MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Mystery Comedy Horror/Stars: Sam Richardson, Milana Vayntrub, George Basil, Sarah Burns, Michael Chernus, Catherine Curtin, Wayne Duvall, Harvey Guillén, Rebecca Henderson, Cheyenne Jackson, Michaela Watkins, Glenn Fleshler, Patrick M. Walsh Jr., Anni Krueger/Runtime: 97 minutes
I think it can be safely said that, among the iconic collection of monsters that have graced the silver screen, the one that has most assuredly received more than its fair share of entries that try to do something distinct with the fang and claw rockin’ beast at the heart of them would have to be ones featuring the infamous werewolf. Indeed, be it a goofy high school comedy starring Michael J. Fox, the delightful mix of dark comedy and full-blooded horror that is 1981’s An American Werewolf in London, the underrated soldiers vs. werewolves’ film Dog Soldiers from 2002, or even the ultimate direct to video werewolven masterpiece Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf among other examples, there is no denying that cinema has long found quite a few ways to take this rather noteworthy creature and proceed to take it down some rather distinct paths that we might never have thought of in our wildest dreams. With that in mind though, it should also be said that since perhaps the vampire and werewolf love triangle of ol’ or as its fans call it “Twilight” the werewolf seemed to have gone on a bit of a well-deserved vacation. So of course, it should come as no surprise to learn that eventually someone made the creative decision to not only bring the werewolf back for another round of howling madness in 2020’s The Wolf of Snow Hollow, but then also to make one that incorporated it in a comedic story dealing with a divided small town and the decent and upstanding park ranger who tries to bring them back together in a battle for survival. A plot line that if it seems like it is oddly specific I can tell you that is definitely on purpose. This is because it is that plot line that is at the heart of the slice of cinema I am reviewing for you today in the form of 2021’s Werewolves Within. Indeed here is a movie that I feel is one that is able to work on the level that it does because it knows exactly the kind of slice of cinema that it is. To be sure, and in all fairness, if this slice of cinema had attempted to a grim and serious film then there is no way it would have been able to work as well as it is ultimately able to. However because of the fact that this film has no qualms about making fun of itself to say nothing of the fact that the narrative is delightfully absurd it manages to come away a winner that I can definitely see becoming a time-honored cult film one day. Suffice it to say then that it might have its fair share of flaws, but with the aid of delightfully amusing work on both sides of the camera Werewolves Within might not have the sharpest teeth of the pack, but it definitely is worthy of addition all the same.
The plot is as follows: An extremely loose adaptation of the VR video game of the same name, Werewolves Within gets its story underway by introducing us to our main character in the form of an eternally decent and upstanding guy by the name of Finn Wheeler. Mr. Wheeler, we are rather quick to learn, is a distinct member of that group of individuals known as forest rangers who, for reasons I shan’t reveal here, is being reassigned to a teeny tiny little locale deep within the woods called Beaverfield. A picturesque little spot where everybody knows your name to say nothing of everyone else in town’s business whether they would like you to or not, and everyone is pretty much divided on a pipeline that is being proposed by a businessman of some repute in the area named Sam Parker. A fact that is pretty much made apparent to our hero shortly after he settles in to his temporary residence at the local inn and he starts to be introduced to everyone in town along with a bit of gossip about each of them courtesy of the quirky and charming town mail carrier Cecily. Yet just when it looks like the worst thing that this park ranger is going to have to deal with is a case of bickering neighbors, we see that lady Fate instead has other plans in store. Plans that at first manifest in the form of a horrific winter storm which knocks out all the power in town thus causing everyone to have to take shelter at the lodge, but eventually come to include a resident having their beloved dog brutally murdered by something unknown, all of the generators in town being tampered with to the point of being beyond repair, and the body of a presumed missing town resident being found dead under the lodge. Thus, with a volatile mixture of paranoia, fear, and just plain shady motivations now hanging over head plus whispers from an environmentalist in town claiming a werewolf is the true guilty party to say nothing of the rest of the town’s residents literally on the verge of just saying to heck with it and tearing themselves apart, can our intrepid hero, with the aid of Cecily, convince everyone to come together as a community in order to try and determine just what exactly is hunting them all down one by one, regardless of if the aforementioned hunter is of the psychopath or lycanthrope variety, or is this one town that’s just gone too howling mad for its own good? That is something I shall leave for you to discover for yourself dear reader…..
