An Average Movie-Goer’s Review
Spoilers! If you don’t want spoilers – check out the Spoiler-Free post
I love horror movies and if I’m going to watch them anyway, why not write an entertaining/funny review from the POV of an average movie-goer and not a professional critic.
Today we’re looking at Marvel’s Werewolf by Night exclusive on Disney+
A group of monster hunters participate in a ceremonial hunt to win a powerful relic but soon find themselves in danger from a violent uncontrollable monster.
Is it Scary?
No, while there is a jump scare very early on, the movie relies more on creating the creepy somewhat campy atmosphere of black-and-white horror movies. There’s a bit of gore but it’s in black and white so… doesn’t count?
Overall you won’t leave Werewolf by Night scared unless you’re a werewolf by night as it might cause you to remember some memories you’re trying to avoid.
Detailed Plot:
We open with some black-and-white retro credits and title card… wait, first the Marvel intro. Immediately there’s a jump scare as we hear screams and see slashes appear on screen. Title card! Another Marvel Studio Presents banner and now… title.. card?… TITLE CARD!
A narrator basically says “yea superheroes exist but what about the supernatural?” We learn of the Bloodstone family who possess a powerful relic known as the bloodstone and you have to wonder if that was a coincidence. Turns out the head of the family, Ulysses Bloodstone, is dead and we’re about to check out his funeral.
Multiple monster hunters from around the world have gathered to take part in a ceremonial hunt in order to win the bloodstone. As the narrator talks about a monster hidden among the group, we see one of our main characters, Jack Russell (played by Gael Garcia Bernal). Pretty sure the narrator just told us he’s a monster.
Jack walks into the viewing room which also houses several artifacts including the bloodstone. He meets the hunter Jovan and we get the feeling that Jack isn’t much of a hunter. Meanwhile, butler Billy Swan (played by Al Hamacher) alerts Verusa, Ulysses’s widow, (played by Harriet Sansom Harris) that Elsa, Ulysses’ daughter, has arrived.
In the hallway, Verusa confronts Elsa (played by Laura Donnelly) and we learn that Elsa left the family 20 years ago. Elsa was supposed to be her father’s successor and was expected to surpass him in ability but she turned her back on the family. Though, Elsa hints she has been training elsewhere.
Since Elsa left the family for so long, she now has to earn the bloodstone but it’s clear Verusa would rather give it to anyone else. Verusa also adds that Elsa was Ulysses’ greatest disappointment.
The wake starts and we meet the rest of the hunters but they don’t get names. The group sit around the upright coffin and Verusa exclaims that the hunters in the room are some of the best with over 200 confirmed kills between them. Jack alone, has 100 deaths to his name.
Billy inserts a tool into the coffin and Verusa tells the group that Ulysses planned something special. As Billy finishes turning the crank, the coffin opens up and we see that Ulysses has turned himself into a puppet, he’s still totally dead though.
The Puppet-Ulysses moves and a recording plays instructing the group that a dangerous monster will be released on the grounds with the bloodstone embedded in it. The hunters are to kill it and the one who does, acquires the bloodstone, becoming the leader of the hunters.
This also means that the hunters can kill each other to better their chances, and everyone, including Elsa, is fair game.
From the bottom right screenshot, the hunters are Kirk R. Thatcher as Jovan, Gael Barcia Bernal as Jack, Daniel J. Watts as Barasso, Eugenie Bondurant as Azarel, and Laura Donnelly as Elsa Bloodstone. In the top right, the final hunter Leonardo Nam as Liorn.
The hunt begins with Jack winning the draw to enter the grounds first as the monster roars somewhere in the maze. After some time, all hunters have entered the maze-like grounds, and Elsa comes upon Jack who refuses to fight her to her confusion.
Before she can ask why the two are ambushed by Jovan swinging a large axe. Elsa saves Jack by pushing him away and Jovan slams her head against the wall. Regaining her composure, she easily flips him over, grabs his axe, and climbs over a wall.
Continuing her hunt, now with a big-ass axe, Elsa finds several large burning footprints but is distracted by a sound coming from a nearby mausoleum crypt. Getting closer, she avoids being shot by Liorn’s wrist-mounted crossbow and she slams the door on his arm. Unfortunately for Liorn, his arm is at perfect axe-chopping height.
Liorn busts through the door causing Elsa to drop the axe a few feet away and the two struggle. Elsa pins Liorn down but he tosses her aside and goes for the axe. Though he misses a few swipes, he cuts Elsa’s leg as she attempts to kick him. She then kicks his knee dropping him to the ground and she spots his wrist-mounted crossbow still attached to his detached arm.
Grabbing it, she quickly shoots Liorn in the freaking face causing him to drop the axe. Hearing someone else coming, Elsa grabs Liorn and rolls into a crevice below the footpath. Jovan enters with a much smaller axe, spots the larger axe, and grabs it, never seeing or hearing Elsa or Liorn.
Meanwhile, Jack is grabbed by the monster and it turns out they’re friends! As the monster hides behind some bushes, Jack talks to it and we find out Jack entered the ceremonial hunt to save his friend who was captured.
Using a small explosive, Jack plans on blowing up one of the walls to escape. Azarel stumbles upon the scene and after Jack hears her he runs away as she gives chase. Eventually, Jack runs into the mausoleum crypt where Elsa is tending to her wound. She tries to tell him not to close the door but he doesn’t hear her in time and discovers they’re now locked in.
Jack wraps Elsa’s cut with his tie and she realizes he’s not there to hunt. Jack reveals he is friends with the monster and is planning on saving him. The two bond as they talk about the difficulties with their families because this is still a Disney/Marvel film and family trauma is a pre-requisite!
