Inspired by the werehyena lore of Africa, a man finds himself cursed into a werehyena and rushes to find a cure.

Some inspiration from Werewolf of London and The Wolfman (original with Lon Chaney Jr.).

SYNOPSIS:

AMERICAN WEREHYENA

Jon Williams is an African American activist who is running for Mayor of his hometown and takes time to go on a trip to Africa with his wife Gloria, and best friend Marcus James. Then one day they run into a man named Amar who tells them they must flee or face tragedy and death. That night Gloria and her friend are attacked by two strange creatures and Jon and Marcus come to their aid, one of the creatures is killed while the other flees but Jon is bitten, Gloria survives but her friend is killed, and they find a rare flower that they have been seeking.

Finding the flower, and the attack they return home, and learn that Amar was killed from his mother Tosin who reveals her son was cursed to turn into a monster and now the curse has passed to Jon who disbelieves this. Visiting his parents Oliver Williams and Regina Williams and brother Omar and sister Flay, they begin discussing the current mayor Jack Thomas and believe he is supporting the police more than the community and support Jon’s run for mayor believing he will support and protect the community. They meet a botanist named Romar Alta from Africa who is interested in the flower he and Gloria found That night during a political debate he begins to feel uneasy and asks to turn in. While in at his childhood home he sees himself turning into hyena like monster and goes on the hunt and kills a few people.

The next morning, he awakens to find himself in blood, getting cleaned up he runs into Tosin who reveals her son was cursed into a werehyena and with a friend and rival sought a cure in the form of the flower they sought, warning him of pressure that will transform him.

The murders end up on the news, as he realizes he is responsible as the public blames racism and assume police aren’t taking the deaths seriously while Jon tries to find a cure with the flower and Romar’s help. Jon continues to fight his transformation but the pressure of the campaign and his community needing him get to him, as the police officers suspect either a white supremacist like Lennox Blake a racist suspected of killing minorities, but the police have no evidence to expose him or an African American (much to the disapproval of the Williams family). Jon soon remembers Romar’s interest in the flower and goes to see him and learns that Romar and Amar were the Werehyena’s who attacked him and Gloria, and they both transform and fight while Romar is killed the flower is destroyed and Jon goes on the hunt. Marcus and Gloria try to find Jon while Lennox decides to kill Jon and his family, while Police Detective Riley Franklin and Commissioner James Marison find the attacks almost animalistic and call the FBI led by Agent Nick Robinson they are met by Tonsil who reveals the Werehyena to them but dismiss it, Jon as a Werehyena runs into Gloria and nearly kills Marcus before invading the Williams home where a political debate is held between Jon and Mayor Thomas, where Blake is, and Jon kills him before attacking his family the police and FBI arrive and Franklin and Robinson shoot and kill Jon who manages to speak and thanks them for freeing him and apologizing for what he had done and dies and changes back. While trying to figure out how to write this down, Mayor Thomas and Commissioner Marison respond that Blake killed him, and the cops and FBI killed him in self-preservation, and everyone agrees.