Werewolves Within - Movie Review

Critics Score - 7 of 10

General Audience Score - 7 of 10

Monsters have inhabited films pretty much since since the beginning of cinema, the imaginations of masses have been captivated by the wonder, mystery and of course fear of unknown creatures. And long before any filmmaking had ever been dreamt of, mythical creatures and monsters of all shapes and sizes have been part of the human experience probably since the first humans went out walking at night and heard some rustling in the bushes. Werewolves Within takes the age old myths about wolf-humanoid creatures and combines it with the humorous comedy of a whodunit. It plays out narratively almost like a Knives Out and The Thing hybrid, oh and throw in some werewolves just to spice things up a bit. While the film neither leaves you rolling on the floor with laughter or scares the doodie out if you, it is quite moody and consistently amusing through it’s quick hour and a half runtime. It does enough things right or at least decently that make it easy to have a fun time with while figuring out who is or if there really are any Werewolves Within.

This tale of mitigated terror begins with an excellent quote that sets the tone perfectly for what you’re about to watch, then we watch a man walking outside and getting attacked by an unseen creature, yada yada yada, didn’t see that coming. But then we meet Park Ranger Finn (Sam Richardson) driving his PT Cruiser to his new job in Beaverfield, Vermont, and we instantly get the sense of who this character is by the dialogue he has with himself and the motivational tape he’s listening to as he drives. When he arrives at the Beaverfield Inn, we’re introduced to several of the town’s quirky inhabitants, the old rich oil pipeline baron Sam (Wayne Duvall), the grieving jumpy innkeeper (Catherine Curtin) and the cute down-to-earth new postal worker Cecily (Milana Vayntrub). But the film really hits it’s stride when Sam and Cecily end up going to The Axe Den, an ax throwing bar ?? which is an incredibly awesome yet dangerous idea for a new business, and begin to awkwardly hit it off with the 90’s classic The Sign playing on the jukebox. But soon thereafter, the whole town is gathered at the Inn to discuss a body Finn finds in the snow and the plot shifts into the paranoia fueled whodunit, everyone glancing sideways at each other and crazy shenanigans waiting around every corner.

By the time all the silver bullets have been fired, the film may not have delved too deep into many hard hitting topics, but the sharp screenwriting and humor is well executed as it scrutinizes and cleverly criticizes the genres it itself crosses into. While the story sticks with Finn, much like Knives Out we spend a lot of time with the other characters, but it’s the stereotypes the characters themselves are playing that are the subject of many jokes that the movie thrives on. The direction of the film by Josh Ruben is also solid, his vision for the film is precise and he’s able to accomplish exactly what he’s set out to do, walking the tightrope line of the comedy/suspense genre with just a few slips and wobbles. The film’s playful demeanor keeps it lighthearted, which at the same time means it’s never able to fully sell you on anything really serious or scary. But it’s not like we’re on this run with the wolves for anything more than the fun of it.

SUMMARY - While it’s certainly not a monster movie or even a werewolf movie that anybody will find exceptional, the fun cast, witty one liners and excellent writing along with it’s quick pace will make this a fun watch for most audiences. With vampires, werewolves, Frankenstein and  all having modern day retellings that do the stories justice, well,l these Werewolves now have a film that’s able to hit the funny bone Within most all of us.