Do you remember back when audiences would see movies solely based on the talent working on the movie? The 1980s were dominated by men like Slyster Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, who pioneered franchises like Rocky, Rambo, Terminator, Predator, and much more. Audiences would consistently flock to these movies as soon as they could, or better yet check them out when they were released on video. Chances are you may know about the plot, but you most likely didn’t care. You just wanted to see Rocky beat up another guy or to see the Terminator fulfill his promise of coming back. Even with a new decade approaching in the 1990s, we didn’t care.

The only thing that changed was the names of the stars. Stallone became Willis and Rocky became Die Hard. Terminator faded into Lethal Weapon. As romantic comedies began to become a more predominant staple of the box office, names like Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts, and Meg Ryan began to make the box office profitable, proving that it wasn’t just a male dominated investment any more. Though the “leading” lady and male angles have faded from cinemas, it’s merely been adapted to the franchise driven market. Now it’s the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies or tentpole Disney remakes from our childhoods that fill the seats. Every so often, we find films that defy our expectations of what a genre can do. 

With the rise of the cinematic universe and specifically the comic book movie genre, we’ve seen a rise in other studios trying to cash in on the next best thing. Look to films like Detective Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog - movies that are ushering in the next wave of franchises in the video game movie genre. Josh Ruben, director of last year’s Scare Me, may have just challenged what we think is possible with the video game movie genre. Honestly he could have lowkey just given us one of the best films in the genre, and subsequently this year, in Werewolves Within. The latest offering from Ruben is an adaptation of the Ubisoft game of the same name. This adaptation tells the story of Finn (Sam Richardson), a park ranger who gets transferred to the small town of Beaverfield. Upon his arrival, some strange occurrences begin to happen and Finn leads a small town to find out the deadly secret source of the occurrence.

Perhaps the thing to marvel at most is how multidimensional the story feels. As I’ve previously mentioned, Werewolves is indeed a video game movie, but it’s also so much more. When you look at other properties like Pokemon or Sonic, those worlds feel larger than life. Tonally, this movie stands toe to toe with the aforementioned Marvel and Disney franchises that consistently dominate the box office. Werewolves has a special intimacy to it that demonstrates what the genre is capable of, all while brilliantly mixing in the horror and comedy genre simultaneously, resulting in one of the best films we’ve seen this year from all three genres. Werewolves feels so refreshing on a lot of levels, but its handling of the genres demonstrates how much Mishna Wolff is indeed a master of her craft. It’s also worth mentioning that this is her debut as a screenwriter and what an impressive debut it is!

Ruben, much like Wolff, is still in his infancy for directing as well. While last year’s Scare Me was a true testament to his capability as a director, Werewolves solidifies and removes any doubt you may have had. This film allows Ruben to grow as a director, while also taking the intimacy of Scare Me and growing it on a larger scale. Werewolves is an exceptionally directed and staged film. Perhaps even more than that are the performances from Richardson and co-star Milana Vayntrub. The two have such a special dynamic. Richardson without a doubt solidifies himself as a leading man with this performance. His chemistry with Vayntrub takes his performance an extra step further. While I don’t want to say too much about Vayntrub, she is delightfully surprising and one of the best parts of the movie.

Werewolves also comes with exceptional pacing. It brilliantly mixes the multi-genre tone of the film with a compelling mystery at its core; the film never misses a beat. It even stops to address the tropes of the mystery subgenre we’ve come to expect by now. The few sequences that do indulge the tropes are few and far between. However, they do take away from the film’s brilliant delivery. These scenes suck the comedy and joy right out of them. However, on the bright side, it does allow for Richardson to experience some dynamic character growth. As the title suggests the film is a werewolf movie of sorts. With that it should also be mentioned that this film has excellent practical effects, once again proving that bigger isn’t always better. The practical effects approach further helps the film to stand out within the video game genre.

Overall, Werewolves Within is a brilliant and delightful mixture of genres. The film is exquisitely written, brilliantly staged and shot, and is home to some tremendous performances - performances like Sam Richardson who make me hopeful to see him in more leading roles moving forward. Similarly Milana Vayntrub is another stand out from the film, and that proves she is so much more than the “AT&T” girl. She is an extreme delight to watch in this film. The film is paced marvelously. Quite frankly I can’t say enough good things about this film. Werewolves Within is the best video game movie we’ve seen in a long time and at its core, it’s a great mystery too.                                                                     

RORSCHACH RATING:

Mental Health Moment: When we first meet Sam Richardson’s character Finn, he is driving and listening to a self-help audiobook on what one can only assume is how to be more assertive. This pretty much sets up the majority of his character’s journey moving forward throughout the film. Shortly after his introduction, we are introduced to why he is doing this. Like most good stories go, it is all for a girl. His girlfriend, Charlotte, has recently broken up with him for being too nice. He is trying to change in hopes of being with her. 

I’m not sure if I’m the only one who has done this, but I’ve changed for others. I’ve changed into what I thought other people wanted me to be. Instead of happiness, all I found was depression. I was changing into a reality that I didn’t want. Don’t chase after what someone else wants for your life. You are missing out on what could be true happiness, joy, and healthy mental health. Even if you don’t get along with the right crowd now, it just means you haven’t found the right community yet. Sometimes you have to consider your own happiness over others in order to be more effective in the long run.

If you or someone you know is reading this right now and struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message, or tweet at us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!

Victims and Villains is written (and produced) by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey and others, and edited by Cam Smith. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. We do not own nor claim any rights.

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