“Wolf Man”: A Slow-Burn Family Horror-Thriller, That Lacks Bites And Blood | Review

Almost unnoticed, the myth of the werewolf has been with us for thousands of years. It is said that as early as the “Histories,” the canonical work of the Greek historian and geographer Herodotus, there was a reference to the transformation of a man into a wolf, which happened as early as the fifth century BC. This myth has, of course, made its way into countless films, one of the most important of which in horror cinema is the Universal Monsters series, which began in 1941 with “The Wolf Man” starring Lon Chaney Jr., one of the horror classics.

The werewolf myth is alive, well, and biting several decades later. We’ve seen quite a few werewolf movies over the years, “An American Werewolf in London” (1981), considered by many to be the best werewolf movie ever; the horror comedy “Teen Wolf” with Michael J. Fox from 1995 (which recently became a TV series and a very mediocre film); “The Wolf-man” starring Benicio del Toro and Emily Blunt; “Werewolf by Night” (2022) and even the latest “Werewolves” with Frank Grillo, which we saw not long ago. And that’s without mentioning movies in which there is a mystery surrounding the identity of the werewolf, at least seemingly (“The Wolf of Snow Hollow,” “Werewolves Within,” “The Beast Within”), and even games based on the same idea (“Werewolf for One Night”). And of course, there are also werewolf characters in a variety of movies and series, such as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Twilight,” “True Blood,” and others. There are other examples, even on a limited scale, compared to other classic monsters. Still, the bottom line is that, ironically, some talk about the “curse” of werewolf movies: There is still no werewolf movie we can call a masterpiece.

The primary challenge is making the werewolf subgenre relevant, threatening, and, above all, scary. Leigh Whannell’s “Wolf Man” attempted to revive the myth, perhaps even as the same director did with great success in “The Invisible Man” in 2020, offering a twist for viewers who have already seen everything.

So, we got a much slower film, taking place in one night, with a gradual transition to a werewolf, a different representation of the werewolf than we’ve seen, and a family drama that doesn’t really work. Although “Wolf Man” is an enjoyable film with some very positive aspects, it’s hard to argue that it will be a truly memorable one.

What Is Wolf Man About? (Hint: The Werewolf Story, with A Few Changes)

“Wolf Man” begins with a suspenseful scene, which still doesn’t go all the way in terms of the presentation of the monster we’re dealing with. The story begins after the rather cryptic titles, which also attempt to present some medical phenomenon related to a virus circulating among wildlife in the Oregon forests.

We meet young Blake Lovell (Zac Chandler) and his strict father, Grady (Sam Jaeger, “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “American Sniper”), who are on a hunting trip in the woods. After the son wanders away from his father and sees something unclear in the woods, the father arrives, goes to the shelter, and stumbles upon the same unclear creature without capturing it. Grady reports the incident to someone, the son listens, and we get the opening credits.

The plot of “Wolf Man” takes place 30 years later. Blake has grown up to be a family man, played by Christopher Abbott (“It Comes at Night,” “Possessor,” “Girls”), a writer between jobs. He does the housework, while his wife Charlotte (the usually excellent Julia Garner from “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For,” “Ozark,” “Inventing Anna,” and “Apartment 7A,” this time in a somewhat anemic role) pays the bills as a journalist. The truth is, this is the most random choice of professions ever made in a horror movie because except for some phone call from the mother in “Work Matters,” they could have been doing anything else – from real estate appraisals to medical clowning to Aerospace engineering – and we wouldn’t have noticed.

The two are raising Ginger (Matilda Firth, the girl who loves android robots who look like Megan Fox in “Subservience”) and don’t maintain a happy family life. When Blake receives the death certificate of his father (who has been missing for years) and the keys to his childhood home, he decides – as befits a horror movie – that going with the family to an isolated house in the middle of a desolate forest is what can save the family, and especially the relationship with Charlotte, who, on the other hand, is not sure about her function as a mother.

The good news is that, unlike most horror movies set in the forest, their car, surprisingly, does not break down due to an unknown plot hole related to vehicles. Sadly, what happens is far from better. They meet a local guy named Derek (Benedict Hardie,) Blake’s old friend, who agrees to lead them to the childhood home. On the way, they encounter a monstrous creature, which scratches Blake and lifts Derek. They manage to get to the house, but it is too little, too late.

Here is the trailer for “Wolf Man”:

Becoming A Wolf Man Has Never Been Slower

Horror movies have taught us a specific formula for turning a person into a werewolf. In many cases, this happens very quickly, against the backdrop of a full moon, while we get a blood-curdling howl. It sometimes occurs within a few seconds, even surprisingly, in scenes that have become classics in some respects, such as the werewolf transformation scene in “An American Werewolf in London.” There are a few other elements in films of this type, and some would say clichés, such as silver bullets and a full moon.

