Adapting video games into any other medium is challenging. Many video games are developed with the intent that the player will be able to control the main character’s actions to some degree. With other mediums such as film, you don’t have that interactivity that makes video games unique. If you want to make a good “video game movie,” you essentially need to break a game down to its barest plot elements and make everything up on your own.
With that logic, Ubisoft’s 2016 virtual-reality game Werewolves Within was perfect for a film adaptation. Its plot revolved around medieval townsfolk huddling over a campfire to see which one of them was the werewolf stalking their town — nothing more, nothing less. Players connected on a server and used their VR headsets to look around their circle, interrogating those they found suspicious. The loose plot is almost begging for expansion, precisely what director Josh Ruben and screenwriter Mishna Wolff deliver almost perfectly in their adaptation.
This version of Werewolves Within, premiering at Tribeca Film Festival, does not occur in a medieval village but rather a tiny Midwest town hit by a winter storm. The townsfolk, all portrayed right on the line between camp and authenticity, frequently bicker and point fingers at each other. However, other than these very loose connections, the film is an entirely different beast than its VR predecessor. For instance, the film has a much tighter plot; park ranger Finn (I Think You Should Leave’s Sam Richardson) is transferred to the quiet town of Beaverfield, where he discovers that something sinister is on the prowl. As the townsfolk grow more stressed about their predicament, distrust and suspicion boil to the surface.
Beaverfield’s very few residents are postal worker Cecily (Milana Vayntrub), bed & breakfast owner Jeanine (Catherine Curtin), and MAGA-adjacent couple Pete (Michael Chernus) and Trish (Michaela Watkins), among other colorful characters. The entire cast toes the line between campy bizarreness and dead seriousness, which suits the film’s innate absurdity. Richardson, playing the straight-man newcomer to the town, quickly gives the most grounded performance welcome in a movie with such eccentric personalities. Vayntrub’s comedic timing is also spot-on as she gives sharp quips even in the most stressful situations. Her penchant for chef’s kisses and mockery make her a character sure to be a fan-favorite of many horror-centric Film Twitter accounts.
Some dialogue, such as almost everything by couple Devon (Cheyenne Jackson) and Joaquim (Harvey Guillén), sometimes sounds inhuman or unrealistic. However, given how heightened the plot and characters are, the script can be forgiven for being a tad unbelievable. It is also relatively tame when it comes to its gore as well. The film’s twists and turns nearly avoid being ruined, although the ever-present feeling of paranoia will still leave viewers guessing.
Perhaps the most noticeable anomaly monster fans will notice is the relative lack of gore, especially for a modern werewolf movie. Despite some fantastic practical effects (seriously, the ending will steal the hearts of classic monster fans everywhere), most scenes involving blood or corpses sadly obscure them. Believe me, though; it still earns a solid R-rating for what gory effects they do show.
Is Werewolves Within the best video game movie currently made? If you are willing to be flexible with what makes a video game movie, then yes. Even if you don’t bother playing the VR party game, however, the chances are high that you’ll be able to suspend your disbelief and get involved in the lives of Beaverfield’s residents. Just make sure you open up your eyes and see the signs.
