Pop by writer/director Josh Ruben’s (Scare Me) Twitter account at any given moment and you’ll have a better than decent chance of finding mention of the filmmaker’s desire to tackle a take on Sam Raimi’s 1990 horror/superhero romp Darkman. In numerous tweets, Ruben has trumpeted his interest in the property with appeals ranging from subtle to shameless. And honestly, who could blame him? Boasting fights, frights, and wicked black humor in equal measure, the woefully underappreciated cult classic is an absolute blast that still holds up thirty years on, one that is surely ripe for a reboot in this cinematic climate currently enamored with both capes-’n-tights flicks and horror IP revisits. But is Ruben the right fit to step into Raimi’s considerable shoes to direct a follow-up to the tonally tricky property? The answer may lie within his latest effort, Werewolves Within, on DVD and Blu-ray December 7th from RLJE Films.
For those who haven’t yet seen the film, or merely need a refresher, a brief synopsis of Darkman: scientist Dr. Peyton Westlake (Liam Neeson) is close to perfecting his greatest achievement – a synthetic skin to be used for grafts to treat severe burn victims. Unfortunately, the skin only lasts for 99 minutes in the light before disintegrating. Just as he’s on the verge of solving this problem, an incriminating legal document unwittingly discovered by his attorney girlfriend Julie Hastings (Frances McDormand) leads mobster Durant (Larry Drake) and his thugs to Westlake’s door. The thugs brutalize Westlake and kill his research partner before blowing their lab to hell, setting Westlake ablaze and launching him out into the river. Presumed dead by the world at large, Westlake is found and admitted to a hospital as a John Doe, where a radical treatment is performed to deaden his nerves to prevent the excruciating pain brought on by his horrific burns.
Westlake awakens and escapes, then immediately sets about building a makeshift lab in an abandoned building to continue his synthetic skin research in the hopes of restoring his badly burned face and body. Along the way, he uses artificial flesh masks to impersonate his attackers and turn them against one another (when he isn’t simply murdering them in deliciously vicious ways), keeping to the dark for as long as possible each time out to preserve the fake skin he wears. Several marvelously orchestrated, comedic and comic book-inspired action setpieces ensue (with Westlake’s inability to feel pain proving to be both an asset and a curse), all culminating with our hero coming to the rescue to save Julie once she discovers that the man responsible for the attack on Westlake wasn’t Durant, but crooked real estate developer Louis Strack (Colin Friels). Westlake, coming to terms with his newfound bloodlust, murders Strack and leaves Julie behind, setting off into the crowded city with a new mask in place.
Sounds pretty great, right? And it damn well is. Raimi is in top form at the helm of this production, the performances are all sterling (with each actor knowing just how much to wink at the camera without devolving into full-blown camp), and the story is an exciting genre blender that should have gifted both horror nerds and superhero fanboys with an enduring icon. Sadly, the character was likely a bit ahead of his time, as Tim Burton’s groundbreaking Batman had only just come out a year prior, while other dark superhero yarns like The Crow and Blade were still years away from being greeted by more welcoming audiences. The film received two direct-to-video sequels, a failed television pilot, a novelization and spinoff book series, and a line of Marvel comics (to say nothing of an eventual funnybook crossover with Raimi’s most noteworthy creation, Ash Williams, in the 2006 miniseries Darkman vs. Army of Darkness). Hell, there was even an action figure released in the early aughts, but the character was never quite able to capture much in the way of mainstream interest.
This brings us to Ruben. His previous effort (and feature directorial debut), 2020’s Scare Me, found the filmmaker flexing some impressive horror-comedy chops, dealing with relatively lighthearted material that grows ever darker throughout its runtime, with it all leading to a final act that features an intense standoff and shocking death before the tale is topped off with a clever and grimly humorous closing moment. The film, starring Ruben himself alongside The Boys scene-stealer Aya Cash, debuted as a Shudder premiere to strong reviews, perfectly teeing up Ruben’s sophomore effort – 2021’s Werewolves Within.