In “Wolf Man,” the process is presented differently, much slower. We see Blake slowly losing his humanity due to the same mysterious creature’s attack and several more unsuccessful fights with it. The plot unfolds throughout one night, in the style of Home Invasion movies, within a confined location and with a minimal cast of characters.

Physically, the changes are there. However, these are relatively minor issues, such as peeling nails, hair loss, a slight amount of facial hair, and skin that becomes hardened. It’s more reminiscent of how we’ve seen transformations into monstrous entities in classic films like David Cronenberg’s “The Fly,” or even Demi Moore’s transformation into something not quite human in the excellent “The Substance.” In fact, at one point, I wondered if we’d see our werewolf applying makeup in a psychotic manner in front of a mirror, undergoing a French recipe torture, or performing a sexy dance to the lyrics of “Pump It Up” while already in his werewolf form, with close-ups of his curved body. Sadly, it didn’t happen.

The wolf-man transformation works mainly because the creators did a great job at the effects level. Instead of a werewolf costume or ridiculous computer effects hinting at a low-budget film, we get something that looks like a man who has received elements of a wolf, and not a wolf in the complete sense of the word, a creature that still looks human in a certain sense. The transformation into the howling animal resembles a disease (perhaps lupus?) more than an inhuman phenomenon within Universal’s monster universe. It’s scarier and more realistic, as realistic as monster movies can be.

At the same time, Whannell tries to show changes in the behavior of the unfortunate father, who becomes animalistic, like biting his arm in an attempt to relieve the pain or vomiting up a severed finger. There is gore and even cannibalism in this film, even if we have seen more extreme examples in recent years.

Becoming A Werewolf And Dying (Approximately)

Whannell conveys the werewolf’s sensory changes in a rather original way that includes his point of view (and sometimes also senses such as hearing), but in a relatively unique way because we sometimes still see the character in the frame. We do not get a whole point of view (POV) here, but a particular point of view in which the hero is still sometimes seen in the frame, but his feelings are presented through lighting effects, sound, and the like. This presentation is effective but confusing at times, especially when there are scenes in which the frame is too dark (a general criticism of the film, by the way).

There is no doubt that the attempt to give a perspective to the evil creature, whether or not, is refreshing. We have recently seen several films that have tried to present the story from the perspective of the “villains,” such as a killer in slasher films (“In a Violent Nature”) or even a ghost (“Presence” by Steven Soderbergh). The question is whether this choice can sustain an entire film. In 1947, Robert Montgomery attempted to tell a complete story from the perspective of his hero, Detective Philip Marlowe, to replicate the narrative style of the books. We saw the characters looking directly at the camera when they spoke, and the hero himself only through a mirror. This film failed and received negative reviews, and one of the leading theories is that the reason is that the audience was unable to see the character and, therefore, identify with it.

In “Wolf Man,” the choice of point of view is, as mentioned, partial, sometimes before or after we see the same situation through the “objective” camera lens. Whannell gives us a glimpse into the changes Blake undergoes, which helps us understand the threat. On the other hand, if you were expecting a film that would make you know what it’s like to be a werewolf, to watch the night sky fearfully, worried that a full moon would appear that would turn you into one, you’ll only get a partial answer.

Continue Memorizing The Name: Lee Whannell

Under the radar, Lee Whannell has become one of the most prominent names in horror cinema in recent decades. It started with 2004’s “Saw,” which he co-wrote with James Wan, who directed the film. Whannell also played Adam in “Saw,” in one of the lead roles of the unfortunate guy who woke up in a bathroom and couldn’t quite get out. Whannell also wrote the subsequent two films in the franchise, the excellent “Dead Silence,” the screenplay and story for the first four “Insidious” films, and the story for the fifth installment in the franchise (“Insidious: The Red Door”). “Wolf Man” is the fourth film that Whannell wrote, directed, and executive produced (alongside “Insidious: Chapter 3,” “Upgrade,” and “The Invisible Man”). And that’s without mentioning his acting roles in more successful films (“Saw,” “Insidious”) or less so (“The Bye Bye Man,” “Keep Watching”).

“Wolf Man” was produced by horror wizards Jason Blum and Blumhouse, along with “Motel Films.” The bad news is that if you compare “Wolf Man” to other films with such creators behind them, the result will probably be less successful. Yes, I found the movie enjoyable and even thrilling in some parts, but there was potential for a more successful outcome here.

The film moves at a slow pace, perhaps too slowly for some horror fans. There are jump scares, some expected and some not so much, and scenes of life-and-death chases – in a car, on top of a greenhouse, and so on – that are quite predictable because it is clear that, until the last scenes, no one has come out on top here. It is difficult to say that “Wolf Man” is an overly scary film; some would consider it a thriller or even a family drama with a touch of horror.

