With a background in comedy, Josh Ruben is now taking the genre journey, and he’s absolutely crushing it so far. His first feature was the one-location storytelling extravaganza Scare Me (now on Shudder), but with Werewolves Within, Ruben has proved that he ain’t no one-trick pony. Werewolves Within is an utterly charming murder-slash-monster mystery; it’s a crocheted canvas of quirky horror, and a whimsical whodunit with a warm heart.

Written by humorist Mishna Wolff and based on the Ubisoft multiplayer VR game of the same name, Werewolves Within follows a park ranger, Finn Wheeler (the perpetually delightful Sam Richardson, Veep), as he arrives at his new post in the small rural town of Beaverfield. There, he meets postal worker Cecily Moore (Milana Vayntrub, This Is Us) and the rest of the townsfolk, who all have mixed opinions about a pipeline that’s proposed for development, raising the tension between neighbors. Soon, the town suffers a mysterious attack; a blizzard hits, a body count begins, and suspicions are cast all around.

Werewolves Within takes the VR game’s premise of trying to suss out the village werewolf and tosses in some solid characters (powered by an impeccable ensemble cast) and an updated locale. It’s really the cast that shines in this film, and every performance is hitting heavyweight. The cast includes Sarah Burns (American Vandal), George Basil (Crashing), Michael Chernus (Orange is the New Black), Harvey Guillén (FX’s What We Do in the Shadows), Cheyenne Jackson (30 Rock), Michaela Watkins (Casual), and Glenn Fleshler (Barry), each fully embodying their colorful character. 

As a team, they all have the chance to play with expressive line delivery and micro-reactions to each other’s dialogue. For every line delivered, you can watch anyone in the background; they’re all actively listening and reciprocating in character. Even the throwaway lines of dialogue add extra layers of context to each character, giving a bit more insight into their personality and personal history. 

The supporting characters are all a recognizable “type”; clear-cut caricatures that reflect modern American stereotypes. As a Canadian, I found it added an extra layer to that external lens; we often get a specific tailored view of these types of personalities, so to see them taken to such extremes for the sake of comedy, it worked pretty dang well. 

But above the stereotypes, the character of Finn adds a warm, beating heart to the film. He’s a hero for goodwill and humanity, with a sense of neighborly morality we should all aspire to. His unifying speeches are a rally against cynicism, a call to arms for the good in us all, to band together to treat each other better. To be kind, thoughtful, mindful people who recognize that despite all our differences, we’re all in this together. Richardson is absolutely perfect in the role — his earnest, honest delivery just seems so sincere. Watching the film, as a self-admitted cynic and occasional social hermit, my heart grew three sizes that day. 

While Finn’s heartwarming monologues give emotional heft to the film, the script is peppered with quick wit dialogue that pings back-and-forth like a tennis match. Cecily, in particular, is a strong player here, and greatly enforced by Vayntrub’s performance — she’s just so gosh darn likable with a “cool girl” quirk that would make Amy Dunne jealous. 

Throughout the film, everyone’s line delivery is perfection, though some lines perhaps sound like they may have been added in post-production to fill out a scene. I’m not sure if this is indeed the case, but either way, the lines all work and the scenes still click. There’s just something about the comedy of the film that spoke to me on a deep level — every inflection was the right note, the right time, the right pace. It all works together thanks to the seasoned performers and Ruben’s experience in the comedy realm.

It’s a clever, funny film that wraps up the third act in a really satisfying way, but that’s not all. The technical elements deliver: the lighting and cinematography are excellent, the music is perfectly chosen, the editing is crisp, and it has a quick pace that flows forward. I was nothing but impressed with the whole package.

Aside from being one of  — if not the — best video game horror movie adaptations, Werewolves Within is like a charming, homespun mix of Clue and The Thing. It’s like Fargo meets Arachnophobia. It’s like Mister Rogers with guns. Because at the end of it all — comedy and horror and technicals aside — Werewolves Within teaches us a lesson. To be helpful. To be kind. To be a good neighbor. To not let the monsters win.

So if you’re at all interested in the film, I encourage you to check it out. If you like it, share it with someone. It’s the neighborly thing to do. 

You can watch it yourself during its limited theatrical release, or catch it on Digital and VOD starting July 5.