Wolf Man (2025)

​"Wolf Man" stars Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, Sam Jaeger, and Matilda Firth.  Released on January 17, 2025, the film has a man protecting his family from a werewolf.

The film was directed by Leigh Whannell, who also directed "Insidious: Chapter 3", "Upgrade", and "The Invisible Man".  It is a reboot of the 1941 film written by Curt Siodmak.  I have stated that I didn't want to start the new year by reviewing a horror movie.  However, I didn't say I wouldn't continue it with a few new ones this month.  Thankfully, one of those horror films happens to pack plenty of potential in its concept due to the involvement of "Insidious" star Leigh Whannell.  Following the failed attempt at reviving the Classics Monsters through its "Dark Universe", Universal made a clever decision to shift its focus to individual films with modern approaches to the iconic creatures.  This strategy has been paying off fairly well so far, thanks to Whannell's clever and frightening take on "The Invisible Man", showcasing a brighter future for the revived franchise than the "Dark Universe".  The success of the "Invisible Man" reboot convinced the studio to rehire Whannell to revive another Classic Monster for modern audiences, one whose bite is just as bad as its bark.  Since the Wolf Man's debut in 1941, there have been numerous attempts to bring it back into the moonlight throughout the years, including the 2010 remake by Joe Johnston, with some barely scratching the surface compared to the original.  This year, Whannell takes a stab at reintroducing the creature by having it hunt down a modern family.  Unfortunately for them, Van Helsing won't be around to save them.  That said, let's see if this latest iteration can take a bite out of the horror genre.

The story centers on Blake Lovell (Abbott), a family man who inherited his childhood farmhouse following his estranged father's mysterious death.  As a result, he relocates from San Francisco to Oregon with his workaholic wife Charlotte (Garner) and their daughter Ginger (Firth) to repair his relationship with Charlotte.  During the trip, the family is suddenly attacked by a vicious creature that harms Blake, forcing them to seek shelter in the farmhouse.  However, things take a darker turn when Blake starts to gain unusual side effects from the creature's attack, transforming him into something even more horrifying.  This left Charlotte to protect her daughter from the man she once called her husband.

Believe it or not, my exposure to "The Wolf Man" didn't originate from the 1941 classic.  Instead, it came from the iterations released during my time, such as "Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman" and the 2010 remake.  Who knew a trio of singing chipmunks would get me interested in werewolves?  Regardless, they're enough to get me curious about the direction for the latest iteration of "The Wolf Man", along with Leigh Whannell's involvement.  Whannell has undoubtedly made a name for himself in the horror genre, mainly through his works in the "Saw" and "Insidious" franchises.  More importantly, he has proven himself to be an impressive filmmaker, with "Upgrade" and "The Invisible Man" showcasing the prowess of his dark and refreshing visions of their "been there, done that" scenarios.  Considering how well-received these two films were, there's definitely plenty of confidence that Whannell would deliver something special to revitalize this Universal Monster.

Like "The Invisible Man", the 2025 reboot of "Wolf Man" went for a more realistic approach to the concept, with the hairy creature affecting the life of a family man by taking a bite out of his humanity.  Modern approaches give specific horror reimaginings some bold ideas of delivering something audiences haven't expected from previous iterations while staying true to the roots longtime fans are familiar with.  Although, in most cases, it can also run the risk of alienating some of its audience regarding the execution.  2020's "The Invisible Man" was a good example that combines its modern themes of abuse with the terror of someone who's invisible to the naked eye.  For "Wolf Man", Leigh Whannell attempted to focus more on the terror of the creature's transformation, which is combined with its theme of familial trauma.  The result was an admirable take but lacks the vicious bite in its storytelling and scares to make itself a howling treat.

It was hard for me to believe at first that a movie about a transforming werewolf would wind up being this divisive.  Then again, most horror movies tend to get similar responses, especially ones made by Blumhouse.  After watching "Wolf Man", I can mostly understand why.  Its idea of a grounded, slow-burning, transformation-focused storyline may leave those wanting a non-stop blood fest whimpering in sorrow.  However, those who prefer this type of narrative reminiscing classic movies like "The Fly" may find specific elements worth howling about, including the practical effects.  Everything else would likely depend on their expectations of what they prefer from the plot.  Of course, this review is basically about what I thought about this horror reboot.  Personally, I thought it was an enjoyable yet thematically underwhelming creature feature that had the potential to be something more.  Was it as riveting as Whannell's "Invisible Man" remake?  Not even close.  But I would also say it's far from the worst movie that the people from Blumhouse put out.

