Werewolf by Night

Director - Michael Giacchino (Monster Challenge, Star Trek: Short Treks)

Starring - Gael Garcia Bernal (Old, Z), Laura Donnelly (Tolkien, Dread), and Harriet Sansom Harris (Addams Family Values, American Horror Story)

Release Date - 2022

Genre - Horror/Action

Format - Streaming (Disney+)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was in elementary school, I became obsessed with Blade. I was already started down the path of horror by this point, but Blade was something that I was not expecting to fall in love with. It opened me up to Marvel comics and comics in general. The Blade film was my introduction to Marvel’s horror comic line with titles like Werewolf by Night, Tombs of Dracula, The Midnight Sons, and newer titles like Marvel Zombies. When the MCU started I never expected to see an introduction of these titles into the cinematic universe. After the announcement of the new Blade and Black Knight into the fold I still didn’t expect anything else. However, when news that Werewolf by Night was getting a TV special on Disney+ I was shitting a brick. Friday when it launched, I was on the couch ready as soon as I was off work. Since then I’ve watched it three times and could watch it just as many more times. 

      The film follows Jack who is attending a meeting with various monster hunters. They are gathering so they can compete to capture and kill a beast that is locked on the property and is holding the Bloodstone. However, he is secretly there to rescue the so-called monster before the other hunters get to him first. 

      The trailer and poster had me fucking sold on Werewolf by Night but I had no idea I would fucking love it as much as I did. It was a fantastic throw back to the classic Universal Monster movies with a pinch of their comic lineage tossed in for good measure. It was a lot of fun and I look forward to seeing where they take fans next. The acting in this is amazing. The cast is phenomenal and they do a fantastic job at bringing classic Marvel dark characters to the screen. I would be here all day if I was to pick apart each and every amazing performance. The story for this one is a fantastic beginning to what could be the start of The Midnight Sons or any other group of dark characters from the Marvel universe. We have the introduction to, not one, but three substantial characters. The film runs at around 50 minutes so it doesn’t over stay it’s welcome. We get some great character development and a lot of action. Finally, the film is a treat for those of you looking for visual effects and some blood. It has some bloody but doesn’t over do it for obvious reasons. The werewolf keeps it’s human form reminiscent from Universal’s Wolfman. I also liked the look of Man-Thing. We also see a lot of CGI blood but it works especially in the black and white. Overall, Werewolf by Night is the Marvel film horror fans have been looking for. I knew something was coming with the announcement of Blade and the introduction of the Black Knight but I wasn’t expecting them to deliver something like this. I fucking loved it and it’s exactly what I needed to get excited for Marvel again. Check it out.