One year ago, a supermoon triggered a global event that turned people into werewolves. Chaos ensued, and close to a billion people died that night. A film by Steven C. Miller, starring Frank Grillo, Katrina Law, Ilfenesh Hadera, Kamdynn Gary, James Michael Cummings, Lydia Styslinger, Ian Whyte, Dane DiLiegro, Ian Feuer, and Lou Diamond Phillips.

On the cataclysmic night of May 25 last year, Miami firefighter Sean Marshall lost his life in the line of duty while serving with the Miami City Fire Department. Sean is survived by his parents, Mark and Elaine, his brother Wesley, his wife Lucy, and their daughter Emma.

Dr. James Aranda (Lou Diamond Phillips) explains that while supermoons can occur multiple times a year, last year’s event was different, though the origin of this violent transformation remains unknown. He warns that no one should be exposed to tonight’s supermoon, as his team works around the clock to find a solution. Their research is still ongoing, especially since they’ve discovered that not all full moons trigger werewolf transformations.

A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the Moon’s closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit, known as perigee. This phenomenon results in the Moon appearing larger and brighter than usual. Specifically, a supermoon is defined as a full moon occurring when the Moon is within 90% of its perigee distance, which is approximately 363,300 km from Earth. During a supermoon, the Moon can appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter compared to when it is at its farthest point from Earth. Supermoons typically occur three to five times a year, often appearing consecutively. The exact number can vary based on the Moon’s orbit.

Wesley (Frank Grillo) helps secure the home of his late brother’s wife Lucy (Ilfenesh Hadera) and her daughter Emma (Kamdynn Gary) for the impending danger of the supermoon which will occur again tonight. Though hesitant to leave Lucy and Emma behind, Lucy insists that his work is more important as they are searching for the cure.

The Global Rapid Response team arrives at the research facility, led by their commander Wesley Marshall (Frank Grillo) – a former military captain now working for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He’s joined by his second in command Evan Radcliffe (Daniel Fernandez), and chief Canis lupus biologist Amy Chen (Katrina Law). The team plans to evaluate their newly developed substance called Moonscreen, a theoretical barrier designed to protect human DNA from moonlight exposure. If successful, this breakthrough could pave the way toward finding a cure.

Among the test subjects is Dr. Chen’s husband, Myles (James Kyson). Initially, the Moonscreen appears to work perfectly – the subjects remain human even under direct exposure to the supermoon. But their success is short-lived. After just one hour, the protective effects begin to wear off, and the subjects transform into werewolves one after another. In the ensuing chaos, many staff members fail to escape the facility in time, falling victim to the savage creatures.

Wesley and Amy flee the research facility, racing through werewolf-infested streets toward Lucy’s home. They discover her house is under attack by a werewolf. And for unknown reasons, Lucy’s home eventually has become the primary target of an entire werewolf pack.

Directed by American filmmaker Steven C. Miller and based on an original screenplay by Matthew Kennedy, Werewolves is an action-horror film that begins with an intriguing premise: a sudden werewolf transformation triggered by a mysterious supermoon event.

However, the film ultimately fails to deliver a satisfying narrative due to a weak script filled with cringeworthy dialogue, plot holes, unrealistic behaviors, one-dimensional characters, and inconsistencies.

At times, it feels like I’m watching a video game rather than a horror movie. Events unfold without any clear reason: lights flicker constantly, objects that shouldn’t explode keep blowing up, and the protagonist is distracted by a speakerphone call without video, leading him to crash his car into a bus. The werewolves’ sense of smell is baffling; they can’t even recognize a human scent when it’s literally just 15 centimeters away.

Additionally, the werewolves in this film seem to have no better hearing than humans, despite the fact that real wolves can hear sounds from as far as 9.6 kilometers away in the forest and 16 kilometers in open terrain. In one scene, the werewolves mindlessly smash abandoned cars like NPCs in a video game, unable to sense nearby humans unless an event triggers their attention.

I also don’t understand the excessive use of lens flare. They’re not in space, they’re not in Star Trek, and the director is not J.J. Abrams. What’s the point?

WEREWOLVES was theatrically released in the United States on 6 December 2024.