Werewolf by Night (2022)

 

Marvel's Halloween treat for comic and horror fans, Werewolf by Night, delivers more fun in less than an hour than other series on Disney Plus.  I'm not saying the other offerings are bad, as I really liked Ms. Marvel and am loving She-Hulk (for those of you that will call me woke, go for it; I've been called worse).  But this special is SPECIAL, from the intro to the end, it's full of homages, Easter eggs and really great storytelling compressed into a third of the running time of most current Marvel cinematic entries.  And I really want to see more episodes like this.  It's perfectly paced, gets right to the point, and is just a lot of fun.

This one-shot opens like a network TV special from the 70s and 80s, before turning the traditional Marvel opening credit into something more enjoyable that the misguided "Dark Universe" opening in the recent remake of The Mummy.  We then get a title screen ripped out of an old Universal horror film.  And the show keeps its black and white color scheme (with one exception) until Over the Rainbow plays.  Yep, plenty of those Easter eggs to keep viewers involved.

The film takes place after the death of monster hunter Ulysses Bloodstone, who wielded the powerful Bloodstone against monsters (after an Avengers reference in the prologue, placing this in the MCU).  A group of monster hunters have gathered to find out who would wield the Bloodstone by killing the monster it will be attached to.  And, if you've seen the previews, I'll give you one guess what Marvel monster has the honor to be hunted.

Included among the hunters is disgraced daughter Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly), who's treated rather coldly by her step-mother Verussa (a deliciously evil Harriet Sansom Harris).  Also in the competition is Jack Russel (Gael Garcia Bernal), with a impressive track record.  The contestants are told this competition is a free-for-all, as killing a fellow monster hunter isn't off limits.  And, in a nice touch that felt like it came out of a Guillermo del Toro film, a servant cranks the corpse of Ulysses so he can address the group and drop a Tales from the Crypt joke.  Man, the Easter eggs are thick in this one, and I loved it. 

The Crypt Keeper would approve of this joke.  Am I right?

Jack draws the lucky stone admitting him into the maze hunting ground first, but he knows the monster and is plotting to free him.  Soon, he and Elsa team up, with Jack promising her the Bloodstone if she helps him free the monster.  Of course, the plan doesn't work out as the two expected, and Elsa is caged with Jack, as the Bloodstone forces his transformation before the full moon.

Yeah, Jack's the werewolf of the title.  Don't act shocked, it's pretty evident if you know the comic series, or at least watched the trailer.

I won't say more, except that mayhem ensues.  Glorious black and white mayhem.

And that brings us to the TV-14 rating.  Director Michael Giacchino claims the show would have been rated MA-TV, had most of the film not been shot in black and white.  But, given the level of gore in shows like The Walking Dead, this feels a stretch.  Sure, in the final act, the screen is splattered with blood, but it's pretty tame compared to the offerings on other streaming services, let alone movie theaters.  I can't speak for the MPAA, or whoever rates streaming shows, but this feels more PG-13, at least when the rating first came out.

Yeah, this is about as bad as it gets.  Minus a few severed limbs and a sword to the head.

Oh, and showing Man-Thing is NOT a spoiler.  Everyone knew he was in the show, and his inclusion is great.  A mix of practical and CGI effects, used sparingly, Man-Thing is one of the best characters in the show.  He's able to show emotions perfectly, from his stance and facial expressions, to his grunts, making him a breakout character.

I've seen a couple people online complain about Jack's werewolf look.  Sure, it's not the long snouts common today, nor is it the fur-faced look Lon Chaney Jr. endured in his Wolf Man features.  But it's another Easter egg, referencing Jack Pierce's work turning Henry Hull into the Werewolf of London back in 1935.  And it works perfectly for the film, as it allows Jack's Dia del los Muertos makeup (to honor his ancestors), and allow Elsa (and the audience) to remember the creature is Jack.

I tried to do this side by side, but couldn't.  Still, you can see the similarities.

While Man-Thing might be the breakout character, the other leads aren't slacking.  Bernal is terrific as Jack, from his obvious nervousness in his surroundings to his concern for Elsa in the film's final act.  Donnelly is equally good as Elsa, as her worldview slowly changes over the course of the night.  But Harris steals the show, as she comes short of chewing the scenery to deliver a performance that, as I mentioned above, is deliciously evil.

I'm sure some might complain that the script doesn't delve into the characters, but the script gives us enough to get a sense of them.  Jack is uncomfortable in his surroundings, but his friendship with Man-Thing/Ted is enough to bring him to the competition.  Man-Thing is able to emote enough for us to get a sense of his character, and Elsa's change from a rebellious child to a thinking, more understanding character is well drawn.  This is her story, and as the film changes from black and white to color symbolizes her understanding that all monsters aren't evil beings deserving death.

 Though it takes a lot to get her there.  Like being caged by her step-mother with a monster.

Composer turned director Michael Giacchino delivers on the visuals, as well as the score.  The film is an amazing homage to the classic horror films of the 30s and 40s.  And the ending scene with Jack and Ted left me wanting more with them.  I can see an 80s buddy cop film style series, with Elsa as the gruff person in charge.  And, as Marvel is working on an Agatha Harkness show after the fan response, I really hope they will take into account the (at this time) positive response from the fans and gives us more of Jack, Ted and Elsa.  And if they want to use my idea of the buddy cop theme, all I ask is Marvel give me a shot at the script.  

Yeah, I'm not holding my breath.

If Marvel doesn't do something with these characters, the studio heads are not thinking ahead.  Werewolf  by Night is a solid entry for monsters into the MCU, and the studio shouldn't waste it.

 Come on, who doesn't want a series starring a swamp creature preparing coffee for a werewolf first thing in the morning.