Saw territory, albeit for as epic a showdown as the film builds up to, it’s all over rather quickly.

Ultimately, Amongst the Wolves isn’t a bad film; it’s just thoroughly familiar. The character work is phenomenal on both sides of the script, but there are a lot of extra story bits that add to the bleakness of O’Connor’s picture, but they don’t necessarily make it better. The film’s redemptive arc isn’t entirely satisfying, but remains realistic. In terms of having seen similar stories, it’s better than most, but not as good as others.