Amid the film's horror tropes, "Wolf Man" also depicts the unsettling exploration of generational trauma and how it negatively affects a family dynamic.  This theme resonates with Blake, whose short temper was caused by his stern father, Grady (Jaeger), at the beginning of the film.  Unfortunately for Blake, his attempt to escape from his father's shadow gradually faded due to the werewolf transforming him into something he feared most.  This allowed the film to focus on his wife, Charlotte, who must now take over Blake's role in protecting their daughter from harm.  So, in a way, "Wolf Man" copies the rules from Whannell's "Invisible Man" regarding the combination of modern themes and classic terror.  It certainly has moments that could've worked well for its emotional depth amid the protagonist's horrific transformation.  Sadly, its screenplay by Whannell and Corbett Tuck struggled to reach that potential because its genre formula overshadowed its bold ideas.  While it may work as a straightforward horror thriller involving a werewolf, it lacked the urge to combine it with memorable scares and an intriguing character study in fear of alienating its traditional audience.

I also had an issue that's more of a personal critique than a filmmaking one: its lighting effects.  Its low-lit lighting helped create an isolated atmosphere that felt more like an authentic nightmare, especially when surrounded by something you can't see.  However, it also has the disadvantage of being unable to see what's happening during specific scenes, especially when viewing it at home in the daylight.  If you're watching it on your television and the sunlight hits the screen during one of those low-lit scenes, I can guarantee you'll be blind as a bat.  I can understand that they used pitch-black lighting to emphasize the film's eerie atmosphere and isolated darkness, which I found more unnerving than its jump scares.  But from a personal perspective, this is another movie that I would recommend watching at night with a good-quality television.

As mentioned before, while I didn't think it was anything special for the genre, I did happen to enjoy some moments that helped elevate this hairy situation.  One of them includes Christopher Abbott, who takes the helm of the victim to this deadly curse after failing to make much of an impression in last month's "Kraven the Hunter".  Considering that he has starred in several horror films in the past, Abbott seemed like a suitable choice to tackle this Universal Monster, and he did not disappoint in the slightest.  Abbott provided enough heft in Blake's sense of terror and internal sorrow to showcase the tragic empathy of a father gradually losing his humanity thanks to his engaging performance.  Julia Garner also delivered a respectable performance as Charlotte, although her character arc didn't hold as much interest as Blake's regarding the film's screenplay.  Matilda Firth and Sam Jaeger were also suitable as Ginger and Grady, respectively.

Another element worth appreciating was Whannell's vision.  While his script lacks a werewolf's bite, his direction surely did.  Similar to his previous films, "Wolf Man" has Whannell compensating for his lack of genuine scares by exuding a sense of atmospheric tension, even in an isolated location.  Despite a few scenes that may not be as effective as others, Whannell continues to excel in suspense-filled terror through his approach to the wide-angle and panning shots, especially in sequences that didn't involve a flesh-eating werewolf.  His direction toward the film's body horror effects was also compelling due to the practical effects and sound mixing.  For the former, "Wolf Man" relies on prosthetics and special make-up effects to transform Abbott into the titular creature, although the final design did look too basic compared to the previous iterations.  While the effects were pretty solid, I wasn't much of a fan of this iteration's "Wolf Man" for resembling a bald, disfigured man with body hair.  However, I was surprisingly impressed with the sound mixing, mainly for showcasing Blake's diminishing ability to understand human language through vocal distortion.

Overall, "Wolf Man" had enough body horror moments to deliver a mildly howling treat, but its thematic depth lacked the bite needed to excel on its bold, reimagined concept.  Undoubtedly, Leigh Whannell has provided another tolerable addition to the horror genre, let alone one involving one of Universal's classic monsters.  But when compared to his take on "The Invisible Man", this hairy reboot is a far cry from what he had delivered for the unseeable figure regarding its balance of horror and modern themes.  Christopher Abbott succeeded in carrying the film with his diverting performance, and Whannell's direction for the cinematography and body horror elements benefitted well from its visual effects and sound mixing.  Sadly, its middling screenplay, lighting effects, and uneven scares caused it to possess more of a bark than a growl.  I appreciate the attempt to provide a humane approach to the "Wolf Man" lore, but I find the execution lacking.

C+