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Because I had today off from the work, I decided to go see a movie last night and went to Werewolves. What followed is something that I had not done in many many years, I walked out of a movie before it was over. So, be aware that this review is based pretty much on the first act alone of the movie I truly did not enjoy.

braircliff entertainment

Why did I walk out? I could have gotten past the flat ill-defined characters. I could have gotten past the exposition heavy set-up and even the truly idiotic action of supposedly intelligent people. Even a character has wildly unlikely as our protagonist who was, 1) an infantry combat veteran of American’s wars in the middle east, 2) a dedicated first responder, AND 3) a world-class research level medical doctor. Such a collection of skill is well suited to pulp adventure but badly placed in a horror movie, but I could have let it slide.

No, it was the actual film making and cinematography that drove me out of the theater. Director Steven C. Miller is so enamored with lens flares as to make J.J. Abrams appeared restrained and suited for period drawing room dramas. I was literally muttering under my breath ‘enough with the lens flares’ before any story had started. Miller is also overly fond of extreme close-ups. I am talking about framing actors faces so their chin touches the bottom of the frame and forehead exceeds the top. This is used in a Heads-Up-Display much like Iron Man in the MCU but far far too often. During chaotic action sequences where the characters are suffering the consequences of their poorly thought out set up the audiences are shoved so close to the actors faces with so few cut away shots it is nearly impossible to know exactly what is going on.

All of that pales before Miller’s devotion to strobe effects.

When things turn to shit in the research center because none of the brilliant characters were able to remember that people can reach between bars of a cage the chaotic fight and flight scenes in addition to being filmed with far too many full-face close-ups is lit with so many intense strobes that I literally had to hold my hand between my face and the screen. Of course, with my hand positioned like that I could no longer follow the action and I still acquired a nice migraine. I tried for a little bit longer to watch but between the stupidity onscreen and the pain escalating behind my eyes I determine coming home was a far more intelligent option.