WFG RATING: B+

The Horror Collective presents a Different Duck production. Directed by Jackie Payne and Cara Claymore. Produced by Rob Margolies. Written by Jackie Payne, based on the party game “One Night Ultimate Werewolf”. Cinematography by Miguel Zamora. Editing by Arick Cohen Salmea.

Stars Tony Todd, Lydia Hearst, Tesla Dunn, MK McManus, Andre Tempfer, Ethan Ingle, Tabitha Jane, Leon Andrew Joseph, Tim Realbuto, Cara Claymore, with Robert Picardo, and Bai Ling. 

One of Tony Todd’s final performances is a solid whodunit mystery thriller based on the popular party game. 

Every year, a corporation holds a social experiment where participants are forced into a game that determines who are “werewolves” and who are “villagers”. Those who survive will not only earn a massive prize, but they will keep their lives in the process. This year’s group includes the likes of Natalie, Monica, Matt, Emmit, Pepper, Seth, Chris, Bill, Raymond, Suzi, and Demi. 

The rules are simple. Each day starts with a vote amongst the group of who could be a werewolf. The one with the highest votes is instantly killed by the Captain of the guards. Afterwards, the remaining survivors must attempt to avoid the “werewolves”, who will look for and hunt down one of the villagers, resulting in death. The game continues until the werewolves have been revealed. Who are the werewolves and who are the villagers? One thing is certain. Not everyone will come out of the game alive. 

Netflix had quite a film based on the popular party game “One Night Ultimate Werewolf” with their fun family time travel adventure Family Pack last year. However, what writer/co-director Jackie Payne does is even more surprising and uses the idea of a deadly social experiment as the basis for this take on the party game. 

Collaborating with Cara Claymore, Payne delivers a solid film that can be said to be reminiscent of a 1974 film, The Beast Must Die, in which a group of people must determine who amongst them is a werewolf. However, for those who have played the party game (like myself on numerous occasions), there are more than just one werewolf in this “game”.

The late Tony Todd once again delivers an exhilarating performance in the role of the game’s emcee, known as “The Judge”. Decked out in a mask and outfit, he is the one who forces out participants, an eclectic group, to vote each morning in who could be the werewolf. The film really focuses on the group themselves, with a great cast ranging from sci-fi icon Robert Picardo as Bill to Bai Ling as businesswoman Demi. Lydia Hearst, Tabitha Jane, and MK McManus are standouts as well in their roles of Monica, Natalie, and Matt. In a group like this, there is going to be that one character you are going to hate and that honor seems to go to Andre Tempfer’s Seth, regardless of whether or not he is a werewolf. 

The deaths are not too graphic, even when we see the “werewolves”, who are decked out in black robes complete with masks and claws that could answer the question “what if Doctor Doom was a werewolf”. There is no gore in the film at all and what is interesting as well is the werewolf’s point of view, looking like something coming out of Predator, with thermal sensors from the mask. It actually looks pretty cool. And the film does keep its intention to keep you guessing throughout the film as to who the werewolf or werewolves could be. Even I was stumped by the discovery, but you will have to see the film for yourself.

Werewolf Game lives up to its intention in a solid way, thanks to the great cast and seeing Tony Todd lead the charge as “The Judge” in one of his final films, this is one for those who love a good mystery and will want to keep guessing.

The film will be released On Demand and Digital on January 21.