'Werewolf by Night' review: MCU's Halloween special is a fun throwback to classic monster movies
Werewolf by Night
'Werewolf by Night', a Halloween TV special now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, is fresh territory for Marvel Studios and the first small screen product from the Marvel Cinematic Universe creator that perfectly fulfills its zany promise -- something 'WandaVision' wishes it did. It is a self-assured debut by composer Michael Giacchino (recent scores include 'The Batman' and 'Spider-Man: No Way Home'), who not surprisingly has written a score that goes nicely with the retro style of the special. Based on the character of the same name, 'Werewolf by Night' has a cult-like group of monster hunters assembling after the death of their leader, Ulysses Bloodstone, to play a deadly game: whosoever kills a monster in a maze-like arena will be the next leader and will wield the Bloodstone, a powerful object that can weaken the said monster of its powers.
Among the celebrated monster hunters is Jack Russell (Gael García Bernal), who is secretly a werewolf. But he is also a gentle soul and does not want to hurt the harmless monster, who he calls Ted. Also in the cast is Irish actress Laura Donnelly as Elsa Bloodstone, the estranged daughter of Ulysses who has no fondness for her father's cult. As the other monster hunters try to bring down the creature, the two team up to help it escape.
Almost the whole special is shot in black-and-white and echoes the monsters movies of the 1930s. Giacchino, working from a screenplay by Heather Quinn and Peter Cameron, takes to the brief but interesting tale with relish, nicely balancing the nostalgia factor and actual monster extravaganza. At no point, it appears he is an amateur when it comes to being a director. The visuals, editing, and even the basic visual effects echo the 1930s. The werewolf form of Jack is basically him clad in heavy fur and a scary mask. It sounds nonsense, but it works.
The monster design is also rather impressive, but again, is in keeping with the olde worlde style of the special. The bold stylistic choices will probably not work for everyone, as perhaps not all look at Old Hollywood with affection. But most will find a lot of fun in carefully doled-out thrills and Bernal and Donnelly's performances the special has to offer.
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The 50-odd minutes of screentime pass in a jiffy. I would have appreciated the feature length even more. More weird, crazy comic-book adaptations like this, please.
'Werewolf by Night' is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.