AllMovie

While horror and Western fans won't have much patience with this deliberately paced romantic drama, Mad at the Moon is a unique meld of genre influences that succeeds on its own terms. With the Old West as a backdrop for the most sedate werewolf tale ever told, the film forgoes cowboy and monster tropes to focus on the relationships between a pair of half brothers and the woman they both love. The timid farmer's lycanthropy is less a threat than a burden, a debilitating madness rather than an expression of evil, making for a complicated story without villains or victims. Director Martin Donovan has a fine cast to work with, and he bathes his sets in shadows that frame the action rather than obscure it. The conclusion might strike some as ambiguous, but it fits with the film's moody charm, which is enhanced by a gorgeous musical score that haunts and beguiles.