Have You Been Watching?...Werewolves (2024)

 

I do like horror and action flicks and werewolves tend to get overlooked in this genre compared to the other "classics" such as ghosts and vampires. Werewolves, directed and produced by Stephen C Miller (Escape Plan 2, Margaux) has an intriguing plot and appears to do what it says on the tin. It even just proudly calls itself Werewolves, just in case you miss the point. A lot of the lycanthrope based stories can be cheesy at best, but this one? Well, it makes you want the full moon to set early. Sorry, Supermoon.

The premise teases potential: a supermoon triggers a global werewolf pandemic, and humanity braces for a repeat performance a year later. This isn't a spoiler, on screen text explains all this at the beginning. Which is a shame, that sound like the plot for a great movie!. However, one year in, enter Frank Grillo as Wesley Marshall, a molecular biologist with the physique of an action hero—because who says you can't pipette samples and bench press 300 pounds simultaneously?

Grillo (MCU, Warrior) known for his tough-guy charm, does his best to inject life into the role. However, even his rugged charisma can't outmuscle a script that seems to have been penned during a particularly uninspired lunar cycle. Characters make bizarre decisions and I found myself yelling "What?" and "Why?" at the screen far too many times. I wished by the end I could take a silver bullet and put this movie out of my misery.

 

The film's reliance on practical effects is commendable in an era dominated by CGI and the transformations are excellent, definitely one of them movies highlights. Sadly, with direction that mistakes lens flares for atmosphere, the visual experience is more distracting than immersive. 

Plot-wise, Werewolves meanders through a chaotic narrative, where little to nothing makes any sense. The pacing lurches, leaving viewers checking their watches more than their pulse rates. The previous Supermoon transformations are not really explored. The rest of the world is ignored (surely Australia would have been through the experience before the good ol' USA but that's not even touched upon?) 

In the end, Werewolves is a missed opportunity, failing to deliver the campy fun or genuine thrills that its concept promises. Even die-hard fans of the genre might find themselves howling—not at the moon, but at the sheer disappointment.

Year: 2024

Rating: 2 out of 10 (One star for Grillo and the other for the transformations)

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