Creating an original werewolf film and properly executing the story behind it is a very difficult task. These films usually require either intense costuming or CGI, an obvious understanding of the myth, and a need to show intense gore. Werewolves are bloodthirsty, moon-obsessed creatures who instill fear. I’d say that’s a great way to kick off any good horror movie.

That’s part of why Half Moon intrigued me. The premise was interesting- a mysterious man reaches out to his on-call prostitute for companionship only to have another arrive in her place. The kicker is that the mysterious man is a werewolf and he’s in town for a treatment that will permanently rid him of his ‘disease.’ Throw in an unknowing, half naked heroine and it could easily have been a classic.

Key words: could have been.

Adult film star Tori Black stars as Rose, a seemingly lost, young prostitute who has to deal with her own inner demons as well as her overzealous and less than charming pimp. While working the streets, Rose runs into a friend who ends up telling her about her monthly date with a mysterious man who pays a lot of cash for her, ahem, companionship. When the friend gets arrested moments later, Rose takes the call- and the date. The mysterious man, Jacob, played by the talented Marek Matousek, is the lone savior of this film. His performance is brilliant and carries the less than adequate plot. He does a great job with what little is given to him- and that alone is why I didn’t turn the DVD into a coaster.

The biggest problem with Half Moon is that the story drags. The bulk of the movie is literally a story building conversation between Rose and Jacob in a hotel room that goes on and on and on. She talks about her childhood and her pimp, he talks about how he was infected and the treatments he needs, and somehow it starts over again, literally going in circles. Tori Black’s mediocre performance certainly doesn’t help- her character has a hard time deciding whether she’s a damsel in distress or a hood rat. The sound quality makes some of the scenes unbearable- at times it’s hard to tell if you’re watching a home video or an actual DVD release. The biggest disappointment, however, is what the promos call a ‘bloody, hair raising climax’ that fails to impress. Rose tries to help Jacob escape from the wrath of her pimp, but instead finds herself at his mercy. Jacob turns into a werewolf, attacking and killing the pimp, and changing Rose into one of his own. Though the transformation was pretty cool for a low budget flick, it just flopped. I expect a lot more after being forced to sit through an hour long conversation and an overly dramatic sex scene. Basically Matousek’s performance is the lone reason I would encourage anyone to watch the movie- otherwise, it’s just another one to throw to the wolves.