5 Reasons to Watch ‘Werewolf by Night’

If you haven’t heard about the hype around Werewolf by Night by now then this is the article for you. And I’m here to tell you why you should watch Werewolf by Night the moment it hits Disney+. Werewolf by Night tells a tale of a collection of monster hunters being brought together to honor their fallen leader, Ulysses Bloodstone. As his final act, he has bequeathed this group the ability to earn his all-powerful bloodstone to whichever hunter can slay the monster that roams about in his personal maze. But things get murky as the night goes from bad to worse very quickly.

While it might sound quite quirky, and from the footage that’s been released it doesn’t look all that and a bag of crisps, but oooh dear reader allow me to give you five reasons to watch Werewolf by Night, and show why this Marvel special needs to fly to the top of your must-watch list as soon as it’s available on October 7th.

Capturing Classic Horror

I was highly skeptical of this special, but upon seeing the trailer I was willing to give it a chance. The last few times Marvel had recently announced it was attempting something specifically genre I’ve been left incredibly unsatisfied and generally disappointed. So I came into this project with lower expectations. However, I still remain in a state of utter shock at how Michael Giacchino has been able to pull this style off because it’s so incredibly refreshing and unique.

It really works on a variety of levels. The special is inspired by the monsters movies of the 1930s and 1940s and it does a wonderful job of encapsulating that entire movement through a variety of methods from the cinematography, and the score, down to the very dialogue itself. Giacchino not only understood the assignment, he injected every ounce of passion into this project from all levels and you can really feel it. It should feel somewhat outdated, and out of place and yet this monster short is completely brilliant. I’ve watched it twice, I just can’t get enough of it.

The Characters

Werewolf by Night is compelling because of its characters. It is anchored by the wonderful talents of Gael García Bernal as Jack Russell and Laura Donnelly as Elsa Bloodstone. Bernal is so damn fun to watch on screen. He has this naturally comforting, yet dangerous, charm to him. A charismatic hunter that is comfortable around the occult, without being roguishly over the top. Added to that Jack’s character concept and the signature design on his face serve as an homage to his family as a way to carriage his heritage with him. Something he addresses right away and something that was important for Giacchino to have meaning behind that, as opposed to just a cool aesthetic.

Donnelly’s Elsa on the other hand is quite the contrast to Bernal’s Jack. A Bloodstone by birth but far removed from the traditional expectation of her family, she is far more guarded and untrusting. A colder character but mysteriously alluring and carries herself with bold confidence. It also helps that’ Donnelly’s delivery of her lines with that English accent help elevate the role.

The interaction of the two is a perfect fusion, and I found myself once all was said and done seeing more of these two in this brand-new world of the occult in the MCU.

Monsters

You can’t have a monster special without monsters. So of course, this is on the list for you to watch Werewolf By Night. This feels like an obvious inclusion but stick with me. Marvel’s track record lately with visual effects has been very subpar, which only ever hurts the believability of a story. If you can’t buy in everything else falls apart. Again, at the crux of Werewolf by Night are the monsters, they are crucial. While I won’t spoil anything about the specifics in this category I can unabashedly tell you the visual and practical effects were absolutely bloody brilliant.

The details used were stunning in places, but what I loved about the use of the monsters was how best to capture them. Giacchino doesn’t just clumsily throw them all on to the screen in full light allowing you to meticulously take in every detail, no. In a lot of instances the myth of the creature itself is more powerful the less it’s seen, or its movements and details are covered in darkness and shadows.

I was so enthusiastically enamored with the handling of the creature details, and the direction in how to best film them, that for me is another cornerstone in why this genre special hits on a different level to other Marvel projects.

Tone

This topic will definitely be a more disputable point depending on how you fall as a viewer, however, personally speaking, I found myself relieved that Werewolf by Night doesn’t shy away from the violence, and what I’d call light gore. Contrast this special with what’s come before this though and it’ll come as quite a surprise to see a shift away from a story for all audiences. This has been a pet peeve of mine lately with the MCU as it needs to be addressed that it’s ok for a story and property to not be the main target audience. In attempting to make a story for everyone the end result means no one ever leaves fully satisfied as you end up with a story that’s tonally all over the place.

Thankfully this is not the case here as the monster special embraces the elements of horror to fully drive home the danger of what’s at stake. Both hunters, and monsters, are powerful, and savage beings capable of extreme violence in order to complete their task. There are moments when my mouth was left agape, as blood splatters on the screen slowly dripping down. It was stunning, and I may have squealed in the excitement that they were allowed to finally do something like this. This is definitely a reason to watch Werewolf By Night.

Message

Beyond the genre, characters, monsters, and tone of the short film there’s also a deeper message of empathy and understanding and it comes at you from all fronts. This distinction in the narrative to enlighten the situation adds real humanity, and heart. A lot of the compassion is driven through Jack, and later explored further as he and Elsa bond over their past. The moments are fleeting, but they land a gravitas thanks to the emotive performances from Bernal and Donnelly.

Watch Werewolf by Night will be available to stream now exclusively on Disney+.