Get ready for Wolf Man with the craziest werewolf movie you’ve ever seen

with Lee and Neil‘s The wolf man About to make its way into theaters, Werewolves is hoping to become the next monster next Nosferatu He ended the year on such vampiric highs. Get in the good mood by watching one of the strangest werewolf movies ever made, which is saying something The kind that has some very strange entries: 1974 The monster must die.

Based on the 1950 short story with the equally catchy title “There Will Be No Darkness,” The monster must die It has an Agatha Christie-type setup, in which a group of people are invited to a secluded country mansion under false pretenses, and realize they are in a sinister sanctuary complete with a body count. Calvin Lockhart stars as Tom, a flamboyant millionaire whose obsession with hunting inspires him to pursue the ultimate game: the werewolf.

Whether or not werewolves actually exist is slightly in question in the context of the film; Tom is so obsessed with the idea that he has invested so much money in an elaborate werewolf hunting system. The grounds surrounding his mansion are equipped with a high-tech surveillance system (for 1974), which we see demonstrated in an opening sequence in which he tests its abilities – and the audience is led to believe that an escaped Tom species is being tracked by A.J. A man barks orders from the control room to armed security forces.

But even before Tom terrorizes his guests by rushing out of the woods with a small army in pursuit, we know that The monster must die It is not an ordinary country. This is because the film begins with a very specific explanation: “This film is a detective story – in which you are the detective.”

Okay, great. Participatory element, interesting. But then: “The question is not ‘Who is the killer?’, but ‘Who is the werewolf?'” What now? “After viewing all the evidence, you will have the opportunity to present your answer… Watch the werewolf break.”

With the possibility of a “werewolf break” now firmly established in the viewer’s mind, The monster must die It continues very much like an Agatha Christie tale, albeit with a cool, dark, disco-flavored soundtrack. Tom explains in great detail to Pavel (Anton Diffring) – the skeptical but kind-hearted security expert whom Tom has hired to oversee all that fancy equipment – his motives behind this strange gathering, in a speech that includes the phrases “I’m after what I want”, “I was born a hunter”, “This will help me hunt the biggest game of all.”

His “guests” in this adventure, which is not coincidentally timed around a full moon, include a group of disgraceful eccentrics (a painter who admits to flirting with cannibalism; a former UN delegate whose comrades have mysteriously disappeared), and, as Tom tells them in a thunderous voice, “One of you sitting here in this room is a werewolf,” followed by a dramatic musical cue. In other words, one of you is the monster who will die.

The legend of horror and the future star wars Buddy Peter Cushing is an archaeologist who was invited because he happens to be a werewolf expert. Cushing plays it all too seriously when he lectures the other guests on the strangeness of wolfsbane pollen, which Lockhart goes over acceptably when he orders the increasingly uncomfortable group to take turns grabbing the silverware throughout the film. The buildup of tension dates back to before the blood test scene in John Carpenter’s film The thing But it leads to a similar result.

We know we’ll learn the werewolf’s identity eventually – unfortunately, that fancy CCTV system doesn’t help much when Pavel is the first victim – but when she gets carried away with the fun of the various accusations (well, that one guy) she’s sure to have terribly hairy hands! ), you may accidentally forget the promised “werewolf break.”

But don’t be afraid: The monster must diea title taken directly from one of Tom’s statements, will not let you down. As about 15 minutes pass, and a few suspects are removed from the lineup due to them having already been eaten, the narrator returns to tell you “This is the werewolf break,” as a ticking clock appears on the screen and you see pictures of all the “suspects.” You have 30 seconds to think about the identity of the culprit, and are you supposed to discuss your theory with whoever is watching the movie with you? Or shout your best guess into the void? – before The monster must die He comes back and gives you a false solution before actual The snarling cause of all the trouble has been revealed.

Obviously we won’t spoil it, but the end The monster must die It’s both surprising and satisfying. Yes, it leans into a gimmick to get you over the finish line, but what other movie dares to bring it all to a screeching halt to announce… Broken werewolf?

You can stream The monster must die Free on Toby and a few other fast channels; You can also rent it through Prime Video or watch it with a subscription to Shout! Factory TV and Fandor. Severin films It also released a Blu-ray disc with special features, including director Paul Annett’s commentary.

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