Review: Werewolf By Night

Boris Karloff would be proud. 

Figured I should close out Halloween with Marvel’s Special Werewolf By Night. I will do a write up for Black Adam, but it’ll be in November with Wakanda Forever and five other posts I’m still thinking on. Werewolf By Night is the first in the Marvel Special’s category, holiday, and one-off stories that they’ll be doing periodically. I’ll admit that the title is slightly misleading, as it’s more about another Monster themed Marvel character, Elsa Bloodstone, than Jack Russel aka Werewolf By Night. I assume this is because the term Werewolf has broader mass appeal than Else Bloodstone, but whatever. The special is shot in black and white like classic horror films. The exception being the magical Bloodstone. More on that later. Let’s get to it, shall we?

 

It's a cool aesthetic.

We begin with a quick narration explain that this is happening in the MCU, and in the MCU monsters are totally real. This is true to comic canon, as anyone who remembers Blade can attest, but is something that gets… forgotten about quite a lot, I think. This is partially due to the Bloodstone family, a group of monster hunters using their magical Bloodstone to hunt and kill monsters. The patriarch of the family, Ulysses Bloodstone, has died. We arrive at the Bloodstone compound where all the hunters are gathering to take part in a hunt to determine who gets it. We’re then introduced to Jack Russel as he enters the compound. He’s clearly creeped out by all the art depicting monster killings, but masters himself by the time he enters the main hall. It’s full of weapons, paintings of hunts, mounted heads, and more weapons. Everyone gives Jack the stink eye as he walks in. We cut to a servant telling a lady in black that Elsa is there.  Jack, still circling, notes the Bloodstone and is about to touch it when a hunter, Joshua comments on it. Joshua tells Jack he’s killed 57 monsters by way of introducing himself. He remarks that he’ll be starting his 30^th hunting season next year, and Jack comments that he almost (but probably literally can) smells the blood on his hands. Joshua likes Jack’s makeup, and Jack says that he’s honoring his ancestors. They start talking about how great the hall is and Joshua asks if Jack killed any of the beasts mounted on the wall. Jack says no, but points to a vampire looking thing and says he fought him a few times.

 

And you think your step-mom is a pain.

We cut to a woman, Elsa, walking in as her stepmother Verussa comes in to cut her off. We learn that Elsa left 20 years ago to do her own thing, neither Verussa or Ulysses approved of it and Verussa thinks the other guest will object to her being there. Elsa will be happy to leave once she gets the stone. Verussa asks what she wants with the Bloodstone, the strength or longevity it gives, but Elsa says that’s none of her business and that might be the best part. Verussa shames Elsa for leaving, calling her the greatest disappointment of her dad’s life, and then storms off.

 

We cut to Verussa talking up the guests at the funeral, remarking that they have 200 kills between them all. The highest of the hunters is Joshua at 57, but then Verussa reveals that Jack has over 100 deaths attributed to him. Impressive, but this is odd in retrospect. I’ll get back to that later. Elsa loudly pulls a chair over and sits down as Verussa gets started on her speech. She reveals that Ulysses had himself turned into a creepy as hell animatronic in order to lay out how the hunt will commence. I think I’d have turned and vomited were I Elsa. Ulysses explains the situation, they’re going to unleash a unique monster into the grounds of their lodge. Whoever kills it gets the stone and is leader of the hunters. Ulysses makes a joke about “rotting” for them and yeah, definitely barf. Verussa further throws shade on Elsa by pointing out she left and forsook her birthright. They’re only allowed the weapons stashed on the grounds. Also, the bloodstone will be put onto the monster, weakening it but also pissing it off something fierce. One of the hunters’ objects to Elsa being there, but I guess she’s allowed despite all Verussa’s earlier hate speech? It’s odd, but whatever. She unsubtly encourages the others to kill Elsa and calls the hunt to begin.

 

The Hunters draw lots, with Jack getting the right to go first. We hear the monster roar in the distance just before Jack heads out as they others do their creepy cult chant. Jack enters the maze and starts looking around. The horn starts blowing repeatedly and we’re shown the other hunters entering.

