Count me as one of those who has often hammered Marvel Studios for its bland, big-screen superhero storytelling. Not that I dislike Marvel movies, but after more than a decade they start to blend together. That’s what has made their Disney+ projects so interesting, because of the risks being taken in terms of format, style, and genre. And now you can add this week’s special, Werewolf by Night, as the latest and arguably most rewarding twist on the Marvel formula.
This isn’t a series, or some sort of backdoor spinoff, it’s a ghastly and macabre hour-long special that pays homage to both classic monster movies and Marvel’s own paranormal characters. Not only that, but it’s damned violent and bloody, offering up grisly action that has never been part of the MCU before.
Because this is only a 52-minute one-shot (so far), the story is lean and to the bloody point. The world’s best monster hunters have gathered at Temple Bloodstone, to track and kill a monster in hopes of winning the powerful Bloodstone. Is it a MacGuffin? Absolutely! But the Bloodstone name certainly is not.
One of the combatants is Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly), the estranged daughter of the world’s deadliest monster hunter, Ulysses Bloodstone. She’s there to claim what she believes is her birthright, but to do it she’ll have to survive the other hunters who are as interested in killing her as the monster.
The episode primarily focuses on Jack Russell (Gael Garcia Bernal), the infamous Werewolf by Night, who is there for mysterious reasons. The fan-favorite Man-Thing also plays a major role, establishing himself as possibly the next breakout Marvel character along the lines of Groot.
Behind the camera is renowned composer Michael Giacchino, in his biggest directing effort by far. Giacchino makes a number of really bold choices here, the first is shooting virtually the whole thing in black & white. Not only is this a tribute to those Universal and Hammer horror classics, but is allows for the action to be stepped up a notch. You’ll see more bloodshed in this one episode than in a dozen Marvel movies or TV shows.
Because humor and horror go hand-in-hand, Werewolf by Night is as funny as it is morbid. Elsa and Jack have tenuous chemistry; she’s obviously trained to kill people like him, while he has come to terms with his monstrous side. The other hunters are pretty deadly, but some of them also look incredibly silly and die in comical ways. An economy of time doesn’t stop the screenplay from fleshing out Elsa and Jack into characters we want to see explored further in the MCU.
Arriving just in time for Halloween, Werewolf by Night is perfect for those looking to add a bit of superheroics to their horror routine. Giacchino’s passion is evident right from the start, and hopefully this leads to Marvel hiring him to build out the MCU’s spooky side even further.
Werewolf by Night hits Disney+ on October 7th.
