Werewolf by Night

What a fun and well made movie, lots of classic elements, not really scary, but fun and a rewarding time with a great ending.

For Marvel this is a much needed win after bad storylines like that of She-Hulk.

Great cast and acting, Laura Donnelly and Gael García Bernal are perfect for their roles, music underscored everything perfectly and the fact that it was in black and white didn't take away from it, but rather added to the charm.

The storyline was great and creative, something that I find is missing a lot lately in newer movies and TV shows.

This one is a very recommended watch, it'll leave you wishing it was a bit longer, but also refreshingly satisfied.

Impressive directorial debut from music composer, Giacchino, who approaches visual storytelling like the magical music he creates, with every shot (note) synchronized with the character's emotions, all in splendorous black and white giving it a 1940s feel that reminds one of a Jacques Tourneur classic horror film (most notable, Cat People).

Gael García Bernal is perfectly cast as the legendary Marvel unsung hero, Jack Russell. Gael underplays the role with a gentle humility giving it a somewhat realistic empathetic character that is not seen in most Marvel projects. The remaining characters are a joy as they ramp it up in the Marvel mode, creating a conflicting contrast to that of Jack's humbleness, until Jack becomes a wolf! The most enjoyable of all was the interaction with Jack and the monster, an absolute delight.

A visual striking and very entertaining unconvoluted Marvel short film that should have been a feature. Please turn this into a series!

Werewolf by Night is an unexpectedly atypical MCU release. It doesn't feel like the usual MCU genre. It's a lot darker and in the direction of horror. And I'm really happy with how they didn't seem to hold back on the violence. There is actually blood! (looking at you, Morbius, a vampire movie with zero blood)

I love the style, somewhat of a throwback to old monster flicks. Michael Giacchino does a good job with both directing and the musical score. There are some good horror moments and a few great shots.

Overall I really enjoyed this special. I know there is the Marvel fatigue crowd probably groaning over more content, but I don't get fatigue from awesomeness. I would love to see more specials like this.

(2 viewings, 10/15/2022, 7/15/2024)

Werewolf by Night retains the MCU's trademark humour for better and for worse and would've definitely benefited from a longer run time but it remains a great exercise in genre with a clear love for classic monster movies and has a blast going to more violent ends than usual.

Gael García Bernal brings the heart and clumsy charm to the proceedings whilst Laura Donnelly is the more stoic one with some solid dry wit to balance it out and Harriet Sansom Harris absolutely chews the scenery to great effect.

The use of black and white combined with the added film grain and cigarette burns is really impressive and enhances the experience. It also really helps it standout in an increasingly crowded and overly familiar universe.

Michael Giacchino's direction is amazing, especially for a debut. It's so artistically composed in its striking imagery and skillfully controlled symphonies of violence. Giacchino's score is also excellent, instantly evocative and grandiose in all the right ways.

I had no idea Marvel was capable of something like this. I had never heard of this character and I didn't know what it was before its release. The writers, director, etc.. I hope Disney has locked them down. Everything about this is magical. Even the presentation, which I assume is an homage to century old creature features. Im just blown away at the creativity, storytelling, the casting, all of it. This thing was short and they still did the male and female lead justice with a proper backstory and very satisfying finish. I am hoping Marvel can take this masterpiece and build from it. Obviously I wouldn't expect future productions of these characters to be this perfect, but I hope they put forth the same effort. Its all anyone can ask.