Universal Studios
Filmmaker Leigh Whannell is no stranger to Universal’s Classic Monsters.
The filmmaker delivered a refreshing take on The Invisible Man in 2020, which played like an updated take on Sleeping with the Enemy, and was spearheaded by a gripping central performance by Elizabeth Moss.
With Wolf Man, Whannell once more seeks to inject a classic monster with a contemporary perspective, this time putting the emphasis on the gradual loss of humanity through the titular character’s transformation.
The film opens on a tense flashback that introduces the audience to a young Blake and his strict, bereaved father living in rural Oregon, where ominous things are afoot in the sprawling woodland surrounding their remote farm.
Thirty years later, Blake (Christopher Abbott) is married to Charlotte (Julia Garner) with whom he has Ginger (Matilda Firth), but the demons from his own childhood cast long shadows, and his family life is slowly deteriorating due to Blake displaying the same ill temper as his father.
When Blake suddenly receives news that his father has been declared dead after having been missing for several years, the family decides to go to the remote farm in order for Blake and Charlotte to work on their marriage, but when they crash in the woods, Blake is attacked by something, and he slowly begins to transform.
There have been many memorable werewolf transformations throughout cinematic history, with the exceptional work on An American Werewolf in London famously winning the inaugural Oscar for Best Makeup at the 54th Academy Awards, but having a transformation take up almost the entirety of a film’s runtime is unusual, and it is an interesting approach to a werewolf film, at least in theory.
While it is commendable that Whannell & Co. have committed to utilizing practical makeup as much as possible for their Wolf Man, not only will the creature design not be to everyone’s liking due to its minimalism, the clear paraphrasing of Seth Brundle’s heartbreaking transformation in David Cronenberg’s The Fly is obvious enough for most to make the connection, but Wolf Man fails at making Blake’s transformation sufficiently gruesome to make it anywhere near as impactful as that of the 1986 body horror classic.
The confined setting of the isolated farmhouse also borrows from other horror classics, but Wolf Man once again squanders the potential of this setting, never achieving the oppressively claustrophobic feel necessary to create any significant sense of tension.
Abbott and Garner are both game in their respective roles, but where Abbott at least has the transformation to inform his acting choices, the usually compelling Garner simply has not been given enough to work with, as the script leaves much too much to be desired, both in terms of originality and depth.
The overarching theme of generational trauma has also been approached with disappointing superficiality, being entirely too on the nose and lacking in sincerity and emotional heft.
The pacing and sense of urgency also underwhelm, as the otherwise modest runtime drags on due to the formulaic scene structure and frustrating character choices making it difficult to stay invested in this toothless affair.
New takes on classics such as the Universal monsters have the potential to introduce a new generation to iconic characters of the past, but while Wolf Man has an interesting concept, the execution is lacking in all aspects, making it a disappointing January dud that is not so much unwatchable as it is simply an underbaked waste of potential.
Extras include featurettes and trailer.
Verdict: 4 out of 10.
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