Based on the video game of the same name, WEREWOLVES WITHIN (2021) is a goofy, low-expectations horror comedy. It’s fun, without being particularly funny or frightful.
Forest ranger Finn arrives at his new post in the small town of Beaverton. At first, he meets mail carrier Cecily, who introduces him to the town’s wackier residents, which include an environmental scientist and a sinister corporate agent representing an energy company that wants to build a pipeline in the area, an issue that is dividing residents. When a local dog disappears in a severe snowstorm and power outage, a body is discovered, leading to townsfolk banding together at the local hotel. As the body count rises, they believe a werewolf is in their midst. The trick is finding out who it is before it’s too late.
It’s a fun premise with solid promise, and the attempt has plenty of heart with some decent comedic actors. Finn has an interesting character arc who starts off too nice only to learn how important that is. Cecily messes with the manic pixie girl trope. Otherwise, however, despite the actors pouring their comedic hearts into it, it’s not particularly funny, there isn’t much in the way of surprises, and it’s not scary at all, failing to make the beautiful connection that the kissing cousins of horror and comedy can create.
The result felt a bit paint by numbers for me, a movie that plays it safe, and I’m a little old for the trope of naive newbie walks into a place where everybody is performatively wacky. I did, however, find it fun, and as comedy is even more individual than taste in movies, you might find it hilarious. This movie scored pretty well with audiences and critics at Rotten Tomatoes, indicating others got more out of it than I did. Check it out if you’re looking for something super light and kinda fun.
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