Howler (2019 film)

Howler is an American 3D computer-animated comedy-horror film based on the Howler franchise directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. It is produced by Warner Animation Group and will be released on October 25th, 2019.

Synopsis
Jeffrey Morrison/Howler was once a normal young adult when he ends up getting bitten by a strange wolf that gives him the ability to turn into a werewolf at night. Soon, he ends up meeting a group of supernatural creatures as he encounters a woman who wants all supernatural creatures eradicated, including Howler, as he also struggles with his new double life.

Full Plot
In the town of Shadow Falls is a young adult named Jeffrey Morrison, who lives in a one-story house with his father who is obsessed with the supernatural and his mother who is really caring. Jeffrey spends his time in his room while Boris watches a horror movie as Lisa tries to have Boris watch something that isn't supernatural-related. Then, one day, while walking down the sidewalk, receives a phone call from Phillip and Lacey. As he answers the call, Phillip and Lacey ask him if he wants to go to the park tonight just to hang out. Jeffrey accepts, but ends up stumbling across a woman named Jeanette Helsing due to him being distracted. After being yelled at by her, Jeffrey just continues walking.

Later that night, Jeffrey and his friends head out to the park to hang out. However, they end up hearing noises nearby. They investigate, only to see a strange wolf that starts chasing them. While they run off, Jeffrey trips on a rock, causing the wolf to run up to him and bite him on the arm. He becomes extremely shocked to find the bite mark and begs Phillip and Lacey to take him back. As they do so, Jeffrey rushes to the bathroom to treat the bite mark, but begins to notice that for some reason, there is hair growing on his arms, much to his horror. He then rushes out of the house to prevent his parents to see what's happening with him.

While running, he arrives to the dark side of the woods. However, things get worse when he encounters Jeanette and her guards as they were looking for supernatural creatures to eradicate. They then notice Jeffrey and because of the hair that's growing on his skin, they see him as a supernatural and start chasing after him. Suddenly, Jeffrey accidentally falls through a steep forest trail and hits his head on a tree as he then slowly faints as a figure is briefly seen before he completely loses consciousness.

Jeffrey wakes up, only to find out that is in a different place: a burrow. He attempts to leave, only to encounter a vampire named Bella, two ghost children named George and Georgia, a lynx named Lex, a frankenstein monster named Frank, and a gargoyle named Greg. They all notice that Jeffrey is a werewolf as Jeffrey starts arguing with them, claiming that he is not a werewolf until Georgia reveals a mirror, proving Jeffrey that he indeed is a werewolf, much to his horror. As he freaks out over that, Bella and the others notice the bite mark on Jeffrey's bite mark. (More coming soon...)

Cast

 * Rafe Spall as Jeffrey Morrison/Howler
 * Scarlett Johansson as Bella Stoker
 * Michael Cera as George
 * Ariel Winter as Georgia
 * Seth Rogen as Frank N. Stein
 * Channing Tatum as Greg
 * Dee Bradley Baker (vocal effects, uncredited) as Lex the Lynx
 * as Phillip
 * Aubrey Plaza as Lacey
 * Johnny Depp as Boris Morrison
 * Jennifer Aniston as Lisa Morrison
 * as Jeanette Helsing
 * Nick Kroll as The Naga
 * [Wanda Sykes, Tiffany Haddish, Halle Berry, Zoe Saldana, Rosario Dawson or TBD] as Wylda
 * TBD as Zachariah
 * TBD as Zoey
 * TBD as the Black Knight
 * TBD as the Headless Horseman
 * TBD as Mr. Implo
 * Daniel Wright as Cop #1 (voice cameo)

Rating
This film is rated PG for mild violence, thematic elements, and brief scary images.

Critical Response
The film received generally positive reviews from critics, viewers, and fans who are fans of the Howler franchise.

Home Media
The movie had its DVD and Blu-Ray release on January 21, 2020 while becoming available on Amazon Video and iTunes on January 7, 2020. (More coming soon...)

Trivia

 * The post-credits scene in the movie is a teaser for the film, Collin the Speedy Boy, when Frank finds a lost baby Finger.