Review: Werewolf by Night

Released to Disney+ on the 7^th October 2022, Marvel’s newest venture, Werewolf by Night, is their first Special Presentation. The project was formally announced in September of 2022 at Marvel’s D23 Expo by Kevin Feige. Directed by Michael Giacchino and written by Heather Quinn and Peter Cameron, the Marvel Studios special is based on the Marvel Comics of the same name, and is a part of Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

This Marvel Studios Special Presentation follows Jack Russell (Gael García Bernal), a lycanthrope whose abilities stem from his bloodline’s curse. Russell attends a gathering of monster hunters at the Bloodstone Temple after their leader’s passing, where the attendees must compete to win the ultimate prize: the Blood Stone, a supernatural relic of great power.

Director Michael Giacchino is predominantly known for his work as a film-score composer, having worked on many beloved Disney and Pixar franchises. Marvel Studios’ choice to choose a relative-unknown of the directorial scene is a bold move, and seems to pay off. Giacchino’s understanding of music for the screen lends well to Werewolf by Night, as he seamlessly blends his directorial style with his musical accompaniment.

Werewolf by Night is the first Marvel Studios Special Presentation to be released. Special Presentations are of a shorter length than regular Marvel movies, and are expected to be a collection of television specials that will be released exclusively to Disney+. This new format is refreshing, allowing for Marvel Studios to keep up with Disney’s intense content release schedule, and to make use of stories and characters from the Marvel comics that may not require a full series or feature length movie to tell them.

Stylistically, the film is vastly different to its predecessors

It is hard to see how the future of Werewolf by Night will unfold within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Stylistically, the film is vastly different to its predecessors. The flashy sets and colourful costumes that audiences have come to expect from Marvel Studios are nowhere to be seen, distancing Werewolf by Night from the majority of the franchise. It is unclear whether this Special Presentation will be a one off for the character, or whether Jack Russell will return.

Werewolf by Night is an important addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, not just as the first Marvel Studios Special Presentation to be released to Disney+, but as the first production by Marvel Studios that is predominantly a horror movie, having been released in perfect time for Halloween. Marvel Studios recently dipped their toe into the horror genre with Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and with the introduction of this new horror character, perhaps this will be an ongoing theme in Marvel’s new releases?

The most memorable feature of Werewolf by Night for viewers is most likely the horror aesthetics that are employed throughout the Special Presentation. Despite not actually being shot on film, Giacchino decided to opt for shooting Werewolf by Night digitally and scanning the digital onto 35mm film post-production. This helps to create a visual aesthetic that matches up to the atmosphere of popular monster flicks of the 1930s and 1940s that the movie pays homage to.

It is entirely cliched and predictable

Unfortunately, amongst its impressive visual aesthetics and interesting premise, Werewolf by Night struggles to build excitement and anticipation through its plot. It is entirely cliched and predictable, finding issues with holding tension and keeping its audience on edge. Although drawing on the horror genre, Werewolf by Night does not manage to provide any scares at all. The film appears to waste the fruitful characters and plotlines that the original Marvel comic had to offer.

Verdict:

Werewolf by Night had every opportunity to be great. The source material was there, and it seems that audiences were ready for Marvel Studios to produce something new, fresh, and exciting. Sadly, Werewolf by Night fails to deliver. It feels as though this Special Presentation is too surface level, struggling to balance its horror basis with its Disney-friendly age rating. Although Bernal’s performance is strong, the plot and dialogue are forgettable, resigning Marvel’s Werewolf by Night to the very same fate.