“Werewolf By Night ” hit Disney+ last night, and I’m not going to lie- I thought it was adorable. Not exactly what you’d expect given the darker tone, but stick with me here. At a very digestible hour, the short film debuts Jack Russel, also known as Werewolf By Night, to the MCU. The directorial debut of Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino, it was one of the best times I’ve had with a Marvel Studios property in a hot minute. With just enough comic book banter and excellent casting, the characters draw you in quickly. And the story works well regardless of being short.
A Simple, Effective Story [Spoilers Ahead!]
The film evokes the horror movies of old, presented in black and white. A clan of monster hunters are invited to the Bloodstone family mansion after the patriarch has passed away. A new leader is to be chosen and take possession of the bloodstone itself (an artifact with immense magical power against monsters). Having had his corpse rigged up like a Coney Island fortune teller, the late Ulysses Bloodstone announces a contest to decide. A monster hunt through a massive backyard maze.
Enter Jack Russel, played by Gael Garcia Bernal (“Mozart in the Jungle,” “Old“). Posing as a hunter, he has an ulterior motive for being in this contest. Ted, the Man-Thing, is the unfortunate monster captured for the hunt. I was immediately smitten. Marvel’s masterfully made a Cthulu-faced monster — that kills without remorse anyone he doesn’t deem a friend — absolutely charming. Ted’s so expressive that he’s immediately sympathetic. While he can’t speak, Jack’s capable of understanding him, and their chemistry is incredibly endearing.
Together with the apathetic Elsa Bloodstone, played by Laura Donnelly, Jack finds a way to free Ted. Unfortunately, he accidentally reveals himself to be less than human in the process. A werewolf, specifically. Elsa is reviled by her mother, played by Harriet Sansom — who is so clearly having a great time — for refusing to follow their family’s monster-hunting traditions. She’s caged together with Jack in the hope she’ll be killed when he’s forced to transform.
Jack breaks free and it turns into a lycanthropic slaughter-fest. It’s fantastically fun to watch. And being black and white, they clearly had more fun with the violence, splattering the camera with the blood of Jack’s enemies as he rips everyone to shreds while Elsa slits throats and buries swords in peoples’ heads.
Final Thoughts
If there’s one criticism I have, it’s Jack’s wolf design. Evocative of Bella Lugosi‘s wolfman, the more man-than-wolf design with perfectly tailored pants. There’s nothing wrong with that design itself but, covered in a curly mess of shag, Jack unfortunately is a bit more gorilla than wolf in look. Someone grab a pair of shears and give the pup a summer cut! And while I loved the black and white, I found myself squinting in darker scenes; it wasn’t bright enough.
Overall, I found the film a short, highly enjoyable jaunt through a corner of the Marvel Comics universe I’m wholly unfamiliar with. The end of the film makes relaxing transition to color, giving us a better look at the characters and Ted especially. For only having about ten minutes of screen time, the chemistry between Man-Thing and Jack is fantastic and I would love for them to have their own movie. Or at least cameo.
I feel like this is a great formula to introduce new characters to the MCU. Not as full films, but as featurette-length movies that give you just enough info to make you curious. It’s been a long time that I actually loved something from the MCU! Definitely worth the watch! “Werewolf By Night” is available to view on Disney+.
