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Werewolf By Night Review

by: Chris Conkling

The spooky season is upon us, and with it, Marvel Studios has dropped its first “Special Presentation” on Disney Plus, “Werewolf By Night”. “Werewolf By Night” is ostensibly Marvel’s version of a Halloween special. Both directed by Michael Giacchino, with music composed by Giacchino as well, “Werewolf By Night” stars Gael García Bernal, Laura Donnelly, Harriet Sansom Harris, Kirk R. Thatcher, Eugenie Bondurant, Leonardo Nam, and Daniel J. Watts.

The special presentation follows a group of monster hunters attending the funeral of the recently deceased Ulysses Bloodstone. The hunters have gathered in attendance to see who among them will become the group’s new leader and possess the powerful Bloodstone relic, however not all is as it seems and someone among them might actually be of the same ilk as the beasts they themselves hunt.

“Werewolf By Night “ is an extremely unique departure from the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s entirely standalone and harkens back to the Universal monster films of the 1930s. The special utilizes black and white color grading and a haunting score to make it feel of the era to which it is paying homage. “Werewolf By Night” is also the most gory outing the MCU has seen thus far, but its use of shadow and cinematography makes it so the gore never seems excessive.

If I were to have one critique, it would be the special’s run-time. Clocking in at 54 minutes, the presentation’s length feels as though it is simultaneously a strength and a weakness. A strength in that its brevity allows the campy nature of the piece to remain entertaining throughout. A weakness because of how quickly the presentation moves; there is no time for significant character development. If you are looking for deeper character interactions, you won’t find them here.

Overall, “Werewolf By Night” is extremely entertaining, and a great way to kick off a monster movie marathon. If you are a fan of the material it is mimicking, you will have an absolute blast. Outside of streaming shows and theatrical releases, this new “special presentation” format from Marvel Studios is off to a great start, and will hopefully provide them with an outlet to continue to make interesting additions to the franchise without being fettered by the restrictions of the other two formats.