Werewolf by Night parents guide: Is Werewolf by Night safe for kids?

Werewolf by Night is darker than your typical Marvel Cinematic Universe property. Is the Disney Plus Halloween Special suitable for family viewing?

Marvel ventures into darker territory with its upcoming Halloween special Werewolf by Night and fans are curious about how many boundaries the horror project will push.

Based on the eponymous Marvel Comics character, the Disney Plus special will bring Jack Russell to life for the first time on the small screen. A monster hunter-turned-monster, it will see him transform into a werewolf surrounded by monster hunters. But who is hunting who?

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the biggest film franchise in the world as its films and TV shows appeal to people of all ages. Werewolf by Night, however, is very different from all of its predecessors, and though it might be MCU, it’s nothing like the superhero adventures you’re used to seeing from this shared universe.

If you’re planning on watching the TV film with your kids, you might want to know about what to expect from it. Be warned: SPOILERS ahead.

*** This article contains spoilers from Werewolf by Night ***

Werewolf by Night age rating

Werewolf by Night is rated TV-14. This rating typically means that programming may be unsuitable for kids under 14 years old. This is the rating we’ve come to expect from Marvel Studios’ Disney Plus originals but there is one caveat to this particular special’s age rating, and that is its reliance on the horror genre.

While there isn’t always a lot of mature content in television broadcasts with this rating (the TV-MA rating is normally saved for those programs), Werewolf by Night does push the boundaries more than any other Marvel property. Yes, the black-and-white and dated look prevents it from going too far, but it does go further than your typical MCU movie.

Is there bad language in Werewolf by Night?

This one is pretty straightforward. There is occasional bad language in Werewolf by Night but it isn’t anything outside the realm of what we’re used to in Marvel movies, even the light-hearted ones. One character does say the word “sh*t”” at one point in time.

Is Werewolf by Night scary?

Yes, Werewolf by Night is quite scary. It never verges on modern day terrifying or grotesque horror but it does lean into classic horror quite a lot, so if you’ve seen the monster movies of the 1950s, you’ll know what to expect.

There is rather large monster that looks scary (although he’s a bit of a sweetheart), but a lot of the scary moments in Werewolf by Night succeed because they take place off-screen.  You get glimpses of the werewolf transformation in which the character is obviously in pain as he changes, but it very much focuses on the contorted shadows and the terrified expressions of those around him.

Other scary elements involve the fear of threat as the monsters disappear and reappear and there are occasional jump scares as well. The music, another ode to ’50s horror movies, is loud and used to encourage jump scares when necessary.

Is Werewolf by Night violent?

Werewolf by Night is more violent than your typical MCU property. There isn’t too much in terms of action given that the plot is centered on a hunt for a creature, but the physical scenes do result in some gruesome consequences. One character’s arm is cut off, while another gets up close and personal with a sword. Other scenes involve people being burned to death. And the big one features the werewolf violently attacking people with its claws.

This is where the classic black-and-white approach favors it because it does a lot of work to ensure it never goes too far. Yes, we see some of the above scenes take place, but they are executed in a very ’50s horror approach (because Marvel wouldn’t dream of doing it in color in a TV-14 property).

Yes, there is blood, but it’s never red.

Is Werewolf by Night suitable for kids?

At the end of the day, nobody knows your kids better than you do, so you know what they like and what they don’t. With that in mind, you’ll probably have a good idea of whether they would enjoy Werewolf by Night. But if you’re going in thinking that it will be like every other Marvel movie and TV series, be warned: It’s not.

Werewolf by Night is inherently darker than its predecessors, even if it accomplishes it in a lighter, vintage way. So, taking all of that into account, it’s probably best that you give this one a watch first so that you can decide if it’s suitable for your kids.

Werewolf by Night is now streaming on Disney Plus.

Will you be watching Werewolf by Night over the Halloween period? Let us know in the comments below!