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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
I got to see one of my most anticipated films at the Tribeca Film Festival and let me tell you. Werewolves Within is better than I had expected. Josh Ruben (CollegeHumor, Scare Me, Plan B) serves as director of this horror-comedy mystery film, while Mishna Wolff is its screenwriter.
In this review, I will discuss Ruben’s film. There will be minimal spoilers, as the title of this article suggests. Nonetheless, beware and read at your own behest.
Plot Summary
Here is the synopsis of the film, as per the official Tribeca Film website.
Forest ranger Finn Wheeler is jazzed about his latest assignment: temporarily living inside The Beaverfield Inn, a cozy, woods-bound nook run by nice folks and frequented by Beaverfield’s colorful array of residents, for the duration of a new pipeline construction project. Little does he realize, his timing couldn’t be worse. For one, a major snowstorm is set to rid him and the inn’s occupants of communication with the outside world. And two, something is on the loose and brutally murdering Beaverfield’s denizens—perhaps something lycanthropic. As the body count rises, it’s up to Finn to play the reluctant hero and figure what, or who, is shrinking Beaverfield’s population.
Cast
Sam Richardson (Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K.) portrays the film’s central protagonist, Finn Wheeler. Milana Vayntrub plays the town’s postal worker, Cecily Moore.
Wayne Duvall plays Sam Parker, a resident of the town in charge of the pipeline project. Patrick M. Walsh Jr. and Catherine Curtin portray the Inn’s respective husband-and-wife owners — David J. Sherman and Jeanine Sherman.
The film features a few other couples. Cheyenne Jackson and Harvey Guillén (FX’s What We Do in the Shadows) play the town’s gay married couple, Devon and Joaquim Wolfson. George Basil and Sarah Burns play auto repair couple, Marcus and Gwen. Michaela Watkins and Michael Chernus play the town’s eccentric right-wing couple, Trisha and Pete Anderton.
Rebecca Henderson plays Dr. Jane Ellis, a scientist with a Ph.D. in zoology and environmental studies. Glenn Fleshler plays the town’s reclusive hunter, Emerson Flint. Meanwhile, Anni Krueger makes a voice appearance as Wheeler’s ex-girlfriend, Charlotte.
Discussion
Josh Ruben was a prominent figure from the CollegeHumor website for me growing up in the late-2000s and early-2010s. I also got to see him as a minor character over a month ago in Natalie Morales’s Hulu comedy-drama, Plan B. The fact that he serves as Werewolves Within‘s director is a major plus for me. Alongside him is Mishna Wolff, whose screenplay here bleeds so well into the narrative. The project consists of uniquely racially and socially diverse characters, interesting set pieces, and hilarious lines of dialogue.
Matthew Wise has some good cinematographic work I’ve seen for a horror-comedy. In the music department, Anna Drubich and Dan Wilcox do great, and I like the choices they make here. Brett W. Bachman’s editing is laudable as well. Aside from these cinematic elements, I would like to commend Bret Tanzer, David Tabbert, and Caitlin Ayer for designing the production, costumes, and set, respectively.
Anthony “Tony” Vincent, Alexa Marcigliano, Chad Knorr, and John Finnerty deserve major credit for the film’s stunts. In terms of the visual appeal, I believe Jeff Kalmus and Melissa Brockman have done well with the visual effects. I particularly adore Constantine Sekeris and Louie Zakarian’s respective werewolf design and special effects makeup, too.
Performances and Character Developments
Werewolves Within has a neat cast of familiar actors, thanks to Gayle Keller and Emer O’Callaghan.
I love Richardson and Vayntrub’s dynamic together as Wheeler and Moore. They perform well as their characters, with the screenplay developing them the most. The two play roles of sweet, friendly, albeit fierce individuals so perfectly. In fact, you might be surprised to the end just how great they can get. At one point, Richardson’s Wheeler even has a great yet monologue that I really liked.
I wasn’t so sure of Duvall and Curtin’s respective performances as Sam Parker and Jeanine Sherman. That is until I got to the final act of the film, where the audience is able to see them at their best. I remember Curtin from HBO’s Insecure and how comedic and dramatic she can get.
Guillén’s character, Joaquim Wolfson, is hilarious. I haven’t seen the actor perform like this before when I’d seen him in FX’s What We Do in the Shadows. I really liked what he brought to the table in this horror-comedy, and Shadows just gives him the experience needed to perfect it.
The other supporting roles consist of terrific performances and developments in character. Although, a part of me wished there could be more for them. Basil and Burns come off as crazy, while Watkins and Chernus are rather creepy. I remember Chernus from Spider-Man: Homecoming. Seeing him taking a break from the MCU and perform in a different film genre(s) felt refreshing. In my opinion, Flint and Ellis, specifically, are most mysterious, but more so the latter. (More on her in the next section of this article.)
Some References to Horror
I would liken Henderson’s Ellis to the primary characters from literary works like The Invisible Man or Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Eerily enough, H.G. Wells’s Griffin is also a peculiar scientist who stays in an inn during a snowstorm.
The film also pokes fun at more modern horror icons, such as Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers. It’s the way that Guillén’s Joaquim Wolfson delivers his lines that makes things all the more hilarious.
Final Thoughts
After the unfortunate critical and financial failure of Fox’s Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft Film & Television surely needed that boost back up with its adaptations. Ruben’s film acknowledges that every culture has its own interpretation of mythology. In this case, it centers on werewolves. This only makes the investigation of the situation a bit more difficult to resolve, as everyone comes from different social backgrounds.
I love the film’s opening line, which comes from Fred McFeely Rogers, more famously known as Mister Rogers. “Listening is where love begins. Listening to ourselves and then our neighbors.” Wolff makes sure that the story’s themes lie in the concept of community. It sounds absolutely ridiculous once the film starts playing, but as it progresses, it just works so well. We can take it from Richardson’s character, who states, “No matter what their differences are, people deserve to feel safe. … It’s fucking okay to be nice.”
Overall, Werewolves Within asks that the viewer taps into their sense of instinct, as if to act like a werewolf. As one character says, “Man that doesn’t wanna conquer nature doesn’t understand how brutal it is.” The film pays proper homage to its inspirations, which is the best part about it that I want to appreciate the most.
Josh Ruben’s Werewolves Within should now be available to watch at the Tribeca Film Festival. You can also see it during its limited release in theaters later this week, then on video-on-demand early next month!
Have you seen this film? If you have already, what are your thoughts on it? Let us know! For more comedy, horror, and mystery-related news and reviews, follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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