Critic Reviews

Taken at its face — a Halloween special about a werewolf that pays homage to classic monster movies — Werewolf by Night more than succeeds. Strong leads and masterful directing from Giacchino make this a delectable All Hollows’ treat.

With this special, Marvel turns off the lights and starts down the dark basement stairs that every horror fan knows are trouble… though really, we’re all too intrigued by what’s at the bottom to tell them to stop.

The storyline is tight and concise but leaves one craving more. ... Utilizing elements of dark comedy, light romance, and friendship, “Werewolf by Night” is successfully able to balance fun and fright.

Just an entertaining, 52-minute program shot in the style of classic Universal Studios monster movies. ... This Halloween-season special is a true treat, not a trick.

e’re glad they rolled the dice. Giacchino is better known for his musical work — that moody, creepy score for The Batman is his — but as a director, he’s got a great sense of how to sustain a mood without losing momentum. ... We could use more creative distractions from mondo world-building like this. Just drop them more than once every full moon, please.

It’s the creepiest and bloodiest Marvel project by far, and clocking in at a lean 53 minutes long, it’s a perfect, snack-sized Halloween treat heading into the spookiest of seasons.

[Werewolf by Night] has a clever conceit, chilly atmosphere, and droll sense of humor that suggests it might have worked quite well as a full-length feature. In its present form, though, it remains a bite-size treat that MCU diehards will find difficult to resist.

Steel yourself for thoroughly retro chills and thrills, as you Marvel at the bite-size delight they call… Werewolf By Night!

Flexing different muscles, Marvel’s Werewolf by Night is a nifty Halloween-timed special designed as a black-and-white homage to the Universal monster movies of the 1930s and ’40s. Told with wry humor while tapping into unexplored quadrants of comics lore, it’s a bit too gory and scary for younger kids but a gift to fans that raises enticingly monster-ous possibilities.

We’ve got a demonically well-decorated Halloween one-off that’s packed with treats for horror fans.