What’s it rated? R
When? 2020
Where’s it showing? Amazon Prime
Jim Cummings (Thunder Road) writes, directs, and stars in this deadpan funny new horror-comedy—a real runner-up to American Werewolf in London (1981). Cummings stars as Deputy Sheriff John Marshall, who has to contend with an inept department headed by his terminally ill father Sheriff Hadley (Robert Forster, in his last role), who doesn’t want to relinquish control. The only person in the department who’s worth a damn is Julia Robson (Riki Lindhome). Marshall, a single parent, also has to contend with his rebellious teenage daughter, Jenna (Chloe East).
After each full moon, mutilated bodies start turning up, some with missing parts. While his underlings begin to suspect a werewolf, Marshall insists it’s a man and through good police work, he’ll be caught.
What follows is a quirky, funny, horror-comedy sustained by Cummings’ Jim Carrey-like energy and exceptional comic timing. Werewolf movies have been done to death (pun intended!), but Cummings finds new ground to traverse. At its heart, it’s the story of a man under immense pressure from his family, his department, and the town he’s charged with protecting. I loved it! (83 min.) Δ
This article appears in Jan 21-28, 2021.