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Werewolf by Night Review

I never saw the Universal Monsters movies before, but I know about their impact on pop culture. They provided the public with definitive versions of famous monsters like Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster. Now, even the MCU’s trying to emulate the classic monster movies for Halloween. The end result, Werewolf by Night, is a triumphant masterpiece. A perfect blend of classic horror and the often-overlooked horror elements of Marvel comics.

Monster Hunters Ain’t That Surprising

In a universe filled with heroes, gods, magic, time travel, does the existence of monsters come as any surprise for anyone? The answer is a resounding no: monsters exist in the MCU, and so do the people that hunt them. Thus, when the most famous monster hunter of all, Ulysses Bloodstone, dies, the best hunters in the world congregate to choose his successor via a trial. 

There are several candidates that show up, but the ones that should be the main focus are Jack Russell, an unassuming guy with a high kill count, and Elsa Bloodstone, Ulysses estranged daughter. It’s never explained why, but it seems that she left her home due to not being on good terms with her stepmother. To be fair, though, her stepmother is a very unpleasant woman! The only reason Elsa returned is so she can gain her father’s bloodstone, which provides longevity, among other powers. Thus, we get to the main event of the special: the monster hunt. Each hunter enters a maze to chase a monster with the bloodstone attached to it. The first one to kill it and get the stone wins.

On the surface, it seems like a simple premise. However, it soon becomes clear that it’s not so simple.

Not Evil, Just Misunderstood

As it turns out, Jack wasn’t interested in getting the bloodstone for himself. He just wanted to help out the monster, AKA Ted, AKA Man-Thing, a being that’s the product of a science experiment gone wrong combined with mystical energy. Despite his monstrous, plant-like appearance, though, Man-Thing’s a gentle giant, and a friend of Jack. He only acts threatening to those that seek to do him harm, as he chooses to spare Elsa when she chooses to not attack him. 

I picked up on it early on, but I want to say it anyway: most of the monster hunters are racist Van Helsings. They automatically assume that anything that looks like a monster is a threat and must die, regardless of whether or not it actually is a threat. In this case, Man-Thing’s not evil; just misunderstood, as is Jack. 

As it turns out, Jack is a werewolf, albeit one that goes out of his way to make sure he can’t hurt anyone when he turns into a werewolf. Despite this, Mrs. Bloodstone and the other hunters don’t care, since they capture him and Elsa and trap them inside a cage with the goal of having Jack, the Werewolf by Night, kill Elsa.

Sometimes, the biggest monsters in the universe are the ones who think they’re doing the world a favor. In reality, they’re just being bullies who need a swift kick in the butt. In this case, Jack delivers a well-deserved ass-kicking as he proceeds to break free as a werewolf and kills all the monster hunters. Except for Ulysses Bloodstone’s widow; she dies at the hands of Man-Thing. 

The Monsters Win!

Thus, the story ends with Elsa reclaiming her birthright, the bloodstone, and her dad’s home. As for Jack and Man-Thing, they get to walk away. Happy ending for the good guys!

Overall, I thought that this was a very fun Halloween special for Marvel to do. It pays homage to classic horror with its black-and-white appearance. It doesn’t go too heavy on CGI in favor of practical effects. There’s even a shout-out to The Cryptkeeper in the form of Ulysses Bloodstone’s corpse acting like an animatronic. It’s a lot of fun. Hopefully, Marvel will decide to do more horror-themed stuff in the future. I wouldn’t mind seeing this sort of stuff for Halloween.

I Give “Werewolf by Night” a 4.5/5

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Housing Complex C Episode 2 Review

I’m normally not one for the horror genre, but every now and then, I’ll make an exception if I think I’ll enjoy it. In this case, I’m glad I made an exception for Housing Complex C, the horror mini-series airing on Toonami. With it’s use of Lovecraftian elements, good visuals, and the feeling of dread and suspense, it makes for an interesting story. That said, it’s not going to be for everyone, as it’s what I would call a “slow-burning” kind of horror. 

Tensions Run High

Picking up where the first episode left off, the residents of Housing Complex C deal with the disappearance of Hideo. All they found in his room was a weird pile of moss that the police blame on the humidity. It’s clear, though, that this wasn’t a natural occurrence. Something’s afoot, and tensions run high between the residents and the foreign interns. It also doesn’t help that the elderly woman keeps disrespecting the interns customs. Ignorance leads to misunderstanding and fear.

The Song is a Clue

While Kimi and Yuri try to break the tension by gathering things for a shaved ice party, the audience hears a certain story related to the local lore. While the song telling the story itself seems a little weird, it foreshadows what’s going in the Housing Complex. A story about a black-haired king served by foreigners that came from a nameless sea. However, it’s the last verse that should get the most attention. It speaks of a maiden wrapped in verdant moss, a referee eating a salmon, and praying to heaven while people are nice.

You have to hear the song itself, but here’s what I was able to get from it: everything that’s happening is part of some ancient legend of Kurosaki, and Kimi’s at the center of it all. She’s the king who wants everyone to be happy and get along. In other words, the moss is some kind of supernatural thing, and it’s either killing the residents or making them disappear. Either way, it’s not good for anyone.

Then there’s the salmon. While everyone’s getting ready for the party, the adults find piles of dead salmon lying around. Despite their suspicions, it appears that the interns aren’t responsible for it, though doesn’t explain everything. Especially since things escalate with the discovery of more dead animals in the woods. 

Don’t Eat the Syrup!

Everything comes to a head on the day of the shaved ice party. At first, it goes well, and everyone seems happy. Until one of the adults (Kentaro Yoshii) finds this in the syrup.

Meanwhile, another pile of moss is found in another apartment as another resident goes missing. 

At first, this doesn’t seem scary. However, as I was watching, I was struck by a thought: this was a slow-burning horror story. The reason it works so well is because the audience remains in the dark about what’s going on. Our minds start to come up with explanations, and as the story progresses, the paranoia grows. By the time we hit the climax, we’re as scared as the characters in the story. 

In other words, Housing Complex C knows how to scare us. I don’t know how things will end, but I doubt it will be a happy ending for anyone. I eagerly await the next part. 

I Give “Mismatched Buttons” a 4/5

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