Elsa remembers her father used to tell her stories of her crazy aunt who is buried in the crypt and always believed she would be brought back to life. As Elsa breaks into her coffin pulling out pieces of bones and her skull, she explains that her aunt made sure that if she was brought back to life, she could unlock the crypt with a spare set of keys.
After finding a metal whip and the keys the two escape the crypt and agree to help each other. Elsa is to find the monster, whose name is Ted, and lead him to a cracked wall where Jack will have detonated his explosive device. Jack and the monster get to escape and Elsa gets the bloodstone.
Elsewhere, Jovan has found the bushes where Ted is hiding and slowly approaches with both axes. Elsa arrives and distracts Jovan as Ted busts through the bushes, grabs Jovan, and immolates him to ashes.
Ted roars at Elsa but immediately calms down when she calls him by his name. With Ted’s roar alerting the remaining hunters, Azarel and Barasso, Ted and Elsa race to the wall where Jack has finally gotten his explosive to work.
Ted jumps through the hole in the wall as Elsa uses her whip to pull the bloodstone off his back. Jack grabs the bloodstone but it releases a force throwing him back. Verusa, a security crew with electric prods, and the remaining hunters arrive.
Elsa looks on in disbelief as Verusa reveals that based on the bloodstone’s reaction to Jack’s touch, it means he’s a monster. A security guard prods Jack, knocking him out and Elsa proclaims that Verusa nor the hunters deserve the bloodstone. A security guard prods Elsa knocking her out as well.
A short time later Jack awakes locked in a cell with Elsa and apologizes for deceiving her. He promises he would never hurt anyone and his monster is something he can’t control during every full moon. You all know how werewolves work. Regardless Jack says they have nothing to worry about since the next full moon isn’t for 5 days.
Elsa then reveals that the bloodstone could turn him without a full moon present and Verusa plans to do just that as a way for him to kill Elsa. As the doors open, Jack rushes over to Elsa and begins to sniff her hair and arms in an attempt to remember her scent when he turns. Elsa asks if it has ever worked before and he admits it’s only worked once.
Verusa, security, and the rest of the hunters enter as Jack begs them to kill him now as once he turns, there will be no mercy. Since this is Werewolf By Night and not Almost Werewolf By Night, Verusa disregards his plea and uses the bloodstone to turn him.
Jack-Wolf immediately grabs Verusa’s arm but the security detail starts prodding him and this somehow creates a ton of smoke. As we pan back we and the security team see that Jack-Wolf has ripped through the top of the cage.
Everyone, security, and hunters, cautiously look around the room preparing themselves to fight. Jack-Wolk leaps from the ceiling instantly killing two guards and goes on a rampage killing multiple guards.
Barasso throws an electric prod at a lamp near Jack-Wolf causing a small explosion but also causing Jack-Wolf to target him. Jack (I’m just going to call him Jack now) attacks, easily gains the upper hand, and Mike Tyson’s him before throwing him to the side.
Now earless, Barasso grabs a sword but Elsa has climbed out of the cage and grabs a sword herself to stop him. She immediately kills him as Azarel grabs her own sword and engages Elsa. Meanwhile, Jack is still easily ripping guards apart in a hallway as blood splatters onto the screen.
Verusa grabs the bloodstone and attacks sending energy blasts at Jack that throw him across the room. Meanwhile, Elsa continues her sword fight with Azarel and unlike her sword fight with Barasso, this one feels more evenly matched.
Grabbing her clawed whip, Elsa stabs Verusa in the back, stopping her attack on Jack. Elsa carefully approaches Jack but he jumps on top of her. He’s about to attack but he remembers her scent and after a moment of staring into her eyes, he runs out of the mansion.
Elsa gets up as Verusa confronts her with a shotgun. As she goes to shoot, Ted jumps down from the ceiling and immolates her.
Throwing her body aside, Ted looks at Elsa and she tells him Jack left. Ted shrugs and heads off to find his friend. The butler Billy appears and offers his assistance to Elsa. She orders him to clean up the mess before plopping down on a nearby chair. As she looks at the bloodstone, color fills the screen and we finally see everything in color.
We cut to the following day with Jack waking up in a makeshift tent and Ted sitting on a nearby stump having prepared coffee. Jack asks if Elsa is okay and Ted confirms she is. The two friends share a laugh and debate who between each other actually saved who. The film ends as they agree to have some sushi.
Review:
Werewolf by Night is great. The acting is great and the dialogue is good, no surprise coming from a Marvel/Disney film. The few fight scenes there are in the movie feel well-choreographed and the practical effects are well-done. The stand-out for this movie though is definitely the music. Scenes that shouldn’t be effective in suspense are elevated by the music and you find yourself a bit on the edge of your seat.
While it’s a very short movie at around 55 minutes, that ends up working for it as it prevents the movie from overstaying its welcome. We learn just enough about the main characters that we’re left with a pretty good understanding of who they are.
But as a negative, we didn’t learn a lot and at times nothing about the rest of the hunters. They’re just there to be fought later in the movie. I don’t even think Azarel gets any lines besides chanting with the rest of the hunters.
Despite this, because the movie is so short, you don’t really notice. Plus, there’s this idea of a monster hunter you might already have that you impart on the characters from the moment you meet them.
The movie is a bit campy at times, mainly because it’s trying to emulate the campy horror films of the black-and-white era but it works. You might find the campy Verusa to be a little over the top but I thought it worked fine.
Overall I highly recommend Werewolf by Night; it’s fun, very lightly gory, has great atmosphere, and great music.
Cast IMDB