Werewolves
★ ★ ½
‘Werewolves’ takes place one year after a super moon event activated a latent gene in humans that turned anyone exposed to moonlight into werewolves. This was only for the duration of the supermoon. These werewolves killed millions of the humans that were not exposed to the moonlight that night.
This film opens on the day of another super moon where people are scrambling to prepare for another werewolf attack. A group of scientists, Wesley (Frank Grillo), Dr. Amy Chen (Katrina Law) and Dr. Aranda (Lou Diamond Phillips), have been working on a cure since the last super moon.
A werewolf on the prowl
© 2024 Briarcliff Entertainment
They have invented a moon spray to temporarily block the moon’s werewolf-inducing effects. It’s like sunscreen, but instead of blocking UV rays, it blocks moonlight and instead of preventing skin cancer, it prevents the transformation into a mythical horror beast.
As the day goes on, neighborhoods and businesses fortify their homes and buildings by boarding up windows, setting bear traps and other security measures – all in hopes of staying safe from werewolves.
Frank Grillo and Katrina Law
© 2024 Briarcliff Entertainment
At a military research facility, when the super moon is at its peak, the scientists spray three subjects with the moon spray and open bay doors to let the moonlight in. The spray works. At first…
The chaos of werewolf madness erupts in the local town and neighborhoods with mass violence and destruction. Back in the research lab, the spray quickly wears off, and the three subjects turn into werewolves, wreaking havoc, death and mayhem in the facility, killing nearly everyone on site.
Wesley and Amy survive and work together to get through the town and to their own homes and families, battling werewolves at every turn.
The werewolves are incredibly strong, and it takes a high caliber gun, in this case a rapid-fire minigun, to take one down. As far as the film goes, it’s a good thing they only come out once a year.
Frank Grillo as Wesley and Katrina Law as Amy
© 2024 Briarcliff Entertainment
The action is fine, the characters are fairly well written and the overall story is halfway decent.
The visual effects for the werewolves are animatronic versus CGI, and especially during action scenes, not incredibly convincing. The mouth movements are awkward and they move a bit slow and clumsy for the monstrous hunters they’re supposed to be.
I wanted to like this film more than I did, but still found it moderately entertaining.
Had the story developed deeper, and had the werewolves been a bit more convincing, this would certainly be a film to recommend. Instead, Werewolves is just entertaining enough to pass the time, but little else.
Running Time: 1h 34m
Directed by: Steven C. Miller
Written by: Matthew Kennedy
Starring: Frank Grillo, Katrina Law, Ilfenesh Hadera, Jimmy Cummings, Lou Diamond Phillips
Drama, Horror, Mystery & Thriller
