Wolf Man

WOLF MAN releases in the month where movies go to die. Not all films have fallen into the stereotypical January and February box office bombs. But for every M3GAN there is a MADAM WEB. Sadly WOLF MAN is a poster child for everything that can go wrong in early year films.

Synopsis: A family at a remote farmhouse is attacked by an unseen animal, but as the night stretches on, the father begins to transform into something unrecognizable.

RATING: Rated R for bloody violent content, grisly images and some language.
RUN TIME: 103 minutes
RELEASE DATE: Opens in Theaters Nationwide Friday, January 17, 2025

The Wolf Man is a lot like Dracula in that he has been characterized in many ways since Lon Chaney Jr. played Larry Talbot in the original 1940’s films. There have been comedic teen versions, an animated version depicted as an exasperated father, and several traditional versions including the 2010 film with Anthony Hopkins. There is always a buzz of excitement when producing giants Blumhouse is at the wheel. Or is used to be. Lately I feel they are quantity over quality with some of the films they have attached to, releasing movies we hope to soon forget.

This version is directed by Leigh Whannell who also directed 2010’s The Invisible Man. That also gave hope to this one. The Invisible Man movie ranks high on most lists from classic horror character fans. It was slick and creative, with plenty of scary thrills. Wolf Man has none of those things. It is missing the main elements that are key to monster movies. How does the monster look? How do the victims join together to survive? And most importantly, is it fun!?

Blake (Christopher Abbott) is a New York stay at home dad who needs to return to his family home in rural Oregon to clear up some personal business. He convinces his journalist wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) and his young daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth) to join him, hoping to show them the beautiful place in which he grew up. Once they arrive – at night of course – the journey turns into a never ending nightmare for the characters and those watching in theaters. Taking place over one night Charlotte and Ginger watch as their father succumbs to a a horrible transfiguration. With no clue what it is and no way to fight it they struggle to find answers and escape the remote wilderness.

How does the monster look? This might be the biggest failure in the film. Director Leigh Whannell may have been successful with the Invisible Man because he was invisible. You can’t judge what you can’t see. Here we need to see something terrifying. We need skin crawling transformation, and jaw dropping body horror. This version of the Wolf Man is subtle and though there are some gross morph moments the rest is more cerebral focusing on what Blake sees and hears during his change. The use of special effects and trippy visuals is not a benefit. For most of the movie Blake is in a limbo state between man and beast that is confusing to the viewer and in no way scary. With the money they saved on wardrobe changes they could have rolled it over into effects.

How do the victims join together to survive? At the beginning of the film Charlotte voices her concern that she is not as close to Ginger as a mother should be. We assume due to her job and work schedule. This is the perfect story arch for mother and daughter to come together during the worst night of their life. If used wisely it could have been a powerful part of the film. What fails them is the rambling script, poor direction, and no meaningful dialogue. None of the characters go together. It is obvious that the films creators wanted to use the Wolf Man as a way to express the parent child dynamic. The metaphors and heavy laden lines drip off the screen. Parenting is hard. Keeping your children safe is hard. But this was not the place and time to tell that story. We want the Wolf Man! Not a scared father fighting the beast within.

Is it Fun? No, it is not. Other than a few jump scares and eerie background images this one has no powerful, curl up in your seat, shield your eyes moments. And there is no humor. When done right all all horror films can have a few moments to be clever and funny. It is slow with no crescendos. Both Garner and Firth do well with what they are given. You can tell they are trying hard to connect with their characters and find something to hold on to. The acting is certainly not to blame. It all falls on the shoulders of the writing team and the directing.

It would have been great to have a Wolf Man movie at the caliber and level of other monster tale of late. All the elements were there but nothing was taken advantage of. If you watch strictly as a metaphor for parenting and surviving the scars of past and present then.. never mind, it would still be bad.