Werewolf by Night

Starring: Gael Garcia Bernal, Laura Donnelly, Harriet Sansom Harris, Kirk R. Thatcher, Eugenie Bondurant, Leonardo Nam, Carey Jones, Daniel J. Watts
Directed by: Michael Giacchino
Rating: TV-14
Genre: Action, Horror
2022

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A group of monster hunters converge for a competition, but one of the competitors, Jack Russell (Gael Garcia Bernal) is more than he seems.

Review:

Tim: Although I love the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I didn't know what to expect with Werewolf by Night, Marvel's first Special Presentation. It feels weird counting this as a film, but the Academy counts a feature film as one exceeding 40 minutes, so this short 52 minute special counts. I never read any of these comics growing up, so the whole affair was new to me. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by Michael Giacchino (yes, that one) and his feature film directorial debut. This movie is creepy, atmospheric, and a surprising amount of fun. Maybe I'm slightly biased, but this felt like a big win for the MCU.

As I've said in many other reviews, I love how the MCU can deliver films in multiple different genres. It's been branching out into horror with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Werewolf by Night furthers that extension. This feels like a true horror movie, a black-and-white throwback to the monster movies of the 1940s (which I love). That just feels so cool to me. The MCU is massive, sprawling at this stage and it's innovative enough to deliver a B&W 40's horror movie that also manages to fit within the context of the larger universe. That's exceptionally cool.

The movie does a good job of introducing additional characters in one corner of the universe. We get to meet Jack Russell, as well as Man-Thing. Both are really cool characters and different to what we've seen in other films. It helps that Russell is played by Gael Garcia Bernal, a consistently underrated actor. Bernal is great here, giving us a complex character that we immediately care about. It was fun for me to learn about this character for the first time. Bernal is a sympathetic actor and effective at displaying emotions, so in a short amount of time, we identify with and root for Jack. It's a strong performance that really helps the movie. I loved the unexpected depiction of Man-Thing and I can't wait to see how he's used in future MCU projects. I was also incredibly impressed with Laura Donnelly. I wasn't familiar with her before this film, but her performance was excellent. She creates a memorable, likable character in Elsa Bloodstone. She fits in well with the cast and manages to make this character stand out on her own. I know she's in a supporting role here, but I could see her easily carrying a film like this on her own. The rest of the cast are sufficiently creepy and menacing, everyone does a good job.

With only 52 minutes, this film can only introduce the characters and create a few high tension moments. I was impressed that Giacchino made this feel like a complete story, though. Yes, it was so good that it left me wanting more, but it felt like the script was so strong that you got resolution at the end. It told a satisfying story in a very short amount of time. The film moves quickly and manages to cover a lot of ground in its small run time. The black-and-white quality is fantastic, helping it stand out in the crowded MCU. I l thought the special effects were excellent, the various monsters depicted quite well. The whole vibe and atmosphere of the film was creepy and frightening, the perfect approach for a Halloween special.

I really enjoyed Werewolf by Night- far more than I expected to. I'm still getting used to how these smaller specials fit within the MCU, but if the quality of them rival this one, they are going to be fantastic additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. When I think about the end of this special presentation, I just desperately wanted to see more of these characters. That's exactly what the film set out to achieve, so it's a resounding success.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness