AT&T Commercial Actress Milana Vayntrub Starred In An Underrated Video Game Movie

Josh Ruben's 2021 horror-comedy "Werewolves Within" is one of the best video game-based movies ever made. It's funny, clever, scary, and sports two excellent lead performances from Sam Richardson and Milana Vayntrub. 

Of course, "best video game movie" is a very low bar to clear. For many years, filmmakers struggled to turn video games into quality films, and the reasons for this can be endlessly debated. In many cases, the games being adapted into films were so complex, aged, and rich with lore that their stories no longer conveniently fit into a conventional film narrative. In other cases, the games in question were already derived from B-movies, so the resulting adaptations felt like a copy of a copy. For many years, fans held up Paul W.S. Anderson's 1995 film "Mortal Kombat" as the gold standard, and that should reveal how low the bar really was. In recent years, some video game movies have been decent, or have at least been hits. The most recent reboot of "Mortal Kombat," while convoluted, at least had the appropriate amount of gore, and everyone and their mother went to see "The Super Mario Bros. Movie." 

"Werewolves Within" was based on a very simple 2016 werewolf video game, itself inspired by the party game "Mafia." The film doesn't follow the game closely at all — the game is set in a medieval fantasy town, the film in modern-day America — but both are stories about deducing which of the many characters we meet is secretly a werewolf. The new forest ranger Finn (Richardson) has to figure it out, and he enlists the aid of the sarcastic mail-carrier Cecily (Vayntrub, whom you might also know as the AT&T girl), whom Sam is not-so-secretly crushing on. 

For those unfamiliar with "Mafia"-style party games, they are played very simply. A group of partiers gather and each one shuts their eyes. A game master then assigns several secret identities to the players, and none of them are permitted to reveal who they are. Each one has a unique ability, including the Mafioso, or perhaps the Werewolf, who can "murder" other players when no one is looking. The 2016 "Werewolves Within" video game animates that process, and includes non-player characters if they are needed. As mentioned, it takes place in a fantasy village in medieval Europe.

The "Werewolves Within" movie abandons the fantasy angle, and instead stages its narrative like a murder mystery. Finn arrives in the small town of Beaverfield, where he is immediately introduced to all the locals. Because he is a ranger, this is something he wanted to do anyway, and because he immediately befriends the mail carrier Cecily, he has the means to visit all the main characters in their homes. It's an efficient narrative gimmick. Also, Cecily takes Sam to the local axe-throwing bar (which is empty) and they bond over games and juice. It's easy to see why Sam falls in love.

Oh yes, and there's mischief afoot. On one fateful night, a storm strikes, and all the previously introduced subjects have to gather in a local lodge for shelter. Someone is sabotaging the generators, and a dog goes missing. They all eventually find that a werewolf is stalking them. It's clearly nearby, and is likely one of the characters we've already met.

No one seems to be in the same room at the same time, so it's hard to say which of them is a werewolf. Catherine Curtin, Wayne Duvall, Cheyenne Jackson, Michaela Watkins, Harvey Guillén from "What We Do in the Shadows," and Michael Chernus from "Severance" round out the potential suspects. It would take too long to explain every member of the ensemble, but they are all richly detailed figures with a lot of personality. And they all have a dubious alibi, so there's every reason to believe they're all guilty. It's easy to compare "Werewolves Within" to the 1985 comedy classic "Clue," which was also based on a game. Both films are zippy and light and funny, despite the death and blood lurking around the corners.

Critics were somewhat excited by "Werewolves Within," and the film has an 86% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 148 reviews. Sadly, the film was a visible victim of COVID-related theater closures. By the time it was released in June of 2021, some theaters had re-opened, but box office numbers were still considerably down across the board. On a modest budget of $6.5 million, "Werewolves Within" only made $991,000 back. After a very limited run, it made its way to online rentals only the following week, when it started to get more attention. 

Thanks to the circumstances of its release, however, "Werewolves Within" remains obscure. It was one of many low-profile releases that gained little attention during a bleak time for movies. Luckily, it's still out there and ready to be rediscovered. Sam Richardson and Milana Vayntrub are both terrific, and the film is imminently enjoyable. Indeed, this season, if you live in a snowy climate, it's perfect for the holidays.