Werewolves Within movie review 2021

MOVIE TITLE: Werewolves Within

This dark comedy by IFC Films will premiere on June 25th, 2021 in select theaters and on Video On Demand.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 37 minutes

IN A NUTSHELL:

The horror comedy is based on a video game Werewolves Within – PlayStation VR that I’ve never seen or played, so I had absolutely no expectations. It’s directed by Josh Ruben and will make you laugh and cringe at the same time.

The director stated, “I grew up near the same small town where we shot Werewolves Within. As a kid, I’d freak myself out, making up monster stories, running through the woods, pretending I was Chief Brody, fighting creatures in the brush (I LOVED Jaws — hell, I loved horror). That hometown experience, where neighbors knew your business (whether you liked it or not) is so much of what makes Werewolves so personal. But, as much as I love horror movies, nothing scares me more than people. And as much as this movie is an homage to my love for Hot Fuzz, the Coen Brothers, and Arachnophobia, it’s also about the monster in all of us.”

Here’s the story synopsis: After a proposed pipeline creates divisions within the small town of Beaverfield, and a snowstorm traps its residents together inside the local inn, newly arrived forest ranger FINN (Sam Richardson) and postal worker CECILY (Milana Vayntrub) must try to keep the peace and uncover the truth behind a mysterious creature that has begun terrorizing the community.

THINGS I LIKED:

The first thing you see is a lovely quote by Mr. Rogers with super creepy music, letting you know this film is going to be different with a unique sense of humor.
There’s a Papillon dog in the movie! I used to have a black and white Papillon!
All of the characters are clearly defined and hilarious. The entire cast did an excellent job and features Sam Richardson from Veep: Season 4.
The cast also includes Milana Vayntrub, who made me laugh many times. Did you know she was born in Uzbekistan? She began her career making YouTube videos with over 11 million views! She then turned her content into an MTV pilot. You go, Girl!
The rest of the small ensemble includes George Basil, Sarah Burns, Michael Chernus, Catherine Curtin, Wayne Duvall (who appears in 3 movies this year alone!), Harvey Guillen, Rebecca Henderson, Cheyenne Jackson (whose character’s last name is Wolfson), Michaela Watkins, Glen Fleshler, Patrick M. Walsh, and Anni Krueger.
Some of the dialogue is super funny and even insightful.
The musical score of Werewolves Within is actually really nice and funny at times.
It’s fun to watch the characters try to figure out what’s going on and who might be the werewolf.
The mystery and humor will provide sufficient excuse for a second viewing for a lot of audiences.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

There’s a lot of forced exposition at the end to try to explain everything so you don’t see the plot holes in the story.
Some viewers might be offended by the political humor and cliched characters.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Profanity, lots of F-bombs, and crude gestures
Images of dead, bloodied bodies
Someone’s hand gets shot off
Guns and knives
Homosexual couple
Talk of infidelity
Violence

THEMES:

Be a good neighbor
Community
Fear
Greed
Trust

FUNNY LINES:

“Hey, don’t say Mexican…just standoff.” – Joaquim Wolfson (Harvey Guillen)
“First of all, that was 4 years ago, and it never happened.” – Gwen (Sarah Burns)

INTERESTING LINES: