Werewolves Within (2021)

Director: Josh Ruben

Starring: Sam Richardson, Milana Vayntrub, George Basil

Feature adaptation of the video game where werewolves attack a small town.

Note: Possible spoilers.

Finn Wheeler (Sam Richardson) arrives in the town of Beaverfield as the town’s new ranger. He stays at Jeanine’s lodge, and soon meets the rather weird residents. Jeanine’s husband disappeared shortly prior to Finn’s arrival. He befriends the new mail man (or woman, in this case), Cecily (Milana Vayntrub)

‘Werewolves Within’ has a constant foreboding atmosphere and the scares come quick and unexpected. When Finn finds the body of Jeanine’s husband under her porch, and discovers generators damaged, every character becomes a suspect. Thus, the film also is an interesting whodunit murder mystery that will keep you guessing until the end. Together, Finn and Cecily try to unravel the mystery, but they themselves become suspects!

The tension is elevated when they realize one of them might be a werewolf. Interestingly, for a werewolf movie, there is no werewolf in sight until the finale. There’s constant talk of one, and shadows resembling a big creature, but we never see one throughout the first two acts. I rather enjoyed this different approach. It proves the mind believes what it wants to. Plant a seed and your active imagination will do the rest!

I absolutely loved Sam Richardson as Finn, the film’s protagonist. Although a comedy with many funny moments, it was also ominous and quite scary at times. And totally unpredictable. This was a pleasant watch!

Sam Richardson was nominated for Best Actor in a Horror Movie, and ‘Werewolves Within’ received a Best Horror Film nomination.

Would I watch it again? Yes.