Werewolf by Night Early Review

As the MCU has gone on into its new phases following the Infinity Saga, it continues to explore new areas of the universe with the biggest being the supernatural side with Moon Knight, the upcoming Blade reboot, and now Werewolf by Night. Based on the comic book series of the same name, this new addition takes a different path in more ways that one. It is not a film or a series but rather what Marvel has dubbed a “Special Presentation.” As far as the special is concerned, it works as a short film and the more likely scenario of a prologue for another property in the near future. The directorial debut of acclaimed film and television composer Michael Giacchino, this effort definitely shows vision and is clearly inspired by the classic monster movies of the 1940s and 1950s in terms of its look and score. composed by Giacchino. and is boosted by the technology of today. Shot in black-and-white, the cinematography is beautiful and crisp thanks to some impeccable lighting where along with some great camerawork and editing add to the tension. Meanwhile, the special does not hold back and is also one of the most brutal offerings in the MCU so far.

Werewolf by Night sees a secret collective of monster hunters from all walks of life gather at the Bloodstone Temple to honor the death of the leader of the infamous Bloodstone family, Ulysses Bloodstone, by competing in a life-or-death competition for a powerful stone. Not only were they facing each other but they had to do so all while a dangerous creature lurked in the background. Leaning into the macabre, the tension and suspense ramps up right away as it wasn’t necessarily clear if the bigger threat was the monster or one another. The monster hunters as a whole were on the thin side though that was probably not the point as the two that truly mattered were a man named Jack Russell (Gael García Bernal) and a woman named Elsa (Laura Donnelly), the estranged daughter of Ulysses Bloodstone. As avid fans of the source material can probably already make the connection with Russell, Elsa’s motivations are pretty clear, rooted in revenge.

Ultimately, something had to give as the story would inevitably whittle down to Jack and Elsa to resolve their storylines as the special went to a whole other level. From the stakes, to the action, suspense, tension, and brutality, everything went up as the moment that most viewers will be waiting for certainly did not disappoint. Though the pacing is there, with the condensed nature of the special, one can’t help but want more overall. That being said, Werewolf by Night does the most with what it has which is really a testament to the directing of Giacchino. However, it’s his aforementioned score and the lighting, camerawork, and editing early on that do a lot of heavy lifting. Using light and shadow, the special creates tension from the seen and foreshadowing the unseen that could be lurking at any corner all while a retro horror score played over scenes. 

The best part of Werewolf by Night was the dynamic of Bernal and Donnelly as Jack and Elsa. While character development is rushed, they were compelling to watch as Bernal pulls off the mysterious Jack who in spite of that always seemed on edge and Donnelly pulls off the confident Elsa who let her actions do the talking while still showing some vulnerability in the face of what was in front of her. Whether or not their stories go on from here remains to be seen but fans are sure to connect with them even for the short time they will spend with them here.

In the end, Werewolf by Night is a successful departure for the MCU as it finds a middle ground between series and films as it begins to dive deeper into the supernatural. 

For those wondering about post-credit scenes, there are none here. 

*still courtesy of Marvel Studios*

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.