Wolf Man Movie Review (Spoiler Free)

The second Blumhouse take on Universal’s classic Monster flicks takes a surprising turn in tone & genre. Can it keep up with 2020’s The Invisible Man, though?

Genre: Drama / Horror

Director: Leigh Whannell

Cast: Christopher Abbott, Matilda Firth, Julia Garner, Sam Jaeger, Zac Chandler, Benedict Hardie & Ben Prendergast.

Run Time: 103 min.

US Release: 17 January 2025

UK Release: 17 January 2025

German Release: 16 January 2025

January is usually the dumping month for movies that Studios don’t believe in, that is, unless it is a film that obtained a late release in another country. As such, prognostics for this Blumhouse production didn’t look so rosy. Then again, in the 2020s, The Invisible Man was released in February, also used as a dumping ground, yet it was an incredible psychological horror-thriller. So, who knows, maybe Universal/Blumhouse could surprise audiences again, right? Not quite, Whannell displays some intriguing ideas on screen, though the overall product does not come together as cohesively as hoped.

So, sharpen your senses, while stretching out your claws, as we sink our teeth into my review for Wolf Man.

Blake, a family man, needs to confront his past trauma, all while protecting his wife and daughter, when they are being attacked by a creature on a full moon night. The further the night progresses, the more psychological, as well as physical trauma, is unleashed.

Recognition needs to be given where it is earned, which is Leigh Whannell trying to tackle horror classics from a different angle. It worked wonderfully with his Invisible Man, which is more of a terrifying psychological abuse story. Same goes for this tale, as its basis is more of a family drama with metamorphosing horror-body imagery in it. 

On paper, it must have sounded incredibly intriguing, and to be fair, there are nuances of it throughout the final product! For example, the drama is set as the foreground, defining the narrative, while the horror genre is playing in the background. At its core, this is about a man dealing with his anxiety plus insecurities, showing what effects these strains can have on a marriage. It also embodies a message on how to come to terms with past traumas, as the lead is trying to compulsively avoid making the same mistakes his father did, raising his daughter. 

All of these are fascinating plot aspects, but unfortunately, the negatives outweigh the positives. For one, the pacing is completely off. This is a one-hundred-minute-long movie that feels like two-and-a-half hours. Along the last third, I started looking at my watch, as it was dragging out the “trapped in a house in the woods” segment. It also never explores the previously mentioned points that hooked me in the first few minutes. There is some surface scratching, yet no deeper diving into it, which was disappointing. 

Dialogue in this feature is key, as it is the commentary that drives the plot forward. Conversations between Charlotte and Blake reveal private fears, including doubts, even though they are willing to work through them to become a functioning family again.

Christopher Abbott as Blake, the main lead, gives a strong depiction of a family man who is grappling with his unhealthy childhood family structure. The mix of physical as well as emotional performance is equally heartfelt, as it is intense. All of it combined makes his transformation into a monster most tragic. 

The young Matilda Firth is the standout in this creature feature, giving a realistic performance of a kid’s tremendous fright when caught in the most terrifying situation. She plays the couple’s daughter, balancing out intense moments with her child-like naivety. 

Julia Garner plays Blake’s wife, Charlotte, though she gave the weakest of performances. While the persona brings complexity into the script, by depicting a woman who is unsure if she wants to be a mother, as she lacks the connection to her child, Garner never managed to emote those feelings properly, as the role of the mother is underwritten.

Director of Photography Stefan Duscio, who collaborated with Whannell in The Invisible Man, creates a raw-looking picture, colliding with the mildly bland story. As the imagery creates tensions, the narrative deflates it again. The colour palette used varies, representing the stages of metamorphosis the lead character is going through. The few segments with neon lighting are supposed to catapult viewers into the perspective of Blake, as he slowly transforms. 

The practical effects are fantastic, turning this werewolf flick into a visual counterpart to Cronenberg’s The Fly. It looks painfully realistic when fingernails fall off or flesh starts ripping. Unfortunately, the final form of the folkloric mythological creature looks less like a rabid blend of beast plus man, yet more like a degenerate on hardcore drugs. 

The sound effects are next level! Using again technical trickery: Distorted sounds, just like muffled voices, are used to put audiences in the shoes of the main character. The soundtrack contains a good mix of haunting and melodrama, though it isn’t very memorable at the end. 

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Verdict: Given the January release date, this could have been a much bigger failure. As it stands, Wolf Man is a disappointing mixed bag, filled with promising ideas and possibilities that never come to fruition. The focus of a family drama is noble, yet never really delves deep into the matter, while terror never reaches true climax, flattening early in the story. It also has a shoddy pacing, making it feel much longer. The picture is beautifully looking, using different colours and lights, to expose the progression of transformation. The lighting can be too dim, making it hard to follow. The sound effects are equally enticing, fading out sound or distorting it to make audiences feel what the protagonist is going through. The body horror is equally shocking, but the make-up for the full werewolf transformation is disappointing. In the end, Wolf Man is maybe worth watching once on a streaming platform.  I will give it a 5.5 out of 10.