Now right off, it is worth noting that all things considered the work done behind the camera on this film might not be perfect by any stretch of the full moon, but is still pretty howling good all the same. This starts with the work done by Mishna Wolff (and yes that IS the writer’s real name and not me being my usual snarky self) on this slice of cinema’s script and truthfully it’s one heck of a script at that. Yes, this film’s narrative does have more than its fair share of winks and nods especially to the 1982 take on The Thing, but thankfully this is by no means a situation where the movie is merely showing them off just to score cool points with the audience. Instead, we see that this slice of cinema is actually utilizing the iconic thematic concepts of suspicion and wariness that were very much present in 1982’s The Thing in order to reinforce how this slice of cinema utilizes them through its own narrative framework. Besides that however, we see that this screenplay is also incredible at giving us just the right degrees of witty and dark humor as well respectively. It is also worth pointing out that, in terms of the work being done on this slice of cinema from the director’s chair, film helmer Josh Ruben has managed to do an absolutely outstanding job at helming this slice of cinema. A feat he manages to pull off by and large through the engagement of an amusing as well as carefree style that actually permits the horror and dark comedy elements on display here to operate side by side to say nothing of as the biggest BFFs on the planet. Perhaps the biggest key to his success in this endeavor is the fact that Ruben is very much aware that the two aforementioned concepts of comedy and fear are, in a rather perverse manner, connected and as such we see that he is able to utilize that cinematic knowledge to brilliant effect throughout this slice of cinema’s runtime. Along with that, it should also be noted that this slice of cinema is the blessed recipient of an musical accompaniment from Anna Drubich that is absolutely terrific. Indeed not only does it work in some willowy woodwind and ominous piano work, but it also has no qualms about providing audiences with terror-stricken wails from horns as well as percussion should the situation in the film at the time necessitate their presence in the score. We also see that this slice of cinema also does a phenomenal job at utilizing a collection of lesser-known yet quite addicting songs that are also utilized to lure the audience in to both the story and the world where the story is taking place. I mean I have no idea dear reader if those songs were always part of this slice of cinema’s script or if they were thought of and subsequently put in during filming, but all the same I must say that the choices are genuinely delightful. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in some wonderfully comedic work from the editing department as well as some astonishingly stunning work from the cinematography department especially when it comes to the snow-drenched landscape and the comforting with a hint of an ominous-tinged chill shots inside such places as the lodge or residences in town it’s clear that the work done behind the camera definitely does its best and then some at bringing this slice of cinema vividly to life.
