‘Wolf Man’ isn’t the triumphant return to the golden age of monster films we hoped

By Ben Konuch

“Sometimes when you’re a daddy, you’re so scared of your kids getting scars that you become the thing that scars them.”

“Wolf Man” wasn’t on my radar until its masterful teaser trailer premiered in early September, and from that moment on, I couldn’t wait for its release. A reimagining of one of Universal’s classic monster films, this new take on “Wolf Man” comes from Leigh Whannell, director of one of my all-time favorite movies, 2020’s “The Invisible Man.” 

This high anticipation for a personal, gritty take on werewolf horror left me feeling muddled emotions when I finally got the chance to see Whannell’s approach to “Wolf Man.” His mastery of tight, intimate horror is on full display once again but without the strength of a script with any emotional resonance.

The film starts by showing us the strained relationship between a young boy named Blake and his father, who live a secluded, doomsday prepper lifestyle in a secluded area of Oregon woodland. An ominous encounter with something sinister in the woods ends the prologue, sending us 30 years into the future where Blake (Christopher Abbott) now has a seemingly happy family with his wife Charlotte (Julia Gardner) and daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth). When Blake is notified that Oregon has officially declared his missing father dead, the cracks of familial strain begin to show. As Blake and Charlotte decide to return and pack up his father’s home as a family getaway, they have no idea of the evil that they will soon become trapped by away from any semblance of civilization.

When this evil sinks its teeth into Blake, it may never let go of him – or his family – until it’s torn them apart.

To start with the good, there’s plenty to love and plenty to look at with “Wolf Man.” The cinematography is exquisite and is perhaps the biggest inheritor of “The Invisible Man’s” success. Whannell once again experiments with camerawork in bold and unique ways, with this film having the added bonus of a bigger visual effects element to work with. This leads to some great moments, such as the camera rotating and the picture becoming saturated and blurred when we begin to see things from the turning Blake’s perspective. Unique camera movements and beautiful use of light and dark contrast make the film a visual feast, and when Whannell finds the sweet spot of visual flair paired with perfectly executed scares, “Wolf Man” is at its best.

The practical effects that work to produce highly traumatic body horror of the werewolf transformation also deserve praise. The artistic direction took a unique approach toward mixing traditional ideas of werewolves with an undead, rotting angle, creating a truly special and unsettling version of what a “Wolf Man” would look like. 

Perhaps it’s cliche, but its title is well-represented; these aren’t true werewolves, they’re something truly horrific in-between man and beast in a truly unsettling fashion. Of course, all the practical and visual effects in the world wouldn’t sell this if it weren’t for the phenomenal physical performance that Abbott gives as Blake, which was one of the true delights of the film.

Unfortunately, in terms of storytelling, “Wolf Man” is a significant step down from Whannell’s past work, especially considering the rich storytelling in “The Invisible Man.” Where that film succeeded in telling an emotionally captivating story spun through the lens of personal and claustrophobic terror, “Wolf Man” seems content in passing through the imitation of personality and heart. 

There’s barely any chemistry here between Gardner and Abbott, which wastes the phenomenal talent and chemistry of Firth, and is, unfortunately, the root of the film’s heart problem. At its core, I can’t care about a film that wants me to feel horror and remorse at the destruction of a man who cares so much about his family when his family feels like an empty shell. 

Its themes of a troubled couple reconnecting only to be tragically torn apart can’t work if we as an audience don’t have any inkling as to whether they even care about each other enough to make a reconciliation possible. When Charlotte tearfully confesses to Blake that she loves him and can’t do life without him, it happens with such little buildup and contrary to half a film’s worth of evidence that I have to ask myself if the character is meant to be lying in this moment. For a story whose goal is to depict a family’s love that gets torn apart, that’s not a good look. The love this family has for each other should have been slowly dripped to the audience over time, but instead, they’re withheld and poured out all at once, threatening to drown us in tonal whiplash.

By the end of the film, “Wolf Man” doesn’t fail spectacularly and it isn’t poorly made by any means, but it simply misses the key puzzle piece to tie it all together. At best, the film serves as a testament to Whannell’s craft in creating unique visual experiences through bold cinematic decisions. At worst, it’s proof that even good directors and writers can have a misfire every now and then.

I give “Wolf Man” a 6/10

“Wolf Man” is now showing in theaters

Ben Konuch is a senior Strategic Communication student who serves as a writer for Cedars A&E and as their social media lead. He enjoys getting sucked into good stories, playing video games and swing dancing in the rain.

Images courtesy of Universal Pictures.