Prepare for Wolf Man With the Nuttiest Werewolf Movie You’ve Never Seen

with Leigh Wannellof wolf man Screaming its way into theaters, Werewolves hopes to become the next monster du jour. Nosferatu Close the year with such vampiric heights. Get into the mood by watching a weird werewolf movie, which is saying something A style that has some deeply strange entries: of 1974 The Beast Must Die.

“There Shall Be No Darkness,” based on a 1950 short story with a similarly lurid title. The Beast Must Die There’s an Agatha Christie-type set-up, where a group of people are invited to an isolated country manor under false pretenses and realize they’re in for a terrifying ride, complete with a body count. Calvin Lockhart stars as Tom, a dashing millionaire whose obsession with hunting inspires him to pursue the ultimate game: a werewolf.

Whether or not werewolves actually exist is lightly questioned in the context of the movie; Tom is so obsessed with the idea that he invests a lot of money in an elaborate werewolf-catching system. The grounds surrounding his mansion are equipped with a high-tech (for 1974) surveillance system, which we see demonstrated in an opening sequence where he tests its capabilities—and the audience is led to believe that Tom has tracked down some kind of fugitive. The man is ordering the security forces to fire from the control room.

But before Tom can terrorize his guests, he emerges from the forest and is chased by a small army, we know The Beast Must Die No ordinary country caper. That’s because the movie opens with some very specific exposition: “This film is a detective story – where you are the detective.”

Okay, cool. Participatory elements, interesting. But then: “The question is ‘Who is the murderer?’ No? But who is the ‘werewolf?'” what now? “After all the clues are shown, you’ll have a chance to give your answer… Watch for the werewolf’s pause.”

The prospect of a “werewolf break” now lingers in the viewer’s mind, The Beast Must Die An Agatha Christie story continues, albeit with a groovy, vaguely disco-flavored soundtrack. Tom explains in detail to Pavel (Anton Deffering)—the skeptical but good-natured security expert Tom has hired to oversee all the fancy equipment—his motivation behind the strange gathering, in a speech that includes “I follow what I want, ” “I was born a hunter,” and “This will help me hunt the biggest game of all.”

His “guests” for this adventure, not coincidentally scheduled around the full moon, include an array of disreputable lunatics (a painter who admits to a flirtation with a cannibal; a former UN representative whose aides have mysteriously disappeared) and, Tom thunderously informs them. , “One of you sitting here in this room is a werewolf,” followed by a dramatic musical cue. One of you, in other words, is the beast that is dying.

Horror legends and the future Star Wars Baddie Peter Cushing is invited as an archaeologist because he’s a werewolf expert. Cushing plays it very seriously as he lectures the other guests about the strangeness of Wolfsbane’s pollen, which Lockhart agreeably tops as he orders the increasingly uncomfortable group to grab the silver object throughout the movie. Pre-dated tension builds to John Carpenter’s blood test scene thing But brings a similar result.

We know we’re finally going to learn the werewolf’s identity—unfortunately, that awesome CCTV system doesn’t help much when Pavel becomes the first victim—but you get carried away with the fun of various accusations (hmm, that guy sure has creepy hairy hands!), you mistakenly Can forget about the promised “werewolf break”.

Fear not, though: The Beast Must DieA title taken straight from one of Tom’s announcements, you won’t be disappointed. With about 15 minutes left, and a couple of suspects already removed from the line-up due to swallowing, the narrator returns to tell you “it’s a werewolf break,” while a ticking clock appears on the screen and you see pictures of all the “suspects.” You have 30 seconds to think about who the culprit might be – perhaps, you discuss your theory with whoever is watching the movie with you? Or shout your best guess at zero?—first The Beast Must Die returns and previously gives you a false solution genuine The snarling cause of all the trouble is revealed.

We don’t spoil it, obviously, but it will end The Beast Must Die Both are surprising and satisfying. Yes, it leans into a trick to get you to the finish line, but what other movie dares to stop everything with one screeching halt to announce it? The werewolf pauses?

You can stream The Beast Must Die for free the pipe And a few other fast channels; You can also rent it through Prime Video or Scream with a subscription! Factory TV and Fender. Severin Films Also released a Blu-ray with special features including commentary by director Paul Annett.

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