WEREWOLVES WITHIN

When doing a comedy horror film, you have to be careful in getting a good balance between the two genres in order for it to be a success. Lean too much into either and the end result could be quite a confused mess. Thankfully, Josh Ruben's Werewolves Within, based on the video game of the same name, is a comedy horror done right.

A proposed gas pipeline has created divisions within the small town of Beaverfield. When a snowstorm traps its residents together inside the local inn, newly arrived forest ranger Finn (Sam Richardson) and postal worker Cecily (Milana Vayntrub) must try to keep the peace and uncover the truth behind a mysterious creature that has begun terrorizing the community.

Josh Ruben is a name to keep an eye out for in the future with an assured approach to directing a film that could easily fall into the trap of neither being funny or scary, certainly leaning a little more towards the comedy side of things in Werewolves Within. In the same vein as Knives Out, this is a blast of a whodunnit from Ruben with a horror twist that provides the audience with plenty of laughs, a few scares here and there, as well as leaving them trying to work out exactly who the werewolf could be.

There's a distinctly goofy energy to the comedy here that very much reminded me of something like Palm Springs, which is a style of comedy that will always be right up my street. The array of obscure characters that inhabit Beaverfield make for some very interesting characters to keep an eye on in a whodunnit, Mishna Wolff's writing ensuring that they don't all fall under the same stereotypes and make it even more fun to work out exactly what is going on.

The fantastic ensemble cast play a major part in making Werewolves Within such a joyous viewing experience, each of them relishing the roles they've been given and clearly having a total blast playing out Wolff's screenplay. Sam Richardson and Milana Vayntrub are the standouts for me as they fight both to stay alive and the urge to start a romance amidst such a chaotic turn of events.

I already plan on revisiting Werewolves Within as there's potential for rewatchability with this one due to the great characters and keeping an eye out for things I may have missed out on the first time round. It's a real gem of 2021 that you should definitely seek out.

Signature Entertainment presents Werewolves Within on Digital Platforms and DVD from 19th July

Verdict: ★★★★