Red Talons

starring: ANNA GREENE & STEVEN MORANA

When werewolf heir, Isla Talon, is forced into an arranged marriage with her mortal enemy — rival pack leader Viktor Malroux — the pair is given six months to produce an heir in order to end the deadly blood feud between their clans.

REVIEW

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the first vertical I have watched that I wished was on a horizontal screen, because I wanted to see more of everything.

It has a totally different feel, channelling a mix of Peaky Blinders and Twilight, and immediately transplants you into a world where you actually feel the physical threat of werewolves, and see the impossible challenge of blending 2 sides that have been at war for years. I mean this vertical got me thinking about the peace process in Northern Ireland.

Everything looks phenomenal but it has to be backed up by performances, which it more than delivers.

Anna Greene is astonishing, wild and raw. She can go from imperious to feral to tender and more than holds her own against all the men around her.

Steven Morana’s Viktor is the perfect match, you are always aware this is an incredibly dangerous man, who has the intelligence to see the bigger picture, but loses some of that control when he falls in love. He oozes power, menace and sex appeal.

And we are so helped by Steven's martial arts background, as it means he totally holds his own in the fight scenes with talents like Renz and James M Black which are spectacular.

I don't want to give the plot away but Mason Conrad, David C. Hernandez and Kevin Scott Allen are all superb in their roles. Just brilliant.

A key thing I want to emphasise is that this never becomes style over substance. The script has depth & things to say. It loses its ways a little bit in the middle, I think a result of some slightly staccato editing but the twist and reveal at the end is everything. I am talking Game of Thrones jaw drop moment here.

This really does feel like a prestige BBC drama, that has somehow ended up on a vertical screen. In fact my only quibble is a common problem with BBC things, sometimes things were too dark and I couldn't see what was going on, had to turn my phone display to maximum brightness. BBC been known for this for years!

So we are in good company. Final thoughts are we need a sequel, and we need to spend more time in this compelling world that writer, director and producer Christianne Cruz has devised and shared with us.

Thank you for making this happen.

💖 Top swoonworthy moment:

If you want enemies to lovers this is the one as the hatred is visceral here. As circumstance forces them together, grudging mutual respect brings them closer. Superbly done, and the final scenes very cleverly mirror the wedding. I appreciate this echo dialogue.

🦹🏼‍♂️ Top villain award:

Worth the wait for the truly excellent reveal at the end. I can’t say more.

😂 Comedy gold:

None, however I genuinely want to congratulate the cast and crew - they’ve found a way to portray werewolves that, for the first time, actually feels dangerous. There’s a minimalist, primal violence to it that never slips into parody or laughable territory. The addition of martial artists made a huge difference - it brings a raw, physical intensity that really works.

🎺 Unsung hero:

The set and production design are absolutely phenomenal - some of the best I’ve seen. And the costume styling? Think bohemian gangster noir - it’s striking, distinctive, and unforgettable. This has to be the best-looking vertical drama ever made.

✍🏼 DETAILS

Director Christianne Cruz | 2025

Available on SaltyTV