WEREWOLF BY NIGHT (REVIEW)
Dir. Michael Giacchino
Reviewer. Martyn Wakefield
To date the MCU has strayed away from Marvel comics darker side, only glancing at the lighter moments and often undercutting any horror with a blast of superhero humour. We were promised a horror film with DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS however despite Raimi, zombies and witches, it never had the suspense it needed to fully create a horror experience in the MCU.
Now, through a Disney+ special, the MCU gets the chance to make a full on horror "film" and redeem itself from its earlier promise.
And what a blast it is. Michael Giacchino takes on the reigns and gives us a whirlwind trip through the history of horror and touches enough of the genre not only to make this one of the best entries in the MCU but amongst one of the best horror films of the year.
The titular character is closer to Lon Chaney Jr's beast and in turn, WEREWOLF BY NIGHT feels like it could slip in-between a Universal Monster double bill with ease. The love and passion from Giacchino is clear and pays off with a fun and sometimes chilling film that fits alongside those super beings flying on the surface. Hopefully, despite its 15 age rating, there's enough balance between horror and humour that will introduce superhero fans into the genre. Fortunately, WEREWOLF BY NIGHT never oversteps the mark in either department enough to alienate MCU or horror fans.
There are a few introductions of fan favourite characters already spoilt across the internet but we'll refrain from that here but rest assured, the handling of these only promises they will not be forgotten (hopefully). Not to mention the references to other monsters of Marvel lore including those based on horror history, even cleverly nodding to some visual moments in cinematic history including Frankenstein, the bride and Nosferatu.
Most impressively the film's use of colour is marvelous and proves how Giacchino's move from music maestro to director is one of the best moments we've seen in cinematic history.
