Werewolves Within

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.