Werewolf by Night

Since Endgame, Marvel has mostly become a sterile spectacle without any innovative ideas. For me, the brand has started to stagnate quite a bit. That's why I appreciate that someone tried to come up with something completely outside the overall concept. It's an even bigger surprise for me that the direction was taken on by Michael Giacchino, the creator of excellent soundtracks. Werewolf by Night relies heavily on top-notch audiovisuals, which (thanks in part to the black-and-white filter) transport you to the 1930s. The camera work and luxurious editing create a unique experience. It's a bit disappointing that the story doesn't deviate much. There's one twist, but it didn't overly surprise me. I probably won't watch this hour-long film again, but I'm glad it was made. For me, it's a nice piece of work. 7/10. (28/10/2022)

It was good. Giacchino fulfils his childhood dreams and after composing film music, he also makes films like he did in his cellar when he was a kid. The horror atmosphere is fine, even the quite surprising plot with the lesson that monsters stick together. Maybe the visual effects sequences and the black and white stylisation are a bit weird. (09/10/2022)

In a nutshell, it's a Halloween prank that Marvel probably wanted to test Michael Giacchino, the director, on. Or at least I would like it to be so, because I have no reservations about the direction and if Giacchino wants to continue and get his own feature film someday, I guess we have something to look forward to. I just hope that film has a better script. (08/10/2022)

The darker side of Marvel. The debut of famed composer Michael Giacchino is an homage to older films and werewolves, and it's an enjoyable hour-long piece with a black-and-white filter that didn't bother me as much as I feared. A fight for a powerful relic with a bunch of hunters in a labyrinth and one monster to boot. It starts off as a battle royale genre flick, which would have suited me better if the whole film was in that vein. The internecine duels are few and fairly rushed, but there is a bit of gore, which surprised me. It's definitely an experimental Marvel genre film that has potential. The best part is the finale with the werewolf, where there is pretty decent action (sometimes it's too dark on camera and you can't quite see in detail what's going on), but it has atmosphere and feels very unorthodox. The hour-long running time makes it a tolerable and enjoyable thing that shouldn't offend anyone. I don't think there was a better werewolf this year. 6/10. (11/11/2022)

Much more likeable for what it's trying to do than for what it is. While they went for a black-and-white stylisation and a "sort of old filmstrip" full of artifacts, lighting, and shots, it still overuses CGI instead of practical effects and make-up (they are used, but they don’t look very good), and there’s also this ragged unstymied inconsistency in concept. Incidentally, Bernal's casting follows in the footsteps of the Hull/Chaney/Del Toro legacy, but it's way off, he takes it too seriously. What a difference from the perfectly trashy and overdone Harris, who is true to his predecessors. Moreover, it's considerably uneven; the stylish opening, where it feels like a homage to Universal, and the conclusion are both effective, but the middle passage is classic Marvel fluff, tripping over its own feet with light-hearted jokes and opening the door to a new branch of the MCU. (07/10/2022)