Movie Review: WEREWOLVES

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN / Staff Writer

Posted: December 6th, 2024 / 02:21 AM

WEREWOLVES movie poster | ©2024 Briarcliff Entertainment

Rating: R
Stars: Frank Grillo, Katrina Law, Ilfenesh Hadera, Kamdynn Gary, James Michael Cummings, Lydia Styslinger, Lou Diamond Phillips, James Kyson
Writer: Matthew Kennedy
Director: Steven C. Miller
Distributor: Briarcliff Entertainment
Release Date: December 6, 2024

In WEREWOLVES, the starting premise is that, a year ago, a supermoon triggered a global event in which over a billion people turned into werewolves for a night. Now it’s the day before another supermoon. People who have turned and survived the first event will turn again, and it’s unknown who else will be susceptible. From dusk until dawn, there is an emergency curfew.

This pitch promises essentially THE HOWLING meets THE PURGE. Director Steven C. Miller and writer Matthew Kennedy faithfully deliver on this, from their bipedal werewolves to leading man Frank Grillo, who starred in two PURGE movies.

It also prompts visions of a questionnaire, with the options, “I am here for this no matter what,” “How bad does this have to be before I won’t watch it?”, “Hmm …”, “How good does this have to be before I will watch it?”, and “Under no freaking circumstances.”

No need to read further for that last set of respondents. For everyone else, Grillo plays Wesley Marshall, who is dedicated to the safety of his late brother’s widow Lucy (Ilfanesh Hadera) and little daughter Emma (Kamdynn Gary). No surprise, Wesley is a military veteran, with plenty of skills.

However, as part of the Global Rapid Response Team, Wesley is needed elsewhere. He can’t be with Lucy and Emma during this dangerous evening, so he has impressively fortified their modest suburban house, and roof, and yard, and fence. Obnoxious neighbor Cody (James Michael Cummings) is looking forward to the night, sure he can protect himself with his gun collection.

WEREWOLVES cuts back and forth between Lucy and Emma’s efforts to protect themselves, and Wesley’s adventures with his colleague and old friend, Dr. Amy Chen (Katrina Law).

The filmmakers deliver a couple of decent twists and reversals of expectations, although oddly, we don’t get a whole lot of actual scares. The cinematography by Brandon Cox is admirable in maintaining the sense that it’s nighttime while still allowing us to see what’s happening at all times.

The notion that everybody has to protect themselves from moonlight provides justification for some nice images, and there’s the fun of gangs of werewolves in the city streets (WEREWOLVES was shot in Puerto Rico and Los Angeles).

The werewolves are a decent-looking combination of what appear to be performers in practical makeup/creature suits and CGI. There are no problems with the sizes or placement of the monsters in frame. For the most part, they look good, although there are some shots where they appear a bit rubbery.

Grillo is fine as the man of action, conscience and regret. Hadera has grace and conviction as the determined Lucy. Law handles herself well, and James Kyson elicits sympathy as a man dedicated to the cause. Lou Diamond Phillips is effective as the reasonable scientist in charge of trying to get things under control.

WEREWOLVES could be a lot more bonkers than it is. Instead, it’s pretty straightforward in its mixture of horror and general urban mayhem. With its ongoing variations on its elements, it is inventive and largely entertaining.

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