Werewolves Within

"Werewolves Within" is a delightful horror comedy that scratches that mystery itch just enough to be worth rewatching.

A small town dealing with a monster is the type of horror I am always down for. Whether it’s roleplaying that scenario with friends in a board game or watching a schlocky horror film from the 80’s that follows that idea, there is a charm to the premise of a small, tight knit community going up against supernatural creatures that I can’t help but love when a film in that realm hits my radar. Plus, it also piques my interest more if the monstrous threat is one of my favorite classic monsters of all time: a werewolf. So when the horror comedy Werewolves Within (a film that’s also adapted from a video game surprisingly) released a teaser two months ago, I couldn’t help but want to see the film as soon as possible. With its strong, comedic cast and fun premise, I decided to head into Beaverfield to see what Werewolves Within had to offer. 

Loosely based off of the VR game by Ubisoft, Werewolves Within follows forest ranger Finn (Sam Richardson) as he settles into Beaverfield, a small town he’s been reassigned to after an incident at his previous job. While getting acclimated to the new environment as well as the rising tensions revolving around a proposed pipeline, Finn begins to meet the local townspeople with the help of the postal worker Cecily (Milana Vayntrub). However, a snowstorm and power outage forces the townspeople to convene to the local inn, becoming more and more uneasy as tensions between them begin to build. It becomes even more complicated when Finn discovers that the power outage is not caused by the incoming storm...but by something else. This leads the community of Beaverfield to believe that a monster is not only terrorizing the town but might also be among them in disguise. 

The whodunit aspect of the story is very engaging and leads to some fun moments throughout the film. With the help of Cecily, the audience begins to learn secrets about Beaverfield with Finn in the first act, creating a web of rumors that becomes believably intense once the townsfolk begin to point fingers at one another. Nearly every character is given a believable motive as to why they’d murder the townsfolk if they were the hypothetical monster. Would it be revenge against those who want the proposed pipeline? Or is it a personal vendetta that’s being masked by current events in order to push suspicion off the monster? While I do think the climactic reveal is easy to catch earlier in the film, it didn’t stop me from loving the result of what the townsfolk end up doing at the height of their paranoia. 

Speaking of the townsfolk, a lot of what makes the film so fun to watch is seeing a slew of character actors take on these fun, eccentric characters in a horror comedy. Practically every actor in the film has a comedic background/comedic role under their belt, resulting in each actor approaching their one-dimension character in a tongue in cheek way that doesn’t take away the agency of the characters nor the impact when one of them is in a dire situation. The best character by far though is our protagonist Finn, a lovable, excessively nice forest ranger that is by far the best person amongst the others in Beaverfield. Sam Richardson plays him with such a sincerity and sharpness that it makes him a perfect candidate for a mystery such as this. Even though the characters are not given enough development to leave a massive impression on the audience, I do believe that the cast’s performances lead to a myriad of entertaining characters that’ll make any viewer giddy to see how they handle being in a werewolf mystery such as this one.

In addition to the fun performances, probably my favorite aspect of the film is its direction by Josh Ruben. Also with a background in comedy, Ruben approaches Werewolves Within with a mindset that feels very similar to Edgar Wright’s Cornetto films. It’s very clear that his love of horror and comedy results in a balanced tone for the film, accenting Mishna Wolff’s witty script while Matt Wise’s cinematography and Brett W. Bachman’s editing is able to culminate into a good looking film that is a tight, satisfying ninety minutes. I’ve been a fan of Ruben’s since his CollegeHumor days but I never would’ve guessed that he’d create such a blast this early into his career as a film director. It genuinely feels like Ruben was the perfect choice to lead these character actors, knowing the best time to push the silliness of the scenario while also knowing when to turn on the intensity amongst the paranoia.

Overall, Werewolves Within is a really enjoyable film that takes the scenario of a small town versus a werewolf and turns it into a funny ride that feels like the right amount of a horror homage. The cast has a blast, the talented direction by Josh Ruben balances horror and comedy well, and the near perfect pacing makes the film go by faster than expected. While most of the characters are still one-dimensional (and the finale is a tad rushed), the chaotic energy in Werewolves Within is palpable enough where I think any horror fan can have a good time with it. It’s not a film that has to be seen at full price in theaters but it’s definitely a film that is at its best with a group of friends in the room. In the end, if you’re someone who loves the horror ingrained into the small town aesthetic,  Werewolves Within is a delightful horror comedy that scratches that mystery itch just enough to be worth rewatching.