Adapted from the video game of the same name by Mishna Wolff (writer of the popular memoir I’m Down), Werewolves Within tells the story of Finn (Veep’s Sam Richardson), a forest ranger newly installed in the sleepy small town of Beaverfield, Vermont. Populated by alternately sweet and strange residents, Beaverfield is a town in conflict, with its people at loggerheads over an impending gas pipeline project. With a massive snowstorm on its way, Finn huddles up with the divided townies at the local inn, with postal carrier Cecily (Milana Vayntrub) acting as Finn’s guide to all the odd folks and various goings-on he’s now found himself immersed in.
Billed as “A Whodunnit With Teeth”, the film kicks into gear when a mauled corpse turns up, leading to an investigation which sees the possibility of a werewolf brought up and widely dismissed before someone or something begins picking off our cast one by one, with the survivors realizing that the killer may very well be one of them. This who’s-doing-it? all leads to an inevitable confrontation between Finn and a diabolical murderer who is unveiled in a surprising reveal in the film’s final act.
It’s a tad reductive to paint the film as “Agatha Christie meets American Werewolf”, even for a basic setup that’s pretty much exactly that (one that isn’t terribly dissimilar from the classic 1972 Amicus film The Beast Must Die), because Wolff and Ruben have crafted a film which proves to be a fun, funny, frightening, and genuinely crowd-pleasing horror comedy which nevertheless has some incisive things to say about the ties that bind a community, and all the many unfortunate human frailties which serve to destroy those very bonds. In addition, the film boasts an entertaining mix of tense moments and sterling comic timing, aided in no small part by Richardson and Vayntrub, each putting in what should prove to be star-making turns here. Take it from this writer when he says that Werewolves Within is one of 2021’s best genre offerings, and is well worth seeking out if you’re a fan of smart horror comedies.
But for all of the film’s many merits, does it alone justify the possibility of Ruben taking the Darkman reins from Raimi? As a longtime fan of the character and his scant few adventures across various media, this writer would like to say – absolutely. Even more so than Scare Me, Werewolves Within proves that Ruben has a deft hand at juggling disparate tones, an ability sorely needed if one were to assume Raimi’s place in crafting an effective, cohesive horror/comedy/superhero film.
(Clockwise from lower right) Sam Richardson, Milana Vayntrub, Catherine Curtin, Harvey Guillen, Cheyenne Jackson, George Basil and Sarah Burns in Werewolves Within.
Moreover, Werewolves Within displays Ruben’s knack for juggling a cast of outlandish characters, showcasing his attention to character work and performance amidst the film’s crazier genre trappings. He seems to revel in their comic weirdness while never sacrificing the reality of the story being told or the weight of the situations the characters find themselves in. Again, a skill necessary to navigate Raimi’s world of equally cartoonish and terrifying villains and henchmen.
But beyond all of that, and perhaps most important to making the case for Ruben to tackle Darkman, is the climactic scene in Werewolves Within and how it relates to Darkman’s own finale. In each, there is a battle between humanity and inhumanity, between innate goodness and dark impulses. While Werewolves outlines this struggle between two figures – kindhearted hero Finn and predatory villain [SPOILERS!], Darkman features the very same conflict embodied within the solitary figure of Peyton Westlake, as he fights to save the woman he loves and best his archenemy Strack, all while hanging onto the last vestiges of the decent man he’d once been.
A lesser storyteller might be obliged to gloss over Wolff’s strong writing in Werewolves’ climactic sequence in favor of racing along to the big fight which ensues, but Ruben was smart enough to allow his film to meditate on the ideological battle between his foes before indulging in all the fun to follow. It’s this final choice on display in the film which underlines why Ruben is perfectly suited to bring Darkman back to the screen. Not only does he understand how to balance humor and horror, action and drama, but he also understands how to handle the very soul of such a story. For that reason and the ones listed above, he’s got this Darkman nerd’s vote of confidence.
Will a filmmaker with only two modestly budgeted films under his belt be given the opportunity to resurrect a nearly-forgotten property originated by a box office titan? Who knows?
Will a character who never quite managed to step out of the darkness of his relative obscurity have another chance for his day in the sun? Who can say?
But with the current interest in and box office success of both horror and superheroes these days, and a filmmaker like Ruben at the helm, I’d wager that Darkman’s future might stand a pretty great chance at being brighter than ever before.
