Written review by John Delia
Nicely done, the horror comedy film Werewolf by Night takes you into the lair of monsters that roam the darkness. Most werewolf stories prefer foggy places or forests where they lay waste to their victims. But this silly little gem takes you into the inner sanctum of the hunters who rid realms from the hairy daemons. Played out mostly in black and white for the effects of what the darkness will bring, the film only adds color when it’s totally necessary. Oh, and although it’s played through the streaming service of Disney+, the Marvel Studios brand makes it a bit more frightening for older teens to twenties.
Back in the day most horror films were in black and white and they were mostly corny and sometimes silly. Oh sure when color came along and special effect makeup and CGI became a thing, things became doable. Werewolf by Night is a prime example of how they oldies played out. Here we find a group of Werewolf hunters who looking to get rewarded with the special powers of Bloodstone Ulysses it they can tale down the powerful lycanthrope that killed him.
For you “Marvelites”, the character Jack Russell who one of the hunters is listed in The Marvel Encyclopedia (page 325). Additionally a super soldier Ted Sallis “Man-Thing” (page 183 Marvel Encyclopedia) shows up in the film to challenge the hunters. Bloodstone Ulysses the super hero for whom the plot is laid out has his daughter Elsa Bloodstone (page 42 Marvel Encyclopedia) who joins the fight. She is also looking to inherit the super powers of her father as well.
Werewolf by Night has been rated TV-14 by the TV Bureau and contains violence and Gore, language, disturbing images. Even though the film does get gory it becomes comical the way the filmmakers add it to the storyline. It’s a good Halloween blast for a party of “goulash” friends and a lot of cider. Now playing on Marvel at Disney+.
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Gael Garcia Bernal, Laura Donnelly, Harriet Sansom Harris, Kirk R. Thatcher, Eugene Bondurant
Directed By: Michael Giacchino
Genre: Action Adventure, Comedy
TV Rating: TV-14 contains violence and Gore, language, disturbing images
Running Time: TBD
Opening Date: October 7, 2022
Distributed by: Disney+
Released in: Disney+’s Marvel