Bullet Points: Werewolves Within
Werewolf movies, much like zombie movies, are a dime a dozen. A simple search on Netflix or Tubi will, no doubt, result in tens of thousands of entries in the sub-genre. Okay, maybe I overshot that a bit but there are enough werewolf movies out there that most actors have been in one including Jack Nicholson (which is very odd). The harder thing to do is to find a really good one not called WOLFCOP. They do exist, though, and in my quest to find that next really good one I agreed to let The Real Todd Gaines hook me up with his latest movie screening. I’ll be sure to have a silver bullet on standby….
Synopsis: A proposed gas pipeline has created divisions within the small town of Beaverfield. When 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. –IFC FILMS
- I Think I Can: US Forest Service Ranger Finn (Sam Richardson) is new to the town of Beaverfield and one can only hope that his new start can somehow give him a chance to grow a pair. From the very first moments on screen we learn that Finn is too nice of a guy and even he understands that his self-confidence is lacking in a major way. I have never seen Sam Richardson in role so I think it helped that I came into this mostly blind as to what this movie would even be about. The more I can do that with the film the better the first viewing experience seems to be. He’s great in this role. He has that unique way of being clever and a little wimpy without being awkward or sarcastic. Reminds me of Ryan Reynolds in a truly nice guy role.
- Chemistry: The most recognizable role in the film for me was Milana Vayntrub as Cecily the mailwoman. Not because I’ve seen her in so many movies and shows but because her damn AT&T commercial is on every twenty minutes and I’ve probably googled pictures of her in a bikini at least twice. Her chemistry with Sam Richardson seems very easy and they both play the parts of outsiders well.
- Giving off them vibes: If I were going to convince you to watch this movie with as few words as possible I would simply ask you if you enjoy Edgar Wright films. You know, the Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz director who has a wonderful eye for comic timing and the kind of editing that should be studying in the finest of universities. Well, Josh Ruben’s work with Werewolves Within is as close to Edgar Wright as it gets without wearing the dude’s skin and talking in a Ted Levine voice.
- Dinner Theater: A couple of bodies start to pile up and this small town does what everyone would probably do in real life and that is start pointing the blame at each other. One of the characters even mentions that this feels like one of those murder mystery dinner theaters and that couldn’t be more on the head if I said it. The folks all have great scenes where their own motivations and characterizations are played to the extreme and we’re left wondering if there is a werewolf and who the hell it might be.
- Clue: It’s not the classic game Clue and definitely not the underrated movie Clue from 1985, but Werewolves Within is a fun and entertaining flick that will keep your lips curled in a smile while exercising that part of your brain that solves things. There is only one thing missing….THE ACTION!
- They be dyin’: Movies like this deserved to be watched with as little knowledge as possible so if you’ve read this far then you’re already doing a disservice to yourself. I would stop right here, click a few of the ads on the page, and then seek out this film to watch it. For those still reading I will say that the action definitely picks up in the final act of the film. I won’t spoil anything by saying that the population of the town shrinks considerably in the final 30 minutes and it isn’t until the final few shots that you’ll be able to let up your inquisitive mind and just relax. Trust me, I was drinking heavily while watching so I had to go back and re-watch a few of the scenes. I’m starting to see how a game based around this type of movie could be very fun.
The Verdict: I had absolutely no idea that Werewolves Within was adapted from a video game and now that I’ve seen it I just don’t understand how that game is played. On a much more positive note, add this one to the short list of video game movies that is really good. Werewolves Within is certainly not an action movie (which was disappointing but not surprising) but it does have some action-packed moments in the final act of the film. What it does do really well is the classic “who done it” with the added bonus of wondering if there is really a werewolf in the town at all. Good performances throughout from all the cast with a special shoutout to Sam Richardson and Milana Vayntrub. It’s a movie that will probably do well as long as it can get the requisite eyeballs to watch it.
