Werewolf By Night, Marvel’s first-ever ‘special presentation,’ is a strange beast, much like its titular monster. At its heart, it’s an ode to classic monster movies and Halloween specials, but it’s also a product of one of the biggest studios on the planet, and it can’t quite escape from under that shadow.
There are plenty of elements to like aboutWerewolf By Night: it has a distinct style, some striking imagery, and a solid lead performance. It’s not afraid to lean into its campy roots, and when it does, it’s a lot of fun. However, no matter how much it tries to bury it, the Marvel house style is still there, ultimately de-fanging what could have been a fearsome beast.
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Werewolf By Nightis structured around a monster hunting competition: the best in the world have gathered to compete for possession of the bloodstone, an artifact belonging toa family of famous monster hunters. Among them is Jack Russell (Gael García Bernal), who is there for his own mysterious reasons, and Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly), the prodigal daughter who has returned to claim her birthright.
The monster hunters are tasked by an animatronic corpse (one of the special’s more charming touches) with bringing down a monster who will be made extra aggressive by the bloodstone. Along with trying to kill said monster, the monster hunters also turn on each other, trying to eliminate their competition. Jack and Elsa team up so they can both get what they want, before finding themselves in a situation where Jack’s inner wolf is released.
Despite being a one-off story, one that mostly avoids its connections to the wider Marvel universe,Werewolf By Nightfeels oddly thin with a plot that seems like too little for even its roughly 50-minute runtime. A good portion of the special’s first half is spent just having the monster hunters walk around a maze that also serves as a cemetery. This is punctuated by a couple of bursts of action, but they are over so fast that they barely register.
What can be said aboutWerewolf By Nightis that it at least feels like a fully self-contained story, one that doesn’t work too hard to establish its connections to other corners of the MCU. Much like Andor’s own success,Werewolf By Nightis at the very least a fun one-off that can be enjoyed by anyone, even if they haven’t trudged through the entirety of Marvel’s catalogue.
Outside of Jack and Elsa, there isn’t that much character development. Elsa’s backstory is One of the monster hunters is given far more personality than any of the others, but it’s not quite enough to feel like this is a fully populated story. More than any other Marvel show or movie, this feels like a project where having knowledge of the comics would make the viewing experience richer, but that shouldn’t be a prerequisite. Much has been made about the idea that jumping into an MCU story requires too much homework, but even for its standalone nature,Werewolf By Nightfeels like it should be pre-empted by an explainer about the characters and their history in order to get the full picture.
WhereWerewolf By Nightsucceeds is in its style, even if it is lacking in the substance to fully back it up. First-time director and long-time composer Michael Giacchino acquits himself well in paying homage to the monster movies of the 30s that this special is emulating. He lends the proceedings a blend of macabre darkness and campy fun, and adds in some stylish moments utilizing light and shadow. He also pulls double duty in composing the special’s music, which is a real standout in how it evokes both modern orchestral flourishes and the haunting touches of classic horror movie scores.
Giacchino only really stumbles when it comes to staging the more action-oriented parts of the special, which tend to be somewhat muddled by quick cuts and dark lighting.Giacchino previously said he was allowed to push the bloody limitsinWerewolf By Night, but aside from a few quick blood splatters, there’s not much here that feels like it’s all that transgressive (as far as something from Marvel can be, that is).
Werewolf By Nightisn’t likely to end up being anyone’s favorite Marvel project, but what it does accomplish is showing that there is a place for these sorts of stylish stories that can be told in one quick shot rather than stretched out over numerous episodes or one long movie. What will need to be improved in potential future special presentations is providing enough substance to match the style.Werewolf By Nightdoesn’t quite pull off that balancing act, which is too bad considering the care and love that Giacchino obviously has for the works that inspired it.Werewolf By Nightis a quick ride with a few fun moments, but it doesn’t have nearly enough bite.
