Werewolves (2024)

"Hugely Entertaining"

The latest from director Steven C Miller (whose THE AGGRESSION SCALE I reviewed here) is getting a UK DVD and Digital release from Signature Entertainment. It's a film that, in its unashamed efforts to entertain by delivering the gory goods, encapsulates much of what was great about 1980s exploitation cinema, while at the same time not paying the slightest lip service to that movie decade (which in itself is refreshing).

Before the story begins a supermoon has caused all humans to develop the tendency to turn into werewolves when exposed to its rays. Supermoons are rare, we are told (by Lou Diamond Phillips), but another one is imminent and so precautions need to be taken. There's a moonlight-blocking cream that has been developed but so far it has been untested.

It's tested.

It doesn't work.

Werewolves end up everywhere.

And so the film quickly becomes THE PURGE with werewolves (it even stars Frank Grillo of the second and third PURGE sequels), with those who wish to remain unchanged barricading themselves in their homes while gun nuts prepare to go wild. The action comes thick and fast with some well-staged sequences and once the film gets going it doesn't stop. The werewolves themselves are pretty decent creations (with only minimal use of CGI) and, importantly, there are plenty of them. There are some nice subtle touches, too. In the background are posters for 'The Right to Change' while early on someone mentions what is going on in other countries while America prepares. 

WEREWOLVES looks far more expensive than it probably was, is based on a crazy premise, and with its laboratory setting in its first act featuring people in Hazmat suits and essentially a 'you want werewolves? Well here are werewolves!' attitude, the film emulates the kind of early 1980s Italian exploitation ripoffs (frequently directed by Bruno Mattei) that are still being talked about and enjoyed to this day. If that sounds like your kind of thing then be assured it definitely is. Here's a trailer:

Steven C Miller's WEREWOLVES is out on Digital from Signature Entertainment on Monday 13th January 2025 and DVD on Monday 3rd February 2025