The latest offering from Marvel Studios has arrived, and it is a dramatic turn for the studio as it delves into the darker side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and frankly for the Disney+ streaming service as well.
Werewolf By Night is a visually appealing tale that lovingly plays deep homage to the classic Black and White horror movies of old, yet infuses modern content and a touch of humor.
When a group of monster hunters is assembled at Bloodstone Temple following the death of their leader, the assembled guests are tasked to compete against one another to find a relic and oh yes, contend with a deadly monster in the maze as well. The hunters are informed that they are fair game for one another and the combination of competition and survival promises danger and deadly encounters along the way.
Things are not as they seem, as one of the hunters named Jack Russell (Gael Garcia Bernal) has a dark secret or two. When he ends up working with Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly), things get very interesting and deadly.
The show is deeply-enjoyable and makes me wish that this was a series rather than a special, but I would think that audiences will see some of the characters again in the future. There is more violence than we are used to seeing from the MCU, but it’s toned back down due to the film having been done in black and white. Not seeing the red of the blood makes it less graphic, but still might be more than some younger fans would expect.
Fan favorite genre film composer Michael Giacchino has done an amazing job on — surprise! — directing this cinematic experiment by Marvel Studios. He’s also written the score, so the communication between the direction and the film score is as tight as it gets. The pacing is solid, the characters are interesting, and the visuals capture the enduring nostalgia of the bygone classics.
I enjoyed the special from start to finish and should be an enjoyable experience, not only for Marvel fans, but for horror fans everywhere.
Werewolf by Night is based on the comicbook character created for Marvel Comics by Gerry Conway, Michael G. Ploog, Roy Thomas and Jean Thomas. It starsGael García Bernal as Jack Russel, Laura Donnelly as Elsa Bloodstone, and Harriet Sansom Harris as Verusa.
Look for it exclusively on Disney+ on October 7th.
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