User reviews

Werewolves is not a good monster movie. It's not trying to be. It's trying to be a comedy and a twisty who done it. I think it succeeds at both it kept me guessing and kept me laughing. The two leads are both great, especially the ranger with wholesome attitude. I liked it enough to write this review.

Excited to see this one and it was pretty good. Milana is just as cute in this one as she is in the AT&T commercials. Glad to see her branching out for some major roles. Overall it a Clue-type vibe with a Horror ending. It starts a little slow but gets better if you can stick with it. I loved all the actors in this one, perfect choices!!! I had no idea this was a video game? Overall worth the watch.

This is a weird, character driven, small town who done it murder mystery dealio. Super quirky supporting characters that are played over the top by the actors (overacting). Sam Richardson is amazing. Nice seeing him as a lead, he really needs some buddy comedy movie that will take him over the top. Overall super fun renter if you like those oddball comedy films. If you are looking for horror or werewolves this is not for you. Oh and it has the most realistic snowfall I have ever seen in a movie:)

When I sat down to watch "Werewolves Within", I must admit that I hadn't even heard about the movie, nor seen a trailer or anything, so I wasn't really sure what I was in for here. Yeah, of course the title does sell the concept of this being a werewolf movie, but aside from that, then I only knew this was a horror comedy.

So with that clean slate, I sat down to watch the movie, so writer Mishna Wolff - and boy what a coincidence with that surname and the concept of movie, huh? - had every opportunity to win me over.

And I will admit that the movie was actually quite interesting. Sure, the werewolf aspect of the movie was there, but there wasn't a whole lot of actual showcasing the lycanthrope itself in the movie. So if you sit down to watch it for that, which I had hoped it would be, then the movie might be a bit disappointing for you.

The storyline was interesting, as it managed to combine a handful of different elements and genres in a rather fulfilling and entertaining manner. Director Josh Ruben definitely managed to put the script and storyline to life on the screen in a pleasing way.

"Werewolves Within" is actually a who did it murder mystery with a supernatural twist to it. So yeah, this wasn't exactly your average werewolf creature feature.

It should be said that the acting in the movie is rather good. Although I was not overly familiar with actor Sam Richardson, then I will say that he definitely was well-cast for this movie.

My rating of "Werewolves Within" lands on a six out of ten stars.

Could have been better. Funny enough but they should have made it more scarey too. Can do both. Milana... everything she does is cute. I hope to see her in more movies.

We all know the history of video game to movie adaptations. Middling at best, eye-rolling so bad its good time killers. I'm not rating it based on the game - I'm rating the movie itself. If you're looking for a small-town, quirky Fargo-esque whodunit with some small moments of humor mixed in with even smaller moments of horror and weird small-town, narrow minded personalities represented, then this is it. If you're looking for a heavy dose of any one genre or sub-genre you're going to be somewhat disappointed with this hybrid film.

The lead is an up an coming actor with a great range - (see him in The Tomorrow War w/Chris Pratt) - other than him, the rest of the cast is middling. It feels like a missed opportunity with the supporting cast, dialogue - and given that they skimped on red herring moments and great kills (or lack of) - I would give this movie a 5/10. The lead, setting/atmosphere, score are 9/10 and elevate the overall package. It is a perfect introduction to horror for the younger crowd.

I'd rank this as a better film than Howl, Late Phases and Wer but it does not stand out for its time like Ginger Snaps. An American Werewolf in London will never seemingly be toppled for a horror comedy and remains the platinum standard in the werewolf sub-genre, with The Howling close behind for transformation and overall horror.

The film effectively promotes itself as a lighthearted werewolf flick, but doesn't fully convey the "And Then There Were None" style murder mystery at it's core. The three styles do work well together, though they all come across slightly diluted. The comedy is dry but likeable, coming more from quirky character traits than slapstick punchlines. The horror is very minimal, nearly all coming from off screen implication. The whodunit is the central focus really, and for the most part effective, though some details and backstory border on tedious. If you can accept the three styles without asking too much of one, it's all the kind of light fun you can expect from a movie with "werewolf" in the title.

