The Wasteland Reviewer

Muzzle: City of Wolves (2025) Written Review

What will a haunted former K-9 officer do with a peaceful life? Unfortunately, that peaceful life of family and his dogs is shattered quite quickly by violence that pulls him back into a life that will threaten everything he has. Muzzle was an intense and thrilling vehicle for under-appreciated actor Aaron Eckhart. He is back at it again in City of Wolves with plenty of trauma, bullets, and dogs taking down bad guys. John Stalberg Jr. returns behind the wheel with this action/thriller sequel roaring into theaters. 

Does Stalberg deliver another thrilling and brutal cinematic experience? City of Wolves is another thrilling and visceral cinematic experience as a follow-up to the first film in this growing franchise. You can tell that this doesn’t have the largest budget (with some of the effects looking a bit suspect) but the overall experience delivers just what it needs. The cinematography from Pieter Vermeer is a bit chaotic but it adds to the engrossing nature of the film. The action pulls you right in with brutality, blood, and a real sense of unnerving energy. The overall tone that Stalberg goes for is a bit overbearing. This film is dark, ominous, and aggressively sad. There are plenty of downer moments as this film leans heavily into the horrific consequences of violence. There are moments when the film gets too gritty and dark to the point of feeling a bit cheesy and ridiculous (which doesn’t match the tone that Stalberg is going for). The film is a tight 90 minutes and never lets up. If you are looking for brutal, visceral action and thrills, Stalberg delivers. 

Does the story deliver for this sequel? Jacob Michael King, the screenwriter on the film, carries over the depth and layers of Eckhart’s character. The film still carries over his past and how that trauma continues to haunt him throughout his new tranquil life. But the film wastes no time shattering that tranquility and throws Eckhart’s protagonist into a web of violence, corruption, and death. The main antagonist of the film is a strange, enigmatic gang leader who feels out of place in the grittier tone of the rest of the film. The story takes some strange turns as it puts plenty of focus on a corrupt officer who is coming after Eckhart. The pacing slows at times as the film tries way too hard to get the audience to connect with the horrible person. Unfortunately, City of Wolves is one of those films that force the audience to suspend so much disbelief to buy into all the horrible things that happen to Eckhart’s character. The whole city turns on him in the most ridiculous of ways and even the “resolution” of the story is a hard pill to swallow. You can respect the direction that the film is going with its themes about violence and consequences, but it just doesn’t bring the story together in an effective way.

What are the two biggest selling points for City of Wolves? Eckhart and his pooches. Eckhart was on the brink of being a big deal with films like The Dark Knight but now he is relegated to action/thrillers like Muzzle. But that is a benefit to this franchise as Eckhart brings a raw intensity that elevates the material of the film. His physicality delivers. His ability to explore the layers of his character’s trauma is a welcome addition to the film. But the real stars of the film are the dogs. They are good boys who do some really bad things (for the good of society and their family, of course). This film is bold enough to put these pooches in real danger as well (which may not be received so well). You have the rest of the film filled out by solid character actors, but the real selling point of the film will most certainly be Eckhart and his canine companions. 

Is Muzzle: City of Wolves a worthwhile sequel? The film certainly takes some bold narrative shifts that might not land so well with most. The story is also quite unbelievable and ridiculous. But Eckhart and his canine crew anchor this revenge thriller down. The filmmaking is visceral and brutal, which delivers some raw action and thrills. There are other action/thrillers that will give you a much more satisfying experience but there are others that are worse.