Marvel Studios has something special with Werewolf by Night. It is also their first attempt at one-off TV specials. After experimenting with old school horror in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, this is their first real venture into the genre. There are only 50 minutes of programming on Disney Plus; no series. Additionally, it ranks among their best actions throughout Phase 4.
A Departure From The Standard MCU
The MCU as a whole is different from Werewolf by Night. The rest of it remains completely unrelated to the rest of the cinematic universe, standing as its own story set within its own isolated pocket of the universe we know and love, with the exception of one mention of the Avengers in the opening shot. That is to its advantage, as is typically the case with these stories.
As you would anticipate from a well-known composer who is now a director, Michael Giacchino’s score is fantastic. The introduction to the special sounds like a classic horror novel from decades ago, and each scene, whether it be one with slow-building tension or one with frantic action, is well complemented by the score.
Although Werewolf by Night is a horror story in every sense, I wouldn’t say it’s particularly terrifying.There are undoubtedly some unnerving performances — Harriet Sansom Harris gives a barnstorming performance as the widow Verussa, who is equal parts self-righteous and demonic — but I never felt really scared during the film’s duration. The monsters on display and the grim tone will undoubtedly frighten children, but there isn’t much to frighten adults.
A Werewolf Story Without The Werewolf?
Some viewers might be shocked to hear that the titular werewolf does not truly take the lead in Werewolf by Night. There is no mention of a werewolf at the start of the special; instead, some other monster that needs to be hunted is mentioned. A group of renowned monster hunters have assembled to perform a ritual to determine who would succeed Ulysses Bloodstone as the next owner of the Bloodstone, an ancient gemstone with mystical powers that harm monsters and empower its holder (though in the comics, it is capable of more). The color scheme of black and white both heightens the atmosphere and reduces the spookiness of all the blood and creatures.
Jack Russell, one of our protagonists, shows up with predetermined goals. Although the other hunters are unaware of him, widow Verussa claims he has killed “100 deaths” monsters, indicating that she is aware of his achievements. Elsa Bloodstone, the son of Ulysses, is the second protagonist in our story. When she was younger, she ran away from her father because it appears that Ulysses was a bad father and was harsh with her when teaching her how to hunt monsters. By gaining the Bloodstone through this ceremony, Elsa hopes to prevent the Bloodstone from falling into the wrong hands rather than honor her father.
Elsa Bloodstone is superbly portrayed by Laura Donnelly. She briefly lets her guard down early on after speaking with Verussa so that we can see that attending her father’s funeral is genuinely a difficult emotional scenario for her. She is battling to hold back her tears. When confronted with the customs of her father’s organization of monster hunters, she constantly rolls her eyes and offers caustic jabs, serving as a consistent source of humor amidst all the drama. I can’t wait to see her in upcoming MCU productions.
The creature is clearly depicted in the trailers, which are true to the comic book version, for viewers with keen eyes. When it comes to bringing these characters to life, Kevin Feige still has the skill. The actual monster search is somber and terrifying until it is unavoidably broken up by exciting action scenes. While some are more visually appealing than others, director Michael Giacchino excels at building suspense and delivering the regular jump shocks that we associate with horror films.
Not Scary But Great Story
It isn’t until the werewolf itself is presented that the plot truly spirals out of control, with Elsa and the other remaining hunters fighting for their lives. A satisfying crescendo to the initial suspense is provided by the battle scenes, which are visceral and uncharacteristically brutal for the MCU. After an enjoyable 50 minutes, the story concludes with a very satisfying resolution. I didn’t feel scared, but I still really liked this story and had no major issues. It undoubtedly ranks as one of Phase 4 of Marvel’s best moments.
While killing hazardous monsters in the MCU sounds like a noble pursuit, these hunters and their order don’t appear to care if the targets of their chase have done anything to warrant their deaths. Although Jack Russell and Man-Thing appear to be friendly creatures that wouldn’t harm anyone, their frightening and otherworldly appearances (after the latter has morphed, of course) have led some people to believe that they should be killed. Verussa preaches about putting an end to these creatures so that they don’t harm others, but the expression in her eyes when she learns that Jack Russell is a werewolf shows a bloodlust that won’t be satisfied until he is put to death. Her actions reveal her true motivations.
Major Twist In Werewolf By Night
As a result, Man-MCU Thing’s debut is the major twist in Werewolf by Night! I appreciate that Man-Thing was included as one of the more monstrous figures in Marvel’s character roster because I wasn’t sure when we would see a creature as specialized as him in the MCU. When Jack reunites with him, we see him as a friendly giant only attempting to get away from his captors, despite his threatening appearance that is expertly hinted. The MCU-typical hilarious joke about his name being Ted, which alludes to his backstory, was a welcome revelation. He was once Dr. Ted Sallis, an ordinary person. When he intervened at the last second to free Elsa and obliterate Verussa, exacting retribution on the one who had imprisoned him but for good causes, I applauded.
It was endearing to see him get along with Jack Russell, and I liked the jokes they traded. While it is evident to the audience that Jack is the werewolf, I loved how they gradually exposed his actual identity throughout the movie. It is clear from the beginning that he is extremely different from the other hunters.
Jack’s Character
He stands out from the other characters right away since he doesn’t want to battle Elsa, and he reveals that he has used his abilities to defeat previous monsters by casually mentioning that he fought one of the ones shown on the walls. Elsa and he swiftly come to the conclusion that they are the most honorable individuals there, therefore their union makes sense. Before he transforms, he makes every effort not to hurt Elsa, solidifying his status as a tragic hero in our eyes before he slaughters the hunters and guards.
Elsa is immediately likeable due to her blatant disregard for the ritual’s pomp and ceremony, and she is obviously a skilled combatant. Also fantastic is Laura Donnelly’s performance as Jack during his transition. You watch the shadow do the transition for the first few seconds of that image, curious to see how the werewolf will look, but you find yourself compelled to watch her performance instead. She effectively conveys Elsa’s utter dread as she reacts to the awful situation she finds herself in—confined in a cage with a hostile werewolf.
Although some of the major story beats were hinted at in the teaser, the plot flows really smoothly, and you never know where it’s going to go. The entire experience excited me, and I hope Marvel will soon continue to explore horror.