A Family Drama Without A Dramatic Family

The characters of “Wolf Man “are plausible, but the film lacks something in the family dynamics or the messages it conveys. If “The Invisible Man” was excellent because it brought the myth up to date, thanks to a relatively realistic presentation of the technology that enables this change and addresses relevant issues (such as violent relationships between men and women), it works less well here.

The frame story that attempts to explain the protagonist’s change through a fake virus is unconvincing, mainly because it is introduced in a boring title at the beginning. The film presents quite a few relevant topics, such as relationships in the “modern” family unit, the desire to function as a parent in a way that is opposite to what we were raised on, dealing with traumas, situations of isolation and illness (according to reports, Whannell wrote the script together with his wife, Corbett Tuck, during the Covid-19 era) and even the relationship between man and nature. The treatment of most topics is primarily superficial and not in line with the horror we receive occasionally.

The characters are not well-defined enough for us to understand their behavior or even how much it is related to their personalities. We get a few scenes early in the film that show Blake’s vision for raising his family, and that he wants to do it differently than he was raised. Still, these relationships don’t get much space later, mainly because our hero becomes a werewolf with a new set of considerations and instincts. In effect, the film pits this animal instinct against our parental instincts, trying to determine who wins in this confrontation.

Beyond the change that Blake undergoes, successfully presented visually and in the nuances of the character played by Abbott, it’s hard to say that the other characters develop or present anything interesting that would make us feel close to them. When this happens in a film with something like three characters, one of whom turns into a monster at a relatively early stage, it’s a problem – Especially since the dialogues in the film are minimal and mostly unconvincing.

The chemistry between the couple doesn’t exist, even if you remember that they have problems. You must feel sorry for poor 10 years old Matilda Firth – who in “Subservience” had to see her father sleep with a robot who tries to eliminate the family, and now has to deal with a father who turns into a werewolf who wants to kill her – who manages to inject some emotion into her character.

The more encouraging news is that even when the film doesn’t work to its full potential, one can still appreciate Whannell’s talent for the genre. There are some reflexive references to the werewolf myth or even to the director’s previous works, such as a brilliant scene that echoes “Saw.” The editing here is convincing, as is the use of sound, from sound effects to the soundtrack, which immerses us in the gloomy atmosphere. When the horror arrives, which unfortunately happens too infrequently, it can sometimes be effective.

Should You Watch Wolf Man?

In a broader sense, one can ask how much room there is today for “classic” monster movies. Universal changed direction following the disaster of 2017’s “The Mummy” with Tom Cruise. This film did manage to double its budget, with revenues of over $400 million against a budget of around $195-125 million (depending on how you count), but the vast majority of the revenues (around 80%!) came from markets outside the United States, and critics pretty much killed the film – so much so that today they are talking about the film as a failure. According to reports, following “The Mummy,” Universal abandoned the shared dark universe and moved on to films in which one monstrous villain stands alone. In “The Invisible Man,” it worked great, and we got a film that managed to renew the original story. It was a more modest film: revenues of around $144 million against a budget of only $7 million, which received excellent reviews.

The reviews for “Wolf Man” are very mixed, as evident in the box office figures. It was produced on a budget of approximately $25 million, primarily due to the costs associated with creating the werewolf effects, and has grossed only around $34 million as of this writing. It is likely that the creators, led by Leigh Whannell, will not list the result at the top of their resumes either.

As a werewolf movie, “Wolf Man” offers a refreshing change from what we are used to in a subgenre that has become quite maligned. Here we get an original presentation of the transition to the monster, a gradually built atmosphere, and some likable scenes, especially the attempts to attack by the wolf, which is pretty clear from the beginning. On the other hand, the film is slow, the horror (and blood) are presented in insufficient quantities, and there are some script and character flaws.

Wolf Man – Everything You Need to Know

Who directed Wolf Man? Leigh Whannell, the Australian director, actor, writer, and executive producer, was behind the camera.

Who plays the Wolf Man? The film’s cast is minimal and includes Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, Matilda Firth, Sam Jaeger, Milo Cawthorne, and more.

Who wrote Wolf Man? Director Leigh Whannell wrote the screenplay alongside his wife, Corbett Tuck.

How long is Wolf Man? The running time of the movie is about 103 minutes.

When was Wolf Man filmed? In the United States, New Zealand, and Ireland.

What languages are spoken in Wolf Man? It’s mostly English, but it has some weird growls of a werewolf.

When was Wolf Man released? The official release date of the film was January 17, 2025.

What was the budget of Wolf Man? Approx. $25 million

How much did Wolf Man make at the box office? According to Box Office Mojo, the film earned Approx. $34 million worldwide.

What is Wolf Man’s MPAA rating (Parental Guidance)? Wolf Man is rated R for bloody, violent content, grisly images, and some language.

What do the reviews say about Wolf Man? The reviews of the Wolf Man movie are pretty average. The film has a rating of 5.6 on IMDb. On Rotten Tomatoes, 50% of the critics gave it a positive review.

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