Of course, the other component that aids immensely in making this slice of cinema as enjoyable as it turns out to be would have to come in the form of the work done by the highly talented cast of players in front of the camera as well. This starts with Sam Richardson in the lead role of Finn Wheeler and honestly he is an absolutely delight here. Indeed I have always enjoyed Richardson’s work from his co-starring turn in last year’s Hocus Pocus 2 to his breakout turn as Richard Splett in the political comedy Veep and his work in this is no different as Richardson manages to be the leading man that this material most assuredly needed. Indeed, in the role of Finn, Richardson manages to bring a character who is a wonderful mix of bumbling unease and upstanding to the screen all while giving us moments where we are torn between rooting for him, laughing at his predicament, and just giving the poor guy a hug. Suffice it to say that it is one heck of a performance and I hope it gives this talent the chance to take on more leading roles in the future. Equally as wonderful as Richardson however is none other than Milana Vayntrub (Lily from AT&T plus the voice of Squirrel Girl in Marvel Rising) in the role of Cecily. Indeed Vayntrub has long shown a wonderful skill for comedy and here she capitalizes on it 100% by giving us a character who is very much a blend of wry, down to earth, and quirky all in one. Now alongside the winning work done by both Richardson and Vayntrub, it should be noted that this slice of cinema also is the blessed recipient of a more than capable support cast who back up our dynamic duo more than admirably. This starts with delightful work from Michaela Watkins who, as the highly prejudiced (and maybe even a wee bit on the medicated side) Trish proves to be a comedic highlight with how darn near every bit of dialogue she is given feeling less like something a human being would utter and more like a Furby doll would….if the aforementioned Furby doll also happened to worship the ground that Breitbart wrote on. Even with that in mind though, it is Michael Chernus’ performance as Trish’s a bit too handsy for his own good husband Pete who really managed to get me to laugh the hardest courtesy of not just Chernus being absolutely brilliant in the part, but also a nothing short of remarkable bit of improv when we see the town descent upon the inn to make it through the storm. We also get a delightful turn here from Rebecca Henderson who, as Dr. Jane Ellis, takes great delight in just popping up in a scene in such a way that it’s always hilarious every time due to never entirely expecting it as well as from Glenn Fleshler who, in his role of Jeremiah Johnson’s more than slightly jerkish mountain man brother from another mother Emerson Flint, proves to be just as skilled as Watkins at giving us comedy through delivering lines that have a rather distinct appreciation for consonants as well. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in delightful work from such talents as the always enjoyable Wayne Duvall who is perfectly cast here as pipeline proposer Sam Parker, Catherine Curtin, Harvey Guillén, Cheyenne Jackson, Sarah Burns, and George Basil what you are given here by this group is no less than a phenomenal collection of performances that helps to ensure that this is one slice of cinema that you will have no problems watching more than once and especially with a group of friends.
All in all and at the end of the day is Werewolves Within a perfect slice of cinema? Honestly not even close. Not by a long shot. Having said that however, does that make this the worst werewolf movie since 1997’s An American Werewolf in Paris or the worst video game adaptation since House of the Dead back in 2003? Thankfully, I can most assuredly say that is definitely not the case for either of those respective categories. Indeed, if anything, I think that this particular cinematic outing is one that can best be described as 1985’s Clue if it suddenly decided to throw in the potential for a bloodthirsty werewolf to show up and start murdering the guests. All jokes aside however dear reader, there is no denying that this slice of cinema is one that might be a bit on the cliché and predictable side, but the truth is that unlike a lot of other movies this is one that is as much in on the joke as we are. Along with that, there are also some moments that, even when faced with the previously mentioned predictability, did manage to make me raise an eyebrow in a fairly decent degree of surprise. Finally, I am very much aware that the effects work on this slice of cinema could, and maybe should have been, most assuredly be better than they ultimately turn out to be. However, for a slice of cinema that had an overall budget of 6.5 million dollars I can honestly say that they’re not the worst I have ever seen, but then again I have seen movies with a lower budget than this (1981’s An American Werewolf in London, and 2002’s Dog Soldiers for example) that most assuredly had far and away better effects at their disposal so make of that what you will. With those elements in mind though, there is also no denying that the rest of the work done behind the camera is most assuredly more than capable and fairly engaging in its own right whilst the work done in front of the camera by the undeniably talented cast of players will not only leaving you at the very least chuckling, but also ensure that you will have an absolute ball and then some at trying to determine alongside them which of the people among their highly dysfunctional group, if any for that matter, is the titular creature. Suffice it to say then that Werewolves Within might not be the best of the beast, but boy is it a heck of a lot of fun! Just make sure to keep an eye on the people you watch it with should you choose to give this a view especially if it’s on a night when the moon is full. Not because they are definitely capable of lycanthrope-style activity, but hey sometimes it’s better to be safe than sorry. Make of that what thou will dear reader….On a scale of 1-5 I give Werewolves Within “2021” a solid 3.5 out of 5.
