Nathaniel Clark – A&E Editor

nuc5002@psu.edu

(SPOILER WARNING) 

On October 7, Disney+ was blessed with the television special “Werewolf by Night.” The special was directed by composer Michael Giacchino and written by Heather Quinn and Peter Cameron. This is the first in a series of Special Presentations connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While little is currently known about their relative canonicity, the overall purpose of this special seems to introduce new universal elements. 

 “Werewolf by Night” follows Jack Russell, played by Gael García Bernal, as he and five other experienced monster hunters are beckoned to Bloodstone Manor by widow Verussa. Due to the passing of her husband Ulysses, the powerful Bloodstone, the family’s namesake, is now up for grabs. Following his will, these monster hunters must participate in a competitive hunt to determine who gets to wield the Bloodstone. Included in these monster hunters is Ulysses’ estranged daughter Elsa, played by Laura Donnelly. Her arrival is filled with contention as the other hunters, Jack not included, find her presence to be disrespectful of the deceased. While their complaints are heard, Elsa is still allowed to compete, much to the contempt of Verussa. 

The competitive hunt is set in a large maze behind the manor. With the Bloodstone attached to the back of the prized monster, the hunters are set loose to find the creature. While the sounds of battle between hunters fill the air, Jack finds the monster first. Rather than killing the creature, Jack reassures his friend, known as Ted, that he would assist him out of his captivity. Making a truce after performing first aid on Elsa, the two plan to blow a hole out of a cracked portion of the wall, allowing Ted to escape. With their plan successful and Elsa able to remove the Bloodstone from their monstrous ally, Jack attempts to give Elsa her namesake when he is suddenly pushed. At this moment, the audience and the rest of the hunters learn Jack’s secret: he is also a monster. 

After being knocked unconscious, Elsa and Jack wake up in the same cell. Realizing that Verussa plans to transform Jack into his creature form and let him kill her daughter-in-law, the hunter begins to sniff Elsa, getting her scent. While still worried about the validity of this technique, Jack is soon forced to become the titular werewolf via Bloodstone’s power. Rather than attack Elsa, Jack breaks out of the cage, wrecking brutal and bloody havoc on the remaining hunters along with a swarm of guards. Upon the retrieval of the Bloodstone, Elsa approaches the transformed Jack. While he first reacts by tackling the woman, the werewolf gets her scent and flees the manor. Letting out a sigh of relief, the scene then becomes tense as Verussa aims a gun at Elsa, exclaiming how much her father would disapprove of her actions. This chastising is quickly cut off by the reappearance of Ted who quickly disposes of Verussa with Hellfire, throwing her charred corpse aside as he asks for advice on the direction Jack went. The special ends with Jack waking up in a makeshift hut, pleased to learn that Elsa survived. 

The overall special reeks of classic, campy horror. From the obtuse designs of the monster hunters to the sometimes gaudy and comedic acting, “Werewolf by Night” is making worthwhile homage. The most noticeable of these is the choice for a black-and-white color palette, only diverging from this when showing the Bloodstone in all its crimson glory. 

These directorial choices give the special feeling that the rest of Marvel’s output, especially their recent work, lacks. In essence, it feels as if Giacchino was allowed to experiment and add his directorial flair while keeping with the overall desired theme. There are a lot of fluid and inherently beautiful shots in this special which felt foreign in a Marvel or even a Disney Project. Especially the one-take hallway fight between the transformed Jack and the guards. The slowly-dollying camera motions move in conjunction with the closing exit door, lessening the overall light in the shot. Never in a million years did I expect to be talking about a modern Marvel project like this. 

While following the direction vision worked for a majority of “Werewolf by Night,” the choice for artificial film tinting was a little annoying. I understood they were present in an attempt to add to the early horror aesthetic, but their execution just felt a little cheap. If they wanted to have those, then why not shoot with 35mm cameras?

Small gripes aside, “Werewolf by Night” feels like Marvel is attempting to try again. With more creative flourishes and a contained story, I could see myself falling in love with these Special Presentations if they promise more high-quality content.