The premise is great, I love the tone, it's pretty funny, and I was generally amused. Everything in the setup intrigued me. But as an overall movie, I feel like it just missed the mark of being something memorable and rewatchable. And while the mystery aspect was well-done, they completely give it away at one point. I'm glad I watched it, but it missed the cut. (1 viewing, 2/3/2022)

Beautifully blending & balancing the elements of comedy, horror & whodunnit mystery into a howling gem, Werewolves Within is more amusing than scary yet manages to be captivating from start to finish. Packed with a colourful set of characters whose interplay injects a fresh quality to its witty & kinetic story, this indie comedy horror is one of the better delights of the year.

Directed by Josh Ruben, the picture comes sprinkled with lycanthropic flavours but it is at its most interesting when dissecting the small-town community and highlighting their prejudices & tendencies to paint a fascinating milieu of our own society, all without sacrificing the genre thrills, fun vibe or entertainment value. And by not acquainting us too well with its characters, Ruben keeps everyone under suspicion.

The tone is lighthearted but there is a lot brewing under the surface. However, since the story never sidelines its comedic touches, the suspenseful moments don't pack the same punch as the funny ones and it is almost devoid of tension & terror. Performances are excellent from all. Sam Richardson leads from the front & is a likeable protagonist. Milana Vayntrub also stands out with her affable input. And the rest play their roles responsibly.

Overall, Werewolves Within makes for a delicious cinematic offering of its video game source and is a confidently crafted & intelligently narrated effort. The comedy comes from the script while remote setting, wintry surroundings & polished camerawork function in tandem to bring the horror aspects into play. Sharp in humour, scathing in commentary & snappy in execution, Josh Ruben's sophomore feature is a much welcome surprise that's worth your time & money.

I see lots of reviews that are trying to box this film into something it was never intended to be. If you're in the mood for something that's a fun light drama, good dialogue and a bunch of quirky characters - this film will entertain.

If your expectations are for a laugh out loud comedy or a serious dramatic horror - you are in the wrong aisle.

The film is driven by the characters, led by the performances of Sam Richardson and Milana Vayntrub - both of whom shined in their roles and were probably the closest to normal among the entire cast.

Note: this is an adaptation of a video game, it seems. It appears that the synopsis describes the video game much better than the film. I'd disregard the current description and focus on keywords like: werewolf, small town, quirkiness - not much else - to help set expectations.

This is in the same vain as The Final Girls.

An ultra nice warden moves to an isolated community where something hairy and toothy stalks the forest.

This is more of a whodunit than a horror movie.

I was put off watching it as it looked cheap and I had never heard of it but the production values are pretty good and the acting is above standard.

I really loved Sam Richardson - his relentless niceness is so endearing and Milan plays a great sassy part, oozing with a girl-next-door sex appeal

There is no gore or horror here and, although not laugh out loud funny, there is a lot of pretty nifty jokes.

This is perfect for a Sunday or weekday treat.

A horror comedy where neighbors in a small town were terrorized by werewolves.

Let's put a disclaimer that this movie is chaotic. People were constantly screaming and panicking because first, they are clearly nuts, and second, they were stuck in a room in a who-done-it situation. The pacing was very fast, and there were hardly any slow moments. This and the craziness of the characters made the movie pretty funny and entertaining. The jokes were surface-level and snappy.

As a horror, many of the scenes were pretty intense. There was nothing new, and a lot of jump scares. I got annoyed at some, but overall I wasn't too bothered. The atmosphere of the movie felt like a fun horror to watch on Christmas or Halloween.

Among all the actors, Milana Vayntrub probably stood out the most. She was being her usual funny AT&T girl and her character's relationship with the main guy was entertaining.

