Werewolves

2.75/5 STARS - Werewolves is an independently financed and distributed horror/thriller movie by Steven C. Miller and starring Frank Grillo and Lou Diamond Phillips (in a minor role). I'll be honest, Grillo + werewolves was the main reason I wanted to see this film. The best way I can think to quickly summarize the movie is to say that it's like The Purge, but with werewolves. The premise of the story is that it's a year after a supermoon has first triggered a werewolf gene in the population and the second supermoon is on the way while scientists work to figure out a cure. As you can imagine, things don't go according to plan. Grillo is great in this, as always (and I couldn't help but notice the multiple eye candy moments given to the audience to show off his impressive physique), but some writing issues (which I won't go into here) hold this back from being a half star to a star higher. However, the impressive visual/practical effects of the creatures work in its favor - especially considering the indie/low budget nature of the production, giving it an extra half star to one star more than I might have rated it otherwise. Overall, Werewolves is a fun enough viewing experience for fans of action/horror - and lycanthropes. Werewolves opens in theaters this weekend.

This is exactly the kind of dumb movie I needed to see right now, and going in with those expectations, this movie delivers. I strongly disagree with the person who said it was the worst acting they've ever seen, unless they've only ever watched Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson in their life. The characters may be one-note; but they hit that note square on.

Yes, the editing is wonky in a few places. Yes, the characters make a few dumb decisions for plot reasons. Yes to almost any criticism you may have heard.

But this is a movie about Werewolves, as the title might suggest. And you see plenty of werewolves, and people turning into them, and people fighting them, and people getting eaten by them. This is really an impressive effort for such a low budget, and I feel like I got exactly what I came to see when I paid for my ticket.

GenX reporting in. I wanted to love this movie. I prayed that my local AMC would show it. It starts off one of the best sci fi horror action films of all -time, with Lou Diamond Phillips absolutely killing it. First act out of three is Perfection. Act 2 starts an uncomfortable trend of strobe lighting every scene until the viewer can't even handle it and it's a bit torturous. Act 3 is much better but the end fight is too fast. The werewolves are awesome! Very well done old school makeup, like this was made 40 years ago. They deliver on that. It could have been great, but falls short in the end. I still had a good time at the movies and I will see Werewolves 2 if they make it. If they do I hope they fix the lighting issues and add some heavy metal like ACDC or Sabbath to the soundtrack. The Frank Grillo dude is Cool! Great job acting. 5/10 for makeup fx.

Otherwise a solid dumb movie about society being turned in to werewolfs.

But the amount of flashing lights are insane and make the movie unwatchable. From the first turning point of the movie there are like 3 different sequences of flashing lights that are NONSTOP. Every time you think it's about to be over it just keeps coming back.

We watched two people walk out in the midst of the onslaught of strobe lights. We tried to stay with it for a long as possible but we found ourselves actually closing our eyes and covering our faces because of the lights.

Strobe lights, alarm lights, someone tiring the forking lights on and off. All of them all at once.

Werewolves is a prime example of a movie where the dialogue and acting completely derail any potential it might have had. From the very first scene, it becomes painfully clear that this film is weighed down by a script that is clunky, forced, and often downright cringeworthy. The dialogue feels like it was written by someone who has never heard a real conversation. Characters spout ridiculous one-liners and try to sound tough or witty, but the result is a mess of unnatural exchanges that only pull you out of the experience.

Unfortunately, the acting is just as bad, if not worse. Frank Grillo, usually a reliable actor, is completely hamstrung by the weak script. His delivery comes off as stiff and disconnected, and it's hard to believe he's actually invested in his character. The rest of the cast is equally unconvincing, with performances that range from awkwardly wooden to painfully over the top. There's no chemistry between any of the characters, and their interactions feel forced and lifeless.

I'm being generous with a 3/10 because the concept could've been fun and worked with better direction.