Few contemporary directors have built a signature as recognisable as Robert Eggers. The Witch (2015), The Lighthouse (2019), The Northman (2022) and Nosferatu (2024) form a coherent series of historical nightmares in which people of the past believe in the supernatural – and in which the film often proves them right. Werwulf continues along the same line, taking on the werewolf, one of horror cinema's oldest monsters. It opens in Finnish cinemas on Friday 8 January 2027.
What is Werwulf about?
Focus Features' official synopsis is short: in 13th-century England, a mysterious creature stalks the fog-shrouded countryside, and local folklore becomes a terrifying reality for the villagers. The studio's tagline describes it as a visceral tale of devotion, damnation and the devil within us.
Judging by the trailers and released images, Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays a peasant afflicted by a curse. The description of a later second trailer mentions a rising harvest moon. The first trailer shows a communal ritual around a bonfire, praying religious imagery and finally a transformation that several film sites described as shocking.
Den of Geek highlighted the trailer's central idea: Werwulf does not explain the werewolf through science or psychology. It is not a doctor's diagnosis but what medieval people feared – and the film shows that fear to be real. The same approach worked in The Witch, where a family's worst suspicions about witchcraft turned out to be true.
Cast and crew
The leads are two actors familiar from Nosferatu: Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Lily-Rose Depp. They are joined by Eggers regulars Willem Dafoe and Ralph Ineson, as well as rising young actor Bodhi Rae Breathnach, seen in Hamnet among other films.
Eggers co-wrote the screenplay with Icelandic author Sjón. The pair also co-wrote the Viking epic The Northman. Behind the camera are Eggers' long-time collaborators: cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, editor Louise Ford and production designer Craig Lathrop. Executive producers include Chris and Eleanor Columbus, who also worked on Nosferatu.
Language and aspect ratio: Eggers makes no compromises
Werwulf's most unusual feature is its language. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the screenplay's dialogue is written in period English, with translations and annotations attached. Slashfilm has reported that all of the film's dialogue is in Middle English. For Finnish audiences this changes little, since the film will be subtitled anyway. For English-speaking audiences, however, it is a radical choice that shows how far Eggers is willing to go in pursuit of authenticity.
The film is shot in the narrow, almost square Academy ratio of 1.37:1. The image is grainy, and some scenes in the trailer appear to have been shot by moonlight, in near black-and-white sequences. Eggers originally planned to shoot the entire film in black and white but abandoned the idea. In the United States, some cinemas will screen the film on 35mm prints.
"The darkest thing I've ever written"
Eggers has publicly described the film as the darkest thing he has written. Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski has said the film's horror is on a whole other level. He added, however, that Eggers' films contain surprising glimmers of hope. As an example he mentioned Nosferatu, which for many viewers was a deeply emotional experience as well as a horror film.
These statements are part of the marketing, but based on Eggers' previous work they cannot be dismissed as exaggeration. His films are heavy, physical and often uncomfortable. Werwulf is unlikely to be an exception.
Why Werwulf could be January's most important horror film
Of the classic monsters, the werewolf is the one the film industry has handled most clumsily in recent decades. Vampires, zombies and ghosts have all enjoyed entire new waves, but werewolf films have ended up either as comedy or as B-movie effects showcases.
Eggers' approach is the opposite. He returns to a time before today's werewolf clichés – silver bullets, the full moon and infection by bite – had become established. In the director's own words, Werwulf reimagines the myth from an era before many of the familiar legends had taken shape. This frees the film from the genre's baggage.
In the United States, the film opens on Christmas Day. The same release window made Nosferatu Eggers' most commercially successful film. It reaches Finland just over two weeks later, during the quieter early-January film season – exactly when a horror film aimed at adults can stand out best.
Age rating and running time
KAVI's age rating and the official running time had not been published at the time of writing. Based on the violence in the trailer and Eggers' previous films, a rating of at least K16 seems likely. This is our own estimate, however, not confirmed information. We will update the details once they are published.
If you liked these, watch Werwulf
- The Witch (2015) – Eggers' debut, in which religious fear and folklore become real.
- Nosferatu (2024) – the same lead actors and the same gothic, grainy visual world.
- The Northman (2022) – the previous screenplay by Eggers and Sjón, full of raw medieval violence.
- The Company of Wolves (1984) – Neil Jordan's fairy-tale werewolf film for lovers of the classics.
Frequently asked questions
When is Werwulf released in Finland?
It opens in Finnish cinemas on Friday 8 January 2027. In the United States it is released on Christmas Day 2026.
Who plays the werewolf?
According to the trailers and released images, Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays the cursed peasant.
Is the film in old English?
Yes. The dialogue is written in 13th-century English, and in Finland the film will be subtitled.
What is the age rating?
KAVI's rating had not been published at the time of writing.
This text is based on information published by the film's distributors, production companies and film media. Assessments and interpretations are our own and are not based on seeing the finished film unless stated otherwise.