Overall, a fun and chaotic horror. 7/10.

It felt at times i was about to see something amazing happen but never happens. I was left disappointed with wanting more. The movie is well done and the cast is solid but it's just ok funny, never really crosses over the line to being really funny. It's worth a watch but not going to be a movie you watch again.

"Werewolves Within" is a good date-night movie, it's a campy horror-comedy that throws off "Northern Exposure" vibes. You'll enjoy Kenan Thompson look-alike Sam Richardson as the new park ranger in town. (Sam also played comic-relief in Amazon's recently released "The Tomorrow War".) And of course there's AT&T's "Lily" Milana Vayntrub who plays the cute ditz but surprises us in the movie's twist ending. It's a low-budget production but it moves along at a good pace and the ending is as campy as the rest, so just enjoy a lighthearted horror-com.

I quite liked this horror comedy. It had a nice cast that worked well together and I think a sequel would be nice to see. It almost reminded me of the game until dawn but also it was interesting to see Ubisoft being part of a film. Milana Vayntrub was pretty cute to.

If your looking for a Horror Comedy with a Twist , this Whodunit won't let you down. Check out the Trailer. Plus the Girl from the AT&T commercials.... Anymore might Spoil it. IFC Film Production.

A great whodunnit type movie with a mixture if comedy and horror.

Newly-assigned park ranger Finn Wheeler (Sam Richardson) arrives in the small town of Beaverfield. He's not a manly man but he's working on it. There is local political upheaval over a proposed pipeline. Cecily Moore (Milana Vayntrub) is the mail-person among a town of wacky folks.

The style has a bit of Edgar Wright. Director Josh Ruben seems to be an actor who does some TV directing. The sense of humor and tone is definitely Wright even down to the style of editing. Sam Richardson is a fun under-the-radar nice guy lead. I certainly hope that he breaks out soon. This is not quite at the Cornetto trilogy level but it's in the right ballpark.

I had no expectations of this movie, I'd heard nothing about it and it just sort of 'appeared' so I thought I'd give it a go.

The good: It's nicely directed and shot. It looks good, the cast are good at what they do... It's very inoffensive which makes it ideal for a world where people want to be offended so they can shout about it. It's very diverse...

The bad: For a comedy horror, it's neither funny or scary... It's also not as witty as it thinks it is. During the 1 hour and 40 minutes or so run time I smiled a couple of times but didn't quite laugh. Nothing happens until the last 10 minutes and when it does, it's pretty inoffensive and meh.

Based on the title and the cover art alone, I had hoped it would be closer to Dog Soldiers, what it offers is something closer an episode of SNL (the new stuff, not the old funny stuff). I can't justify telling people to watch this because it's just not worth the effort.

Oh, and the reveal at the end... was about as surprising as finding your pen has stopped working.

This was a movie that I popped up on my radar by going to the Gateway Film Center. Jaime was intrigued to check this one out as it looked funny. Horror/comedies can be hit or miss for me, but this did catch my interest to see. I knew that it would be a murder mystery with a potential monster in from the title. It also has Milana Vayntrub, Lilly from the AT&T commercials, and I'm a fan of her. The synopsis is basic that it is a feature adaptation of the video game where werewolves attack a small town.

We start this off with a man outside by a tree. He is texting someone and it appears he is thinking of cheating on his wife as he takes off his wedding ring. We will learn later that his name is Dave Sherman (Patrick M. Walsh). Something attacks him though and pulls him into the nearby woods. We are seeing that this happened right outside of his house.

It then shifts over to Finn Wheeler (Sam Richardson). He is a park ranger that is reporting to his next assignment. It is a small town and out in the middle of nowhere, being in the New England area. Finn calls Charlotte (Anni Krueger), but she doesn't answer. He leaves her an awkward voicemail. What we pick up is that he isn't assertive and that she might not be into him anymore.

