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WEREWOLVES (2024)
3 stars
Signature Entertainment. Digital 13th January. DVD 20th January
WEREWOLVES is a kind of fun B – in exploring a sub-genre which is seemingly less frequently visited by horror filmmakers. This one starts from a somewhat preposterous central idea but runs with it – even if it can’t quite deliver on all it promises.
We are informed by Dr Aranada (Lou Diamond Phillips) that a strange phenomena occurred a year ago – a super moon caused lots of the population to turn into werewolves as it drew out some kind of embedded tendencies. Seems a perfectly reasonable premise!
So this year, with another lunar lycanthropic outbreak incoming, lycanthropy lunar happening incoming, everyone is preparing to defend themselves and to keep out of the rays of the moon. Lucy (Ilfenesh Hadera) is being helped prepare by her brother in law Wesley (Frank Grillo, something of a star when it comes to this kind of action packed, low budget outing), to keep her and her and her daughter Emma (Kamdynn Gary) safe – especially as Lucy lost her husband in the previous year’s disaster.
Wesley then teams up with Amy (Katrina Law) to try out a moon block that is supposed to is supposed to prevent people from turning into hirsute horrors. Of course it isn’t long before there is fighting in the streets and active gunplay as the population starts to turn into hairy monsters…
With shades of THE PURGE, the story has two strands: Wesley and his partner in the city fighting against those that have turned – whilst at home his sister in law and daughter are fully prepped for an attack – which you know will come. Make up effects, depipicting the werewolves, is pretty good a la The Howling, if on a smaller budget – though at times they do look more like over the head masks and there is some use of CGI as well (though thankfully kept to a minimum). It leads to an an action packed finale and proves to be an enjoyably daft production.
Steve Kirkham
