Marvel Studios’ releases its first Halloween monster special
Directed by: Michael Giacchino
Written by: Heather Quinn & Peter Cameron
Starring: Gael Garcia Bernal, Laura Donnelly, Harriet Sansom Harris
Rated TV-14 for intense sequences of violence and action, some language, and frightening scenes
Release Date: October 7, 2022
Runtime: 52m
This review may contain spoilers
Here… there be monsters
For over ten years, superhero movies introduced us to billionaires in bad-ass metal suits, Viking gods, and World War 2 super-soldiers.
As this impossibly long universe continues to expand, we’ve been introduced to more bizarre and incredible characters, like wall-crawling teenagers, outer space misfits, and wizards. Now this Halloween, below the eyes of Avengers and Guardians, this world will have… monsters.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Werewolf by Night is the newest seasonal addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, better known as the MCU. This is the first special that Marvel Studios has done instead of a feature-length film or a six- to nine-episode series.
The director is a famous composer
Most people may not be familiar with Michael Giacchino’s name as a director, but I promise you’ve heard his scoring work. Giacchino has a long history as an accomplished composer for countless films, including several of the Mission: Impossible films, Marvel Cinematic Universe films, and Pixar films. He has also composed video game series like Medal of Honor and Call of Duty. Giacchino has done earlier directing, including a short film called Monster Challenge and an episode of Star Trek: Short Treks.
On a dark, dreary night…
Werewolf by Night starts with five monster hunters meeting after a famed monster hunter died. With the legendary hunter dead, his powerful artifact called the Bloodstone is now up for grabs (I know what you’re thinking but no, it’s not another Infinity Stone). To claim the stone, all five hunters, including the hunter’s estranged daughter, Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly, HBO’s The Nevers) must hunt a monster through an elaborate maze outside. But among the hunters is also a cursed monster. Will the hunters stop both monsters in time, or is the monster the real hero of this special?
Spoiler alert – it’s the werewolf guy, Jack Russell (Gael Gracia Bernal, Amazon Prime’s Mozart in the Jungle), in the title.
So what is Werewolf by Night?
Jack Russell is the unfortunate recipient of a long-time family curse: the werewolf curse. Once he’s an adult, he transforms into a traditional werewolf during the full moon. Eventually, Russell learned to retain his mind and control his werewolf form. Now he can fight bad guys and team up with other monster hunters, often forming teams like the Midnight Sons or Legion of Monsters.
So I know what you’re thinking: really, Marvel has werewolves now? And yeah, they have freakin’ werewolves now. It shouldn’t be that big of a surprise granted that Marvel Studios has announced Blade is coming, and that dude battles vampires all night. This unnamed group of monster hunters provides possibilities for more monsters out there in the Marvel universe.
The classic black/white look
First of all, I love the black-and-white treatment of this special. It gives it the same look as the old school horror films, like The Wolfman. I was a big fan of those old movies, and I love seeing Werewolf by Night connect to those older films’ visuals. For most of the special, it’s all black and white until the end where the color slowly comes back, signaling at the end of the hellish night.
Correction, everything is black and white, except for the Bloodstone. It shines bright red in the black-and-white world, showing its importance and just looking damn cool. I don’t remember the old monster movies doing that, but it’s something I’ve seen in black-and-white comic books.
Practical effects vs CGI
Speaking of the older movies, the special also relies heavily on practical effects. Only the main monster that everyone is hunting is CGI, mostly due to being a massive, gross swamp monster. Russell’s werewolf is all makeup, which again reminds me of the look from The Wolfman. His transformation is covered by not filming him but instead showing his shadows in the flashing lights. The whole shot is on Elsa as she shows her terrified reaction to seeing what the audience cannot. It makes a good experience for the audience to imagine Russell’s transformation with only hints from the shadows on the wall.
Violence
The shadows and black/white filter also help show how violent and bloody this special is without risking censorship. In one scene, the werewolf slays a bunch of TVA guards (From the series Loki, although I have no idea why they’re here). Blood can be seen spraying the walls and even on the camera. Due to the lack of color and the constant flashing lights, you don’t see the whole action, but it’s clear that Russell is mauling his enemies to death. And that’s just like a good werewolf should do in a movie.
Marvel marketing at its finest
I also enjoyed that the opening Marvel banner gets altered not just in black and white but also with claw marks, screaming, and lightning. Plus the music changes to fit the old horror film tune. Hell yes!
Even the trailer for the special had that Hammer horror nostalgia to it. The style and format fit the old-school movie trailers.
Marvel horror, Hell yes!
Marvel Studio’s Halloween special is awesome! Speaking as a fan of old-school horror films, Marvel has found a great way to use horror to fit their PG-13 preferred content, and this was so well done. Everything from the black-and-white filter to the use of violence is creative and new to the usual MCU treatment. I honestly hope for more yearly Halloween specials like this.
But what’s this? There are no post-credit scenes? How dare you, Marvel!
Werewolf by Night is streaming on Disney Plus.
