(Photo courtesy of Decider) The MCU takes a turn into horror territory with its latest special.
Riley Fontana
Connector Staff
Werewolf By Night is Marvel’s newest installment for the MCU on Disney+. Shot in a brilliant black-and-white, it follows a group of monster hunters as they attend the funeral of the top hunter among them. Through a monster hunt at the funeral, they challenge themselves to find a suitable replacement, but not all is as it seems. Unbeknownst to the hunters, there is a monster within their very own ranks, adding to the challenge of finding the beast in the hunt. This is, in essence, Marvel’s Halloween-themed take on the once popular game Among Us, as the primary objective is effectively the same.
Werewolf By Night is released just in time for Halloween. From werewolves, to beasts, to an animatronic corpse it offers mostly family friendly fun. There is mild body horror, but nothing that would grant it higher than its PG-13 rating. It takes a stab at paying homage to the Universal Monster films of long ago, with the old school camera work and the almost campy feel of its monsters being a major tonal focus.
One of the key pieces to the story is something called a Bloodstone, and whoever holds it is granted the important role of head hunter. The Bloodstone shines a bright red in front of the otherwise black-and-white scenes, drawing a sense of visual importance to this item. This break from the old-timey filming technique adds some flair and character to the visuals, and can help younger viewers have something to focus on when it’s present on screen.
Werewolf by Night perfectly mixes modern film and the older more campy styles of early horror films. Marvel pays homage to films such as Dracula, Frankenstein and Creature Of The Black Lagoon. It uses the old camera styles and lighting but with a modern story and budget, which allows it to elevate itself and not be held back in delivering on the camp.
Much like older horror films, this movie lacks any major character development. There are several characters introduced that make their presence known throughout. These characters could have had some more added to their character. The protagonist doesn’t change at all through the fifty minute run time, with his most major shift being into his beastly form. The hunters he meets along the way are also just that: hunters from hunting families who don’t grow in the slightest. There were opportunities for people to change but Marvel did not give them that chance.
This is the MCU’s first take at a truly horror-focused experience and that is exactly what it feels like: a first draft. They don’t do anything new or exciting except follow an existing and outdated horror outline. Marvel has been pumping critically acclaimed films, and Werewolf By Night is no different. With a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and an audience score of 3.7 on LetterBoxd, people enjoy this film. Hopefully it opens up a new genre of opportunities for Marvel, with several horror comics they could pull inspiration from.
While this short film knows exactly what kind of style it’s trying to emulate, it doesn’t rely on cheap jump scares or other overused horror tropes to create its uneasy feel. There is dim lighting and thick fog in most scenes to build the atmosphere and put the viewer on edge. It separates itself from other modern horror outings because of the unique filming tactics and what seem like practical effects to build its world.
The camerawork and effects of the film make it worth a watch, but the story leaves something to be desired. There isn’t much of a plot outside of the fast paced monster hunt, the werewolf being exposed and many missed opportunities to further develop this promising cast of characters.
Grade: C+
