Skip to content

ARE WE MONSTERS [FrightFest 2021]

Written By:

Martin Unsworth
are we monsters

Werewolves are real, and lycanthrope hunter Michael (Justin Hayward) passes down the last ever silver bullet to his son, Everett (John Black). When his father is killed on a hunt, Everett and his friend Connor (Stefan Chanyaem) must continue the fight, but as the only generation of hunters without the one thing that can kill the beast. They team up with troubled shapeshifter Maya (Charlotte Olivia), who’s looking to discover her place in the world following her mother’s disappearance. Maya’s friend Luke (Jathis Sivanesan) is a folklore blogger helping her on her quest and Everett and Connor are keen to learn how to deal with their hunt without their most potent tool.

Directed and co-written (alongside John Black) by Seb Cox, Are We Monsters is an interesting feature. Playing more as a coming-of-age tale than a horror film, it’s a dialogue-heavy movie that manages to hold the interest throughout. The woodland location adds an authentic feel and oozes atmosphere.

Are We Monsters is a very different entry into the werewolf genre and boldly, it features a unique creature design, something more nightmarish than anything we’ve seen before. A blend of folk tale inspirations, both classical and urban, it’s a memorable design that is seriously creepy. The CGI effects are impressive enough for a low-budget indie production so that it’s not let down in that aspect. There are also some nice animated sequences, which add an extra layer to the narrative and enhance the folk horror angle, while also saving the budget that elaborate creations would cost.

The cast excels with the lengthy dialogue and there are few humorous moments to lighten the mood, but it can get heavy going as it goes along. Using werewolves as a metaphor for growing up isn’t something new, but Are We Monsters does a decent job of portraying a young woman in turmoil. It even provides a whole new mythology to the Lycan curse.

You May Also Like...

the buildout final trailer still

Check Out The Final Trailer For THE BUILDOUT

A new and final trailer for The Buildout promises a beautiful, genre-bending adventure through the desert ahead of the film’s February 25th VOD release. The Buildout is written and directed
Read More
kiernan shipka to star in the nowhere game. still from totally killer

THE NOWHERE GAME Horror To Star Kiernan Shipka, Mckenna Grace

Directors David Charbonier and Justin Douglas Powell (The Boy Behind the Door, The Djinn) have announced their next film, a survival horror project titled The Nowhere Game. Kiernan Shipka, best
Read More
the phantom of the opera poster

Another PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Film Is In The Works

The classic Gaston Leroux novel The Phantom of the Opera has been adapted countless times over the years, but it appears another film version is on the way, this time from France.
Read More
rihanna as smurfette in smurfs trailer

Rihanna Is In Her Blue Era For SMURFS Trailer

We got Rihanna as a Smurfette before we got a ninth album. Director Chris Miller’s Smurfs has just dropped its first trailer, with a set release to cinemas on July
Read More

See Felicia Day’s The Guild The Musical Live!

2007 Cult smash web series The Guild has been adapted into a musical by the show’s creator, Felicia Day.  A live staged reading of this new show will be streamed
Read More
Critical Role Matt Mercer

Critical Role Campaign 3 Concludes

Critical Role’s third campaign, Bells Hells, will conclude on Thursday, February 6, 2025, at 7 PM PT.  (That means it starts at 3:00 AM in the UK, though there’s a
Read More