Review: 'Werewolves Within' an unfunny and laborious whodunit

Courtesy of IFC Films

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An extended Saturday Night Live sketch that goes on 80 minutes longer than it should, “Werewolves Within,” Josh Ruben’s low-budget riff on the Ubisoft video game, tries to be a cross between “Knives Out” and “The Thing” but hardly lands its mark. A stacked ensemble can’t salvage this satirical non-starter, set in a snowy Vermont town where the population would have more fun playing a quick game of “Among Us” than endure a scattershot whodunit with minimal laughs.

What bits do garner chuckles belongs to the always bubbly Sam Richardson playing disgraced park ranger Finn, who’s sole crime was fishing without a permit. He’s been sent to the small town, the sight of a controversial pipeline causing a stir among the community, to basically babysit and make sure everything stays dandy (and try to salvage a romantic relationship everyone but him knows is dead on arrival). His liaison is postal worker Cecily (Milana Vayntrub taking a break from AT&T commercials to deliver a genuinely wholesome performance) who quickly introduces a slew of faces to set up the “suspects,” but it’s so hastily thrown together you’ll blink and not understand how a certain character ended up in which scene.

Fin is a nice enough guy, but he’s thrown off the rails when holed up inside a lodge, with a murderous werewolf, as chewed up bodies begin turning up in droves. Everyone’s on edge and fingers are getting pointed in every direction, forcing Finn and crew into a variety of unfunny moments (testing DNA etc) in an attempt to ascertain who the culprit is, but Mishna Wolff’s screenplay poorly misleads the audience with a predictable final twist that isn’t as smart or witty as the setup would have you believe.

There’s some crafty action late in the game, but pulling off a shocking reveal is tough, and “Werewolves Within” doesn’t have the spark or chramisa (like “Knives Out”) to overcome an iffy finale. Imagine playing a game of “Mafia” or “One Night Ultimate Werewolf” and knowing who the perpetrator is but you can’t convince anyone to see the truth. It’s a laborious exercise that shows promise of a plucky, sillier movie (give me a solo outing with Richardson and Vauntrub seven days a week because they are both terrific), but the set pieces aren’t memorable and the outcome makes you question why anyone would play along in the first place.

Grade: D+

WEREWOLVES WITHIN opens in theaters June 25th and will be available on digital/demand Friday, July 2nd