If 90 minutes of Frank Grillo fighting his way through bloodthirsty lycans sounds like a good time, then Werewolves is definitely for you. An action-packed blast of blood, fangs, and fury, the film is right in the wheelhouse of director Steven C. Miller, and paired up with Grillo who brings a wealth of similar experience, they deliver one of the best werewolf movies since the Underworld franchise. Let’s be honest; werewolf movies have gotten pretty stale and Werewolves is the kick in the ass they sorely needed.
It’s not complicated, either. All of the ingredients are there. Give Frank Grillo some big guns and a bunch of monsters to shoot and let him go at it! The story, penned by Matthew Kennedy, who recently wrote for Kate Beckinsale in Canary Black, involves a supermoon event that triggers a dormant mutation within certain people who brave the moonlight. Caught unprepared the first time, nearly a billion people were slaughtered as the transformation took effect and primal, savage instincts took over.
Werewolves, formerly titled Year 2, takes place as the second supermoon event looms. Grillo plays Wesley, a scientist with a tragic backstory who isn’t willing to let the same thing happen again. Similar to The Purge, another franchise Grillo kicked ass in, the remaining human survivors have barricaded their homes, armed themselves to the teeth, and prepared themselves for the werewolves’ return. But Wesley has bigger goals in mind. He’s also part of an experiment, led by fellow geneticist Amy Chen played by the awesome Katrina Law, to find a cure for the lycanthropy that nearly wiped out all of humanity.
Naturally, things go horribly wrong, leading to some impressive werewolf transformation scenes. Credit to the special effects team who used practical effects as much as possible. Miller and cinematographer Brandon Cox smartly capture each creature in shadow for the most part, only revealing them in full when absolutely necessary. And they look pretty damn good, too, and won’t take you out of the action by looking like people in cheesy carpet costumes. The best thing about the wolves is how many different versions there are. Since these are people who have transformed, they maintain a sense of individuality even as they hunt in packs. For instance, a racist neighbor all suited up in patriotic garb maintains that look after he’s succumbed to the supermoon, which makes it kinda funny to be hunted by a werewolf wearing a “Wolf Killer” t-shirt.
This is exactly the kind of movie you get Frank Grillo for. Parallels to The Purge aside, Grillo is just a guy who can do anything you ask him to do. You need him to be a tough guy, he can definitely do that. But ask him to crack a few jokes and keep the tone pretty light, and Grillo can carry a film that way, too. Werewolves asks him to do both and he’s right at home; you can tell he’s having a blast the entire time. Werewolves doesn’t try to be anything more than it is which is an entertaining humans vs. werewolves movie. Since this could easily be the start of a long-running franchise (led by Grillo of course), here’s hoping we won’t have to wait too long for the next supermoon to hit. Less zombies, less vampires, more werewolves!
Werewolves opens on December 6th.
