I'm guessing many won't know about this little horror movie. I only know of it from one trailer shown during an October release. Steven C. Miller's latest flick was released alongside Y2K and The Order. Everything I saw leading up to watching this made it feel like it would be something you'd find in a dollar bin at Walmart. Don't be fooled though. There are some cool ideas here, though most don't work. Because of a new global disease caused by a Super Moon, anyone will mutate into a bloodthirsty werewolf whenever one is in the sky. This movie follows two scientists as they test a cure to prevent the mutation from happening. This idea is pretty cool. The opening setup has a Walking Dead meets The Purge feel to it. Everyone is taking shelter and trying to block the moonlight from reaching their skin. Of course, there are those that embrace this mutation and would prefer to live this night as the beast. We follow two scientists, Wesley (Frank Grillo) and Amy (Katrina Law) as they have found a path to a cure (called Moonscreen....) but, as expected, the test fails and everyone in the lab is taken over by a pack of Werewolves. The mission is to make it back to Wesley's family to ensure their safety. The movie paces like a Resident Evil video game. These characters must work their way from building to building, through the paths of a destroyed city, to get to a final location. Between the way they face various obstacles, whether it is the creatures or groups of individuals. The movie goes quickly but lacks the depth it needs to be invested in this world. Within each checkpoint, we learn something new and interesting but then move right past it. This is a story I feel would have been better as an AMC or Shudder TV series. The action moments are what keep this entertaining. Frank Grillo has made himself a staple as an action star and chews up his screen time in this. Throw in a lot of blood, gunfire, and cheesy one-liners to make this a fun popcorn flick. The werewolves stay with the classic design. The transformations are nothing new. I was surprised that they didn't utilize any of their mutated enhancements such as smell in this though. I don't expect this to be in the theater very long. Going up against movies like Gladiator 2, Wicked, and Moana 2 will make this a quick backburner and move to streaming quickly. I think there is a lot of fun in this and wish it could have been developed more. Maybe this could move into the next "Walking Dead" series. Rating: 2.5/5
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