Wolf Man brings back the classic monster from Universal into a modern setting with the artful direction of Leigh Whannell. After the success of The Invisible Man, Whannel proves that he has the eye for bringing these characters to life without re-threading from the original.
The new Wolf Man shows what can be done to bring the quality of this famous creature to life with a grim tone and great score, but you can only go so far that sometimes you can’t add anything to the genre.
The film isn’t trying to do the same thing as countless stories on the legendary monster but rather tries to reinvent it for both old and new audiences. What we end up getting is a mixed response out of the theater.
The audience is introduced to the werewolf during the opening scene, where we spot one of our main characters whose own background of living in the forest with his father becomes important to the story.
We flash-forward to meet a grown-up Black (Christopher Abbott) living in the big city with his wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) and daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth).
Blake hears word of the assumed passing of his estranged father in a letter as he sees his marriage deteriorating. Blake takes this news as an opportunity to salvage his marriage by taking his family on a summer vacation to where he grew up to gather his late father’s things.
He would soon realize that it would be a life-altering change for him.
As Blake and his family reach the Pacific Northwest, they are soon lost in the woods. After running into the son of one of his father’s friends, Blake finds his way to the old farmhouse. However, they are not alone as a wolf-like creature starts to attack them, and their truck crashes.
Blake tries to fight it off, but he ends up getting injured. The family takes shelter in the farmhouse, but Blake suddenly starts to get sick as the night starts getting long.
Charlotte sees the changes that her husband is going through and starts to get worried about him as well as her and their daughter’s safety.
As Blake deals with the spread of a disease that’s infecting him, his family must find a way to survive the night and find help. However, with the hours going by, the monster is closing in on them with Blake facing the possibility of becoming a danger to his own family.
Leigh Whannell takes a unique approach to the Wolf Man with some of his take on the lore. The body horror aspects and the sound create a chilling atmosphere that works great in concept.
The issue that the film faces is in execution. The story is only bare bones to the horror of seeing a loved one becoming a monster.
You often see Christopher Abbott going through that transformation into the werewolf in doses, which is a terrific feat for the actor as far as makeup and stunt work goes.
Having two unlikely leads in Abbott and Julia Garner is what works in this film. Seeing their loving relationship is what keeps the movie grounded, especially with the bond with their on-screen daughter played by Matilda Firth.
After Abbott’s transformation, Garner eventually takes the front seat and does an incredible job of making Charlotte such a compelling character.
What we can take away is the impressive use of visuals as we experience what Blake sees and hears when he undergoes his metamorphosis. The change in sound and lighting showcases the heightened abilities that Blake has gained.
Shifting between him and Charlotte’s POV is a smart way to show these significant differences happening on the screen.
Since most of the movie’s actions take place in a singular location with our family of three, this werewolf story is more intimate and claustrophobic.
It allows the film to create a tragic monster story with a couple trying to resolve issues in their marriage, mainly problems with communication. Charlotte loses Blake to a disease right in front of her eyes, making things emotional in the final moments.
The film’s strength in storytelling causes it to be less of a spectacle in horror. There are some entertaining scenes, but nothing about it comes off as scary. There are a few of gory sequences and body transformations that can make one squirm, but nothing terrifying out of that.
The transformation may also split the audience. With the use of prosthetics, we see Blake somewhat recognizable by his changes and is a different look from a typical werewolf appearance.
It works with the grounded take of the movie, but it could make fans of the genre upset.
What Wolf Man has done is create an innovative and grounded take on a classic monster, making it more of a disease than a supernatural phenomenon.
This stylistic approach is what makes this version unique to the average moviegoer. It might not have the same charm as Whannell’s previous works, but it is worth a watch as he continues to amaze us with his vision for these classic monsters.
Wolf Man is currently showing in theaters.