Arriving in town, Finn heads to the local inn where he will be staying. It is run by Jeanine Sherman (Catherine Curtin) and she's in a debate with Sam Parker (Wayne Duvall). He's trying to convince her to sell as he works for an oil company and they want the land. She disagrees and is happy to see Finn arrive to break up the conversation. He is taken up to his room.

Also staying at this inn is Cecily Moore (Vayntrub). She is the local mail carrier and she informs him that he has an item. It is sent from a Dr. Ellis (Rebecca Henderson) that is also staying at the inn. Finn asks if Cecily will take him to interview the man the accusations in the letter are aimed at and she agrees. This gives us a chance to get to know them as they get to know each other, along with the other residents of the town.

To run through them, there is a rough couple that runs the local auto repair garage of Marcus (George Basil) and his girlfriend of Gwen (Sarah Burns). They are a bit raunchy. There is a conservative couple of Pete (Michael Chernus) and Trisha Anderton (Michaela Watkins) along with their dog of Cha-Chi (Ritz). All four of these people want to sell to Parker. Pete does have an issue with keeping his hands to himself and makes Cecily uncomfortable. Also in town are Joaquim (Harvey Guillén) and his husband of Devon Wolfson (Cheyenne Jackson). They struck it big in the tech field and are rich. They're against selling.

Cecily leads Finn to the path to the final resident we meet, Emerson (Glenn Fleshler). He's a hunter and trapper who doesn't like outsiders. He threatens Finn which scares him off. Returning to Cecily, the two go back into town to get some food. They have natural chemistry that gets ruined with a phone call. This causes her to go cold toward him.

Everything here in town changes that night. There is a bad snowstorm we keep hearing about that hit. The power goes out and the road to town is blocked. All the back-up generators are sabotaged by something with large claws. Cha-Chi is killed by an animal. Trisha is quite upset and the entire town gathers at the inn. It is there that an even darker discovery is made.

That is where I'm going to leave my recap for the movie. Where I want to start is that I didn't realize this was based off of a video game. When I saw Ubisoft in the opening credits, I knew they did the Assassin's Creed games. With a bit of research, it does appear that this is a horror comedy game that was made for VR. It is interesting and now I'm curious how much of the game is incorporated into this movie.

Where I want to shift to first would be the setting. I really like that we are getting this small quaint town that has some deep seeded issues. Greed is showing and how it can tear people apart thanks to Parker. We have two sides of this argument here. Jeanine doesn't want to sell as she knows nothing different from her life here. Dr. Ellis is against the pipeline due to nature purposes. There is also Joaquim and Devon who are already rich. They moved to the town for its beauty and want to preserve why they moved there. This is pitting them against Marcus, Gwen, Pete and Trisha who really could use the money for different reasons. I can see both sides of the argument and would be a tough choice. I'm against oil companies destroying nature, but if given the check it is hard to decline.

This also helps with isolation. They are stranded here due to the storm and that already builds tension there. Taking it farther, everyone aside from one character ends up in one large house. This is where the movie then shifts to be a murder mystery. Evidence points to something that Dr. Ellis cannot explain and werewolf becomes the thought. What I like is that not everyone just believes it. We get a taste of The Beast Must Die as well as adding a bit of Agatha Christie here as people are picked off. This all adds tension as I was saying.

What I think works in this movie's favor is that we don't know if there is a werewolf or not until the reveal. We know the initial attack on Dave. What I find interesting is that the lore of the werewolf started in I believe Germany due to them not believing that someone could brutally attack someone, so it had to be done by a person who shifted into a beast. Despite evidence pointing to it, there could be a logical explanation and that one of them isn't necessarily a monster in the literal sense. I'll also be honest, I didn't figure out who was behind all of this until the reveal. I also did get sucked into the story where I just went along for the ride. Something else I want to incorporate back in is the fact that the issues I stated above come back into play as tensions boil over for the character and the stress mounts.

