Shaky Shivers (2023) by Sung Kang

Director: Sung Kang

Year: 2023

Country: USA

Alternate Titles: N/A

Genre: Werewolf; Horror/Comedy

Plot:

After encountering a strange woman, teen friends find themselves thrust into a strange scenario involving one of them being turned into a werewolf and try to cure it only to bring about more supernatural shenanigans that drag the two into a wild adventure to end it before the curse consumes them.

Review:

This was a somewhat disappointing genre effort. A lot of that stems from the somewhat obvious family-friendly approach here that never really brings about a deranged atmosphere. With the joke-filled relationship they share that never once manages to evoke a thrilling environment that brings about no real sense of danger from the situation, the early half of this one is a bit of a struggle to get into as they try to figure out what's going on. Even as things escalate and more creatures appear around them, this one still manages to be way too jokey and lighthearted to make a lot of this feel genuinely scary or thrilling.

That said, when it decides to abandon that and go for the wackiness present in everything, this one isn't too bad. The confrontations at pay are somewhat fun and even engaging at times with the use of black magic making the ongoing situations feel quite engaging constantly topping what came before it. Bringing about the use of werewolves, zombies, and the living dead through this setup, these encounters with a lighthearted tone are somewhat fun as the interactions throughout the woods and surrounding area are all quite enjoyable. Also featuring a fun sidestory about the power of friendship, it does have some great qualities in spots.

Overview: ***/5

Fun and lighthearted to a fault, this non-threatening family-appropriate genre fare is decent enough to be watchable but never approaches anything more than that due to some big issues on display. Those who are intrigued by it or are unconcerned with its drawbacks could be tempted to give this a shot while most others out there should heed caution with it.

The film is now available to stream on Screambox.