Marvel Studios has been pumping out content ever since one genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist sarcastically quipped his way into theaters and our hearts with Iron Man in 2008. Since then, dozens—more like hundreds—of Marvel characters have gotten some screen time. We saw the Avengers finally team up in 2012’s The Avengers, watched as the mischievous Loki dominated the Marvel Cinematic Universe, reunited with Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin in Spider-Man: No Way Home, got a prequel film for Black Widow, and saw practically every character in the MCU come together and battle in the Infinity War films. This is all immensely exciting for Marvel fans, but incredibly overwhelming for anyone who hasn’t been glued since the start. Thankfully, Marvel’s latest experiment serves as the perfect antidote for a fatigued superhero fan and as an outlier for an intrigued horror aficionado.
The Marvel Studios Special Presentation Werewolf by Night is both an aesthetically pleasing and creatively satisfying cinematic feat. Director Michael Giacchino wanted to pay homage to classic horror films of the 1930s and ‘40s, and he successfully did so in a number of ways. The cigarette burns that periodically appear in the corner of the black and white screen harken back to the early and beautifully imperfect days of filmmaking. But all of these strategic stylish choices would fall flat if there weren’t strong characters or an interesting story to buoy up the visuals.
The rich characters are brought to life by the actors’ incredibly dynamic and inventive performances. Gael García Bernal’s more soft-spoken and reserved Jack Russell and Laura Donnelly’s tough and confident Elsa Bloodstone work well in contrast to one another. Every actor, no matter their amount of time on screen, shined in their roles, but it was Harriet Sansom Harris who went above and beyond as the maniacal Verussa Bloodstone, elevating the special to frightful new heights.
Verussa is the Unstable Anchor Attempting to Control the Future of Her Family’s Reign
At the beginning of Werewolf by Night, the passing of Verussa's husband Ulysses, master monster hunter and the long-time possessor of the all-powerful Bloodstone, has triggered her descent into insanity. She summons hunters from around the world to Bloodstone Manor to honor her late husband’s legacy and take part in a ceremonial hunt to determine the rightful new owner of the relic. In the first glimpse we get of Verussa, she’s shrouded head to toe in black attire, veil and all, with her back to the invited guests. It isn’t until her servant nervously tells her that her step-daughter Elsa has arrived that she breaks her stare from Ulysses’ coffin. Be warned: this calm and quiet side of Verussa won’t be present for long.
The veteran character actress, who was recently nominated for an Emmy for her guest performance in the HBO Max series Hacks, completely owns and runs with the idea that Verussa is essentially the stereotypical “mad scientist” in this horror tale. A lot of the exposition burden is placed on Harris’ shoulders, which she delivers with an intense, shaky conviction that submerges you into the darkness of the story and heightens the stakes for the monster hunters about to embark on the quest. The intensity she brings to her reunion with Elsa after two decades is masked by an illegitimate smile, but as with the veil that covers her face, you can see right through it.
“You were so promising growing up. We all believed you would surpass your father,” she starts in a hopeful tone before morphing into a palpable disdain, “Instead, you seem satisfied to emulate your mother. I did what I could with you…you were the greatest disappointment of [your father’s] life.”
Harris Is the Only Actor to Really Dive Into the Special's Melodrama
Harris's acting choices make the otherwise grounded special (yes, there is a werewolf) wonderfully unpredictable. It’s this fearlessness and sporadic energy she brings to her character that sets the tone for the audience. She hangs on every word like it’s her last and drags out words that you didn’t even think could be dragged out. Verussa’s unapologetic and performative mourning for her deceased true love is so over-the-top that even Jack, Elsa, and the other hunters are freaked out, which further cements the idea that this woman is reckless.
The lovesick and controlling widow saunters around the room and praises each hunter for their number of kills. This morphs into an epic, drawn-out monologue about Ulysses’ leadership over the years to establish the severity of the situation. She slowly circles the upright coffin and caresses it with her gloved hand as she describes the man that they lost. Through deep breaths and pregnant pauses, Verussa cries, “He was a leader, a friend, a lover without equal.” Harris’ jarring emotional fluctuations also contribute to her performance. After being on the verge of tears, she cannot contain her delirious joy when detailing Ulysses’ disturbing message he left behind. “Knowing his spirit would not be with us tonight to state his wishes for the ceremonial hunt, he orchestrated his presence in other ways. Incorrigible, really!” she squeals with glee. As Verussa watches Ulysses’ corpse “speak” with his recorded message to the hunters, she can’t help but interlock her hand with his rotting flesh.
After her grand introductions, Harris is absent for the bulk of the special. The focus understandably shifts to what Verussa has been amping up all along: the monster hunt. She doesn’t return until a massive reveal that propels the story to its ferocious conclusion. Jack’s sensitive reaction when he attempts to make contact with the Bloodstone is proof that he himself is a monster of some kind. “My word. A monster. Masquerading as one of our own. Desecrating a sacred night,” she says before letting her rage take over. Evil twinkles in her eye as she examines the soon-to-be-beast who lies helplessly before her. “I can’t wait to find out what breed of evil you are,” she growls.
Nothing is easy with Verussa. She slowly removes her hood and freakish metal mask to reveal what appears to be an obnoxious amount of heavily smeared mascara. (In case it wasn’t already clear that she was mourning.) She calls to her “darling” Ulysses and positions his corpse so he has a good view of what’s about to take place. After reciting Latin in her weak yet gravelly voice, she blasts the helpless Jack with the Bloodstone to watch him transform into a werewolf and kill Elsa. “Once this is over, you’ll notice my hands are clean. His? Hmm. Not so much.”
A lot of Verussa’s “crazy” is evident in her darting eyes, and of course, her evil squeal upon seeing the werewolf certainly doesn’t help make a case for sanity. All of her intensity from the start makes her brutal demise at the burning hands of Man-Thing (the very monster she wanted one of the hunters to slaughter) that much of an event. Her final words to Elsa after watching her let the werewolf escape are comically villainous and just as dramatic as her performance. “You will now die as you lived…a disgrace to your father’s memory, and the hallowed Bloodstone name!”
Werewolf by Night is an exciting and refreshing new chapter in the MCU. Not only does it live up to its horror-nostalgia hype by honoring the black-and-white creature features that came before it, but it also successfully establishes and fleshes out new characters in a considerably smaller window of time than fans are used to. The bellowing score, the blood and gore, and the practical effects come together to make a spooky special, but it’s Harriet Sansom Harris’ no-holds-barred performance as Verussa Bloodstone that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Werewolf by Night is available to stream on Disney+.