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Wolf Man (R)

Cast: Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, Matilda Firth, Sam Jaeger

Release Date: January 17, 2025

Runtime: 1 hr. 42 mins.

Genre: Horror, Thriller

This blood-chilling reimagining of the classic Universal monster is directed by Whannell and written by Whannell & Corbett Tuck, Lauren Schuker Blum & Rebecca Angelo (Dumb Money). Wolf Man stars Golden Globe nominee Christopher Abbott (Poor Things, Catch-22, It Comes at Night) as a man whose family is being terrorized by a lethal predator.

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Review

"Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright." If there's another quote more closely associated with movies having "Wolf Man" in the title, I don't know what it is. And, although Leigh Whannell's Wolf Man doesn't include the words, their spirit as penned by screenwriter Curt Siodmak for the 1941 movie, infuses this story. In crafting a new tale of a classic monster (following his work on the uneven The Invisible Man), Whannell jettisons pretty much everything we think we know about The Wolf Man, including all the familiar werewolf tropes, but remains true to the concept that the disease of lycanthropy obliterates the personality of even a good man.

Since Lon Cheney Jr. originated the role, there have been numerous opportunities for werewolves to prowl across the screen (including a bunch of sequels to 1941 iteration, each more embarrassing than the last). Some, like An American Werewolf in London and The Howling, have become acknowledged horror classics. A few, like Jack Nicholson's Wolf and Benicio del Toro's The Wolfman remake, feel like missed opportunities. Most are simply bad. By not merely going back to basics but completely re-inventing the concept, Whannell's Wolf Man comes closer to the first category than the last. The film is light on gore but heavy on shock elements, atmosphere, and (most importantly) emotion. Wolf Man is a tragedy and, for it to work, we have to feel it.

For most of its running time, Wolf Man is a three-character piece. Following a relevant prologue set thirty years in the past, the movie jumps to the present day and focuses on the family of father Blake (Christopher Abbott), mother Charlotte (Julia Garner), and daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth). Although fractures in the marriage are evident from the early-going, the problems become immediate and life-threatening during a trip to clean out the house Blake has inherited from his deceased father, Grady (Sam Jaeger). The hills around the home, where Blake lived as a child, are said to be haunted by a bestial creature. Following an accident that puts a rental truck out of commission, Blake is injured in a confrontation with something. He, Charlotte, and Ginger flee the scene of the accident and reach the house with a predator in pursuit. As it stalks and waits, they hunker down inside, but all is not well. Blake has been infected and is changing before their eyes, becoming the same kind of creature as the one they have locked out.

Wolf Man has been released in January but it could easily have been a Father's Day selection based on the importance of the relationship between Blake and Ginger. His marriage with Charlotte might be eroding, but Blake never loses sight of his most important duty: to protect his daughter. As the curse of the Wolf Man ravages his mind and body, this is put to the test. It becomes the film's central moral and emotional question. Is there enough of Blake remaining that he can remain true to his promise or will he turn on Ginger?

The usual Blumhouse production approach is evident here with lesser-known names populating the cast (although at one point Ryan Gosling was attached to star). Christopher Abbott, who has a lengthy resume as a character actor, is ideal for the everyman struggling against his own shifting nature. Julia Garner, soon to elevate her profile by entering the MCU as The Silver Surfer, matches Abbott's low-key style with her own taciturn approach, although her character could generously be described as "thin." Matilda Firth is the most emotive member of the small ensemble.

Whannell has admitted in interviews that he believes some fans will be disappointed by the Wolf Man's appearance, which owes as much to the David Cronenberg remake of The Fly as to any of the numerous previous werewolf films. It's also all-practical effects; avoiding CGI not only helped to control costs but avoided the artificiality that marred the 2010 remake. The tortured appearance of the Wolf Man fits well with the movie's overall aesthetic. Although Cheney's makeup worked well in 1941 and will always have a place in monster movie lore, it wouldn't be the best choice for today.

The film's bare-bones structure, with an immediate threat outside and a growing danger within, allows Whannell to use tension as liberally as other traditional horror movie tools. The obligatory jump-scares aren't the best and the movie is at times frustratingly underlit, but those things don't keep the suspense at bay. In the end, however, Wolf Man is a story of sacrifice and love. That element resonated with me and its effectiveness allows this particular incarnation to be deemed worthy of its namesake.

© 2025 James Berardinelli

Synopsis

This blood-chilling reimagining of the classic Universal monster is directed by Whannell and written by Whannell & Corbett Tuck, Lauren Schuker Blum & Rebecca Angelo (Dumb Money). Wolf Man stars Golden Globe nominee Christopher Abbott (Poor Things, Catch-22, It Comes at Night) as a man whose family is being terrorized by a lethal predator.