 

Elsa comes across a record player, for some reason, and turns it off. Jack and Elsa meet, and Jack suggest just passing each other by. Joshua then runs in and tries to kill Elsa. Unfortunately, she’s a much better fighter than him, she drops him and steals his ax before parkouring away. He announces death is coming for her and resumes the monster hunt.

 

Elsa, ax in hand, finds a trail of footprints burned into the ground. She hears something and approaches a door, ax raised. One of the other hunters sticks his arm out of the door and fires a wrist mounted crossbow. Elsa traps the arm in the door and lops it off. They fight, the one arm guy doing surprisingly well until Elsa grabs his severed arm and uses his crossbow to kill him. Elsa hears someone coming and rolls into a ditch with her opponent, covering his mouth until he bleeds out. It turns out it’s just Ulysses, who grabs the ax without seeing her.

 

Our leads face off. 

We jump to Jack as he approaches a large hedge, suddenly, an arm comes out and grabs him. It’s the monster, but not to worry, they’re friends. They have a classic “human speaks normally, monster communicates in grunts” conversation. Jack says of course he was going to come looking for him and he’ll find a way to save him, but this is the last time. Jack plans to use some demo charges he’s stolen to get them a way out of here, but another hunter comes in and interrupts their conversation. Jack runs way and into a room. Elsa is there and is 1 second to late to tell him to not shut the door. They’re locked in a crypt with other Bloodstones. Elsa and Jack bond a little as Jack helps her with a tourniquet.  Elsa notes that he’s been actively avoiding fights and Jack admits he’s not that kind of hunter. He reveals that he's trying to get the monster out alive, and he’ll give her the stone. Elsa doesn’t believe him. They bond over having unusual families. Elsa spies a specific casket, breaks off a bracket and climbs up to it. She explains that her dad used to tell her stories about her crazy Aunt Francis. She was sure she’d come back from the dead so had herself buried with the keys to the crypt. Jack is weirdly nonplused by being handed Aunt Francis remains as Elsa digs the keys out.

 

They escape and Elsa agrees to Jack’s deal. This is also the first time he says his name officially. Elsa retrieves the wrist crossbow, and tells Jack if they cross her, she’ll kill them both. Jack tells her that to show the Man-Thing (his actual codename in the comics) that she’s a friend she needs to call him Ted (his actual human name). Elsa is as shocked as anyone to hear the creature’s name is Ted. Then Jack accidentally turns on the demo charge and they run to enact their plan as fast as possible.

 

Ted!

We cut to Joshua stalking the Man-Thing. Elsa runs in, distracting him, and Ted comes out of the bushes, grabs Joshua’s head, and melts him into goo. Damn, don’t mess with Ted. Ted roars at Elsa, but then she uses his name and that shocks him. She tells him Jack is waiting for him.

 

We jump to Jack running to the wall and having trouble placing the charge before it goes off. Elsa and Ted run for the wall and everyone else runs after Elsa and Ted. They make it just as the charge blows the wall. Ted makes a break for it, and Elsa uses a hook-shot feature on the arm crossbow to pull the Bloodstone out before Ted runs off. Jack tries to grab the Bloodstone for Elsa but gets blasted back and off his feet. The other hunters arrive and reveal that that would only happen if Jack was a monster. They have Jack tased and Elsa is too after she objects to anyone else having the Bloodstone.

 

Jack and Elsa wake up in a cage. Jack asks if she’s okay, which she is for now, but that’s until Jack rips her throat out. Jack explains that he has systems to make him less dangerous and that he work, so they can be fine. He reveals that he’s a Werewolf, and, because the next full moon is five days away, there’s plenty of time to figure things out. Elsa reveals the Bloodstone can force Jack to transform, which complicates things. Jack, realizing he might become one of the heads on the wall, starts freaking out for a sec, but refocuses a moment later. He tells Elsa to remember to not break eye contact with him, and then starts sniffing her all over. He’s not being weird; he’s trying to memorize her. Elsa asks if this works, to which he says once.

