Werewolf by Night review

October 7, 2022 Jeffrey Lyles Gael García Bernal, Harriet Sansom Harris, Laura Donnelly, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios, Michael Giacchino, Werewolf by Night

It feels like we could be getting close to a saturation on Marvel Studios projects. There’s been a deluge of films and Disney+ series and the popular opinion is Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase IV hasn’t been of the quality of its predecessors.

Werewolf by Night might not redeem this phase, but it’s an encouraging step that Marvel Studios still has some fresh and innovative directions to take the MCU.

Billed as an MCU special presentation, Werewolf by Night is a tight 45 minutes (sans credits). The premise isn’t stretched out over six or eight episodes. It’s lean with all the essential character development covered while allowing for plenty of action scenes.

After the death of Ulysses Bloodstone, a famed monster hunter, his peers gather for a contest to determine who will take possession of the famed Bloodstone weapon. Among them is Jack Russell (Gael García Bernal, Old), a relatively unassuming hunter with over 100 kills on his resume.

Jack and the other hunters are tasked with killing a monster on the grounds, but everyone is fair game sparking a Hunger Games style kill or be killed competition.

Director Michael Giacchino moonlights (sorry) from his acclaimed composing career (The Batman, Spider-Man: No Way Home) to craft a genuinely eerie and tense horror entry in the MCU.

The big win here was Giacchino’s decision to set the special in black and white with only a dash of red illuminating the Bloodstone. Just like the memorable sequence in Thor: Love and Thunder, the stark color palette is striking. It also gives this entry that sense of a throwback to classic horror films from the black and white era.

García Bernal is an intriguing lead. His Jack comes off like a likable, regular dude with a bit of a secret. This is harder to pull off in a post-Hulk world where the emphasis is on the big raging monster. When that moment finally arrives, it feels well-earned and worth the buildup.

Giacchino doesn’t hold back on the savagery and gore, making the black and white setting useful to avoid making the special too gratuitous. Even then, there’s some clever action sequences including one where blood drips off the camera.

Like many MCU films and shows in this phase, Werewolf by Night also serves as a launchpad for other Marvel characters who could potentially spin-off in their own series or films.

The non-spoiler one is Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly, Outlander), a serious no-nonsense bada$$ who could care less about her family heritage. Elsa wants the Bloodstone for her own purposes that doesn’t fully get explained.

Elsa gets the wrecking ball that can’t be beaten treatment like many women action heroes no matter the size and skill of her opponent. While Elsa’s fights lack any trace of suspense, Donnelly is able to convey vulnerability and fear unlike some of her MCU peers.

Credit screenwriters Heather Quinn (Hawkeye) and Peter Cameron (WandaVision) for effectively utilizing the run time to focus on the important story beats for Elsa and Jack and not bogging the special down with lengthy, but ultimately worthless monologues. There’s even some well-timed comedic moments that work in a dark humor sense.

The other big cameo is a significant to longtime Marvel fans. This was a perfect use for the character — with no dodgy CGI –and hopefully won’t be the last time onscreen.

Another plus for the special is the bad guys are just bad. There’s no backstory to justify their actions and humanize them. They’re simply threats that need to be taken down. That’s surprisingly refreshing. In another twist, there’s no post-credit sequence here.

Werewolf by Night shows there’s still plenty of original avenues for the MCU to explore. Maybe the Disney+ sector of the MCU needs more smaller-scaled specials and less extended series?