Werewolf By Night is the latest 1 hour long TV Halloween Special from Marvel. It is directed by Michael Giacchino with a screenplay from Heather Quinn and Peter Cameron co-wrote the screenplay, from a story by Quinn; Quinn previously wrote for the Marvel Studios Disney+ series Hawkeye (2021) and Cameron wrote for WandaVision (2021) and Moon Knight (2022). Giacchino is also the sound composer of the film. Although, I’m not sure can I call this a film as it isn’t even 60 minutes. Werewolf By Night’s premise is simple but that doesn’t make it bad, “On a dark and sombre night, a secret cabal of monster hunters emerge from the shadows and gather at the Bloodstone Temple following the death of their leader; the attendees are thrust into a mysterious and deadly competition for a powerful relic.”
The TV special stars Gael Garcia Bernal, Laura Donelly and Harriet Sansom Harris. Werewolf By Night was announced at D23 Expo where we also got the first trailer for the Halloween Special. This is the first special from Marvel ever. So I was excited for it. The TV Special premiered in Fantastic Fest as part of a special screening along with Hellraiser (2022). Just like Hellraiser, Werewolf By Night also got amazing reviews and first reactions. So, I was looking forward to watching it and see what Marvel does with the horror genre. Especially when they advertised Multiverse of Madness as a horror film and then we got well…Now that I’ve seen it let’s talk about is it worth watching?
Rating – ★★★
Werewolf by Night Review: Gael Garcia Bernal is a Charming Werewolf!
Werewolf by Night off the bat is better than any Marvel content we’ve gotten all year. Last two years have been really disappointing for Marvel fans as the studio’s content quality has really taken a hit. Marvel has been so obsessed about giving fans more content that they’ve forgotten to check the quality of it. Its the classic quantity over quality. Since Marvel has started making TV shows and putting them on Disney+ I have been afraid whenever they try something new. So, I was skeptical when they announced this new special.
I was afraid this was another new thing Marvel was trying that they’ll not do a good job at but still continue to do instead of solving the issue in the roots. Although, I am glad to say that this experimental special is the best thing Marvel has done this year. I’ll tell you why. Firstly, the black and white aesthetic was a masterstroke. I mean it might be subjective but I’m a big fan of b/w cinema. Gael Garcia Bernal was extremely charming and understated. I watched him for the first time in anything and yet I was rooting for him.
Laura Donelly and Harriet Sansom Harris were great in their roles as well. The setting of the story was perfect, in a new world that we’re not aware of, with a mythology of its own and yet it was not so over the top that the exposition never ends. No, I think the exposition ended within the first 5 minutes. I love the dynamics between the characters. The set-up of the story as a hunt where everyone is for themselves, I’ll always dig it. The Bloodstone was a fascinating relic. Also, this was not showed in the trailer but Man-Thing is in the film as well.
The special is surprisingly bloody as well. I think they got away with it because of the black and white so the redness of the blood is not visible. Also, I’d have to appreciate Michael Giacchino for the way he has directed this special. I mean for content that is just an hours long, it feels like Giacchino has directed the hell out of it. Especially, the transformation sequence of Jack to Werewolf. The way the camera pushes in on Elsa while the shadows behind her reveal that the Werewolf is in the making.
Verdict
Werewolf by Night as I’d said before, is the best thing Marvel has done all year long. The entire special looks like a nod to all the monster films from the 40s and 50s. The direction of the special feels like that as well. This is not for everyone. Of course if you like what Marvel has been doing for the last years, then this is very different and you won’t appreciate it. But for all the people who have been begging Marvel to do something different, Marvel has done exactly that. They had the guts to churn out a niche special that their general fans won’t like.
However, when I say they have guts, I would like to extend that and say that not enough. If they had made this special about 2 hours long then it would’ve been so much better. The special is engaging and extremely interesting but as soon as you’re looking forward to it, you realize its over. Story wise there is not much problem but it feels like it ended too quickly. I would’ve liked to see this going on for a nice 2-2.5 hours. The end is good with the visual cue of the nightmare being over with the colors ripening up the black and white atmosphere.
Werewolf by Night could’ve been better but it was good seeing the Marvel try something new and seeing their track record they’ve done a good job. I only wish it was longer, that’s what she said. Werewolf by Night is 3 out of 5 stars.
Marvel’s Halloween Special- Werewolf by Night is currently available for streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
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