 

The Hunters come in and Jack begs them to not do it this way. He tells them to kill him as he is, or there will be no mercy. The Hunters don’t listen and Verussa claims that their whole mission is on mercy. Verussa tells Elsa that she actually hoped Elsa would come home, but her father died without it, and that he’d prefer that to knowing she betrayed their mission. She starts chanting in Latin and holding up the stone. Jack apologizes to Elsa and then gets hit with the Bloodstone’s power. He’s forcibly transformed into his Werewolf form. Werewolf by Night breathes heavily and Verussa laughs, then he grabs here through the bars and pulls her in close. The guards stop him, tasing the crap out of him and kicking up dust. When it clears, there’s a big hole in the cage and Werewolf by Night is gone. They hear him, though. We see him hanging from the wall before jumping down and killing a guard. The fight is on.

 

NGL, I'd prefer more of wolf snout, but otherwise
this is great.

         Jack as Werewolf By Night is stronger and faster than any of these people but he operates on instinct, so it’s reasonably close. He kills a few of the generic guards as Elsa escapes the cage and kills the other hunters. Jack is so distracted killing guards that he doesn’t get to the exit before the door closes. Verussa grabs the Bloodstone and uses it to hold Werewolf by Night back. Elsa comes to help after she kills the last hunter. She shoots Verussa in the back with the grappling hook and pulls her backwards, knocking her out. Elsa walks over the bodies of the dead guards and goes for the Bloodstone, picking it up. She pockets it as she walks closer to the Werewolf. She tries to talk to Jack within the beast. Werewolf by Night charges her, but Elsa doesn’t break eye contact with him and tries to touch his face to force him to feel. It seems to work and Werewolf by Night leaves her be. He breaks out of the not sealed door and runs off. Elsa gets up, but so does Verussa. She claims Elsa will die as she lived, a disgrace to her family. But then Ted breaks in, fries her, and lobs her fried body at Ulysses puppet corpse. He growls at Elsa, who tells him which direction Jack went. He grunts in thanks and walks off, grabbing a jacket off a dead guard as he goes. The servant from earlier, Billy Swan, survived, he says he wants to make himself of service to her, and Elsa tells him he can start by cleaning this shit up. Color comes to the screen as Elsa sits down and looks at her stone.

 

We cut to Jack and Ted at a camp in the woods somewhere. Ted has made Jack some coffee. Jack asks if Elsa is okay and the two share a laugh at something Ted grunts. Ted suggests they get some food, and while Jack is initially not hungry, they agree on sushi. It’s a sweet ending.

 

This special was a lot of fun. This story had just enough in it for the hour run time and too much more would have made it feel stretched, I think. Just in on the creepy monster hunting cult, into the maze and then the big fight in the trophy room. Bing bang boom. Gel Garcia Bernal was great as Jack Russell. I’m not as familiar with the monster characters of the Marvel universe, but this slightly timid man hiding the raging beast inside was entertaining to watch. I thought he did a great job with his parts with the Man-Thing puppet they used. Yeah, there were CGI elements to it, but the Man-Thing’s head was all practical effects. I liked Laura Donnelly as Elsa Bloodstone. She had a vibe like Johanna Constantine in The Sandman, where she’s a badass but also extremely burnt out on everything. I think that they probably could have expanded on a little more why and how Elsa left her family business years ago. We get a vague sense she didn’t like hunting the monsters like a Bloodstone, but not exactly what that means. Did she have an issue with the trophy hunting aspect? The weapons? Did she find her dad insane as he was the sort of man to turn himself into an animatronic corpse? Big old question mark there. But maybe they’ll do a Midnight Suns movie or more specials and flesh her out a bit more. Oh, and Harriet Sansom Harris is great as Verussa Bloodstone. She’s just a little unhinged through out until her big insane moment where she tries to feed her stepdaughter to a werewolf. I liked the choice to make t hiss an homage to old school horror flicks. The black and white color, the mostly practical effects for Werewolf By Night and Man-Thing, how they acknowledge people bleed when you cut them. It’s all very nice. My one nitpicks is that the maze was a bit of a letdown, as it looks like we’re in the same two corridors the whole way through. So yeah, this was fun and I’m looking forward to more Marvel specials. Have a happy Halloween. Or a good day as you’re reading this after Halloween. Ha. 

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