“Wolf Man” Review

Julia Garner (Left) and Christopher Abbott find themselves in a situation of horrific transformation in “Wolf Man”.

With every studio trying to create a cinematic universe to rival the impact of the dozens of films based on Marvel Comics, it’s amazing how none of them have come close. Some have been overall entertaining, but also inconsistent, like the DC Extended Universe and the Monsterverse but one of the most laughable attempts was when Universal Pictures tried to revive their iconic lineup of monsters, which was arguably the first cinematic universe. 

After creating films like “Dracula”, “Frankenstein” and “The Wolf Man” in the 1930s and 40s, followed by a multitude of crossover films, Universal thought it was time for these creatures to get a modern twist with the new Dark Universe. However, the very first film in the series, “The Mummy”, was critically lambasted and a box-office bomb, killing this undead franchise before it could even rise. In the years since, Universal appears to have made better progress by letting filmmakers make more stand-alone films based on iconic creatures like 2020’s “Invisible Man” and the recent adaptation of “Nosferatu”. Then again, they did spend hundreds of millions of dollars for the rights to “The Exorcist” only to try to make a botched trilogy that also died after one installment. Fortunately, after making “Invisible Man”, director Leigh Whannell returns to the Universal creations with “Wolf Man” which takes excellent performances and mixes it with strong atmosphere and suspense to make an entertaining piece of horror cinema. 

Upon learning that he has been left his deceased father’s Oregon farmhouse, Blake Lovell (Christopher Abbott), his wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) and young daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth) go to the remote mountain region to spend some time together as a family while spending the summer cleaning out the estate. After arriving, the family begins to discover they’re not alone and, in fact, are being stalked by a creature that acts like an animal but moves like a man. When Blake is attacked and becomes infected by the creature’s bites, Blake finds himself slowly turning into a monster.

Director Leigh Whanell is already considered a legend in the history of horror for his many offerings, including the creation of the “Saw” series with James Wan and his own directorial efforts like “Upgrade” and “Invisible Man”. The passion Whannell has for horror is clear from “Wolf Man” because he knows exactly what to update in this classic tale of transformation while also embracing the roots of the story. Instead of a werewolf being this mystical thing that happens by the light of the full moon, it’s treated as an infection that slowly transforms a person. 

In this case, the person afflicted is Blake and Christopher Abbott delivers a great performance as a likable family man who came from a traumatic background but is trying to be a much better father to Ginger. The relationship between Blake and Charlotte is also strained at the start of the film but there’s still plenty of love present so you do find yourself engaged with this family which makes the rest of the story all the more tough. Just enough character is put across in the opening scenes so that the rest of “Wolf Man” can focus on good, old-fashioned survival horror with spectacular special effects. 

While other films focused on werewolves, notably “An American Werewolf in London” and “The Howling”, have legendary sequences of transformation, Abbott’s turn into the titular beast is much more gradual. There are rarely any of the big motions of creation but, if you look at how Abbott looks at the beginning of the film versus his final form, you marvel at all of the effort the make-up department put into making a new kind of wolf man. The film also utilizes digital effects to create filters that show us the point-of-view of a wolf man with his vision being creatively distorted. 

As for the horror elements, “Wolf Man” is full of suspenseful chases that aren’t too reliant on jump-scares but bathe the viewer in the remote atmosphere. Julia Garner is especially wonderful in these scenes because she has to ascend to a level of authority as she must protect her daughter from both the original wolf man her family encountered and her husband. There’s also a level of drama occurring with Blake’s character as well since he’s struggling to hang onto his humanity in spite of the infection he has contracted. 

Making the most of its budget, small cast and limited setting, Leigh Whannell has achieved a very thrilling creature feature that is sure to entertain fans looking for a modern update to a classic idea. It may not have the psychological edge of “Invisible Man” but the many positive attributes of “Wolf Man” make it quite the ride.