Then the last part of the story I want to go into would be the comedy. That is really the first genre here. That isn't to say there aren't horror elements or that they aren't well done. Cecily steals the show for me. Her along with some of the other characters I think handle the 'woke' jokes extremely well. It is to the point where I think they're poking fun at them while also being respectful. There are also poking fun at the other side of the spectrum as well. I will say that the comedy in this movie worked for me and Jaime afterwards said it felt a lot like Knives Out, if that movie went more into horror. I agree there.

To move away from the story now, acting is the next part I want to go over. Richardson does well as Finn. I really like that in the beginning he's indecisive and that was the cause of his last relationship falling apart. He does take command here and we see some real character growth to where he ends up. My favorite part of the movie though would be Vayntrub. Her delivery of jokes is on point. She is also quite attractive which doesn't hurt. It is interesting that most of the movie she is wearing the bulky mail carrier outfit and there is only really one sequence where she isn't which is good. Aside from that, I think the rest of the cast are distinct in their characters and each adds their own level of comedy that worked together. This movie had me legit laughing if I'm going to be honest. I'm glad I got to see it with a crowd.

Then I should go to the effects. This movie is a bit light in this category, but it also isn't that type of movie. There is some blood and some scenes where characters are killed. They all looked good as well. I'm assuming this is a mix of practical and CGI. What we get at the climax was also solid. I did want to give credit here to the cinematography. The movie is well shot to hide things with camera angles. The framing was also well done.

The last thing I want to go into would be the soundtrack. What I really enjoyed was the 90's music that is played in the bar while Finn and Cecily are hanging out. They come back to this later which I liked. Aside from that, I'd say the rest of the soundtrack fit for what was needed and the sound design worked as well.

So then in conclusion here, this is fun comedy/horror movie. I do mean in that order as well. I think that the concept is interesting and how the story plays out worked for me. The acting really helps to drive this movie and the effects that go with it work as well. I also think that the setting adds to the tension, especially when stress mounts and the characters start to panic. I just also just say that the soundtrack and design of the movie worked in its favor. This is a good movie to me. This is one that I would recommend to horror and non-horror fans.

'Werewolves Within (2021)' is a quaint little horror-inflected whodunnit based on the video-game of the same name, itself based on a popular parlour game that makes one member of a group a secret killer who must pick off their companions one by one without getting caught. The film is pretty much the perfect adaptation of those things insofar as it achieves the same result: a single session's worth of warm-hearted fun with just a hint of grim frustration. There isn't anything especially complex or, even, all that exemplary about the overall affair, but it's a cute and enjoyable experience that provides plenty of chuckles thanks to its eclectic cast of high-strung suspects and its increasingly frenzied approach to its central concept. I managed to successfully pinpoint the eponymous werewolf, who may or may not be an actual creature of the night, within minutes of their very first appearance. However, that isn't really an issue because the flick still features a slew of smaller yet more surprising twists. Besides, this is much more about the journey than the destination, even though the finale is fairly satisfying in its own right. Ultimately, this is just a solid slice of disposable fun. It's really earnest and endearing. It isn't hilarious and it isn't horrific, but it is funny and it is suspenseful on more than one occasion. Though it likely won't stay with you for very long, it's an entertaining in-the-moment experience that's perhaps best described in the same way as its refreshingly considerate protagonist: nice.

Every entertaining scene is contained in the trailer. The rest of the movie is smug hillbilly stereotypes, attempted jump scares you see coming a mile away, tame body horror and one boring CGI werewolf.

This is one of those films you can really enjoy because most of the characters are really annoying so you don't care when they bite the dust.

I have to say for once I knew who the werewolf was, but there's a lot of red herrings.

The cast is good, considering there's a lot of weird characters in the movie, but it's really about Sam Richardson as the new Ranger and Milana Vayntrub as the Postwoman.

I won't spoil the ending, but it's a decent wee film.