Werewolf By Night is an upcoming 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 has amazing reviews and first reactions. As the Halloween is set to debut on Disney+ this week, the critics who saw the film have given out their thoughts, let’s see what they’re. First, check out the full leaked plot of Werewolf By Night right here!
Werewolf By Night Reviews Roundup: Critics Laud Marvel’s Halloween Special!
Werewolf By Night is being absolutely lauded by critics for the freshness that it brings to the Superhero genre. Although, I think I shouldn’t call it a Superhero film as it is very much a horror film. Amidst all the praise there is one serious caveat that the Halloween special is facing i.e., the runtime. Not that it is too long. The opposite. It is too short. One hour of this is not enough for the critics as the amazing direction and great horror feels like a trailer for what is about to come but alas that is all we’ll get.
Maybe if the Special performs well on Disney+ then we might get a full fledged film with some of these characters. At the time of writing, Werewolf By Night doesn’t have an IMDb score but it does have staggering 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Apart from the scores, let’s see what are the comments associated with the film.
Tessa Smith
Mama’s Geeky
“A love letter to classic monster horror films with a little bit of Marvel sprinkled in — and it is fantastic. Marvel took a big risk adding something so unique into the middle of Phase 4, but it really pays off.”
Original Score: 5/5
Cody Leach
Cody Leach (YouTube)
“Werewolf by Night is a well-directed throwback to the classic era of horror & monster flicks. The black & white style, especially the lighting, is put to great use and makes this stand out in the MCU. The 50 minute runtime is confusing and disappointing.”
Original Score: 3.5/5
Brad Gullickson
Film School Rejects
“Marvel’s first “Special Presentation” is a monster mash. You can sense Giacchino’s glee in each frame. He’s jammed everything he loves about the genre into one singular expression.”
Sean Chandler
Sean Chandler Talks About
“Werewolf By Night is one of MCU phase 4’s biggest risks, but also one of it’s most pleasant surprises. Marvel’s tribute to classic monster movies is violent and refreshing. My biggest complaint is that I wish there was more of it.”
Meagan Navarro
Bloody Disgusting
“The delightful retro horror stylings and a pair of endearing leads successfully distract, at least for a while, from some of the more conventional MCU traits.”
Original Score: 3/5
Germain Lussier
io9.com
“Werewolf by Night is the least MCU entry into the MCU since, well, before the MCU existed. That’s a good thing…[It’s] a full on love letter to everything monster and monster movie.”
Marisa Mirabal
indieWire
“Utilizing elements of dark comedy, light romance, and friendship, Werewolf by Night is successfully able to balance fun and fright.”
Original Score: B+
Beau Paul
We Got This Covered
“The film also reveals itself to be a perfectly realized horror tale that exists and fits into the MCU as a whole. After several failed attempts, it seems like the MCU has finally found a capable Cryptkeeper at last in Giacchino.”
Original Score: 4/5
Alan Cerny
VitalThrills.com
“I love how (Michael) Giacchino pays homage to the monster movies of old — even going so far as to have cigarette burns in the corner like some beat up 35MM film print! — but also introduces horror to the MCU in a fresh, compelling way.”
Kate Sánchez
But Why Tho? A Geek Community
“Werewolf By Night is perfection and there is no overstating that. For those in the audience who grew up on Universal and Hammer horror, this is for you. It’s the embodiment of a love for monsters that runs deep.”
Chris Evangelista
Slashfilm
“A fun monster movie homage from Marvel.”
Check out the Full Trailer for Marvel’s Halloween Special Werewolf By Night on YouTube:
Marvel’s Halloween Special will be available for streaming on Disney+ Hotstar from 7th October 2022.
If you have any questions regarding Marvel’s Werewolf By Night, feel free to ask in the comments below. For more content, stay tuned. As usual, like, subscribe and share our articles as we here are trying to build a community of people High on Cinema!
