Werewolf By Night

This is perhaps Marvel Studios most unlikely project yet. A one-off TV special for Disney+ (a "special presentation" as they are calling it) which features no real connection to the wider MCU. What's more, it's directed by Michael Giacchino the legendary conductor. 

The premise is that monster hunter Ulysses Bloodstone has died and so the world's most acclaimed monster hunters are summoned to his creepy house to take part in a competitive hunt to slay a monster and claim the powerful Bloodstone. Competitors include Jack Russell (Gael García Bernal) and Elsa Bloodstone (Laura Donnelly), the estranged daughter of Ulysses. 

The special is designed like one of the monster films of the 30s or 40s and is largely in black and white. It generally has an atmosphere like those films too and whilst there's some CG stuff it uses way more practical effects than is normal with Marvel. It's also fairly creepy and there's a surprising amount of gore though it's cleverly put together to not be too overtly graphic. 

I thought that Giacchino's direction was just fantastic here which almost feels unfair given how incredible a composer he is. He's spent a long time working in the film industry and seen all sorts of talented people make films and he's clearly been inspired by them. He really creates the atmosphere of a 30s monster movie and shoots the film in an engaging and interesting way. 

This could have simply been a new 30s-style monster movie but that wouldn't have worked for much of the audience. Pleasingly whilst it takes a lot of inspiration from that era it still feels like an MCU project in the best of ways, with a little humour, strong characters and introducing various ideas and characters from the comic books. It's unclear if and when we'll see these characters again but it certainly felt to me like those that survive are worthy of more screen time- both Gael García Bernal and Laura Donnelly are great here. 

One of the best projects of Phase 4 of the MCU by quite a way, this displays Michael Giacchino as a director (it's surely only a matter of time before he gets to direct a feature film) and introduces a new side of the MCU which works really well.