Werewolf By Night (2022) Is A Violent Throwback Special! (Nicholas Fonseca)
As the famed composer of The Batman (2022), Michael Giacchino (he/him) takes on another comic book property, this time under Marvel he directs the Werewolf by Night special. Just in time for the season, this 54-minute special takes on the style of classical horror with its use of low-key lighting, black-and-white coloring, and bold scoring (as expected of Giacchino).
If someone was getting tired of the typical Marvel media being put out lately, then this surely will be of interest to them, as it’s certainly one of the most unique things they’ve put out lately.
As previously stated, the special is chock full of the usual visual aspects of a classic horror flick, including the small visual discrepancies such as film grain and cue marks in the top right of the screen. Its unique look is thanks to the combination of the black-and-white colorization with the excellently done low-key lighting techniques.
Although, there are points where it does appear off due to a room just being far too bright, but once our characters are in a darker environment it just works like a charm!
Speaking of uniqueness in this special, unlike the usual Marvel properties found on Disney+, this special takes advantage of the black-and-white coloring to really up the violence they can get away with. It’s got well-choreographed fighting that’s got plenty of blood splatters to go around, and even a brutal hallway scene! Some consider Dr Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (2022) to be quite violence, but this special certainly gives it a run for its money.
Besides the bloody violence though, the question on some people’s minds must be “Is it scary?” Well, to be honest I didn’t find myself really terrified or that unsettled, cause while violent I didn’t find myself jumping from my seat. However, this doesn’t make it any less of a fun and spooky time! It isn’t just plain fun though, as it also includes themes of what family means and how people are beyond labels/legacy. Overall, I have to give it a 4 out of 5 howls at the moon!
