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“Wolf Man” Is Almost A Cut Above

Written by: George W. Campbell | January 16th, 2025

Wolf Man (Leigh Whannell, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars

Universal Studios’ Classic Monsters are some of the most beloved figures in film history. Ever since Universal failed to reintroduce the characters through their Dark Universe in the 2010s, the studio has taken a more measured approach to reinterpretations. In 2020, veteran horror director Leigh Whannell reimagined The Invisible Man as a tense thriller about abusive relationships. Now, Whannell returns with Wolf Man, another reinvention. But unlike the 1941 original, this story takes a far more visceral approach to the werewolf genre, with gruesome results.

Our protagonist is Blake Lovell (Christopher Abbott, Sanctuary), a former writer turned stay-at-home dad living in New York City with his family. His wife Charlotte (Julia Garner, The Assistant) is a journalist and aspiring author, and the two are raising a young daughter named Ginger (Matilda Firth). One day, Blake receives word that his father, Grady (Sam Jaeger, The Eyes of Tammy Faye), has been legally declared dead, and so he must return home to Oregon to settle his affairs. Blake sees this as an opportunity for the family to bond, so the three drive cross-country for a summer road trip. As they arrive, they’re attacked by the titular Wolf Man, who scratches Blake before they can escape. Now, the family must survive the night with one Wolf Man hunting them and another beside them.

l-r: Julia Garner, Christopher Abbott, and Matilda Firth in WOLF MAN ©Universal Pictures

First things first, the newly placed emphasis on family is welcome. Much of Wolf Man’s first act is spent with the Lovells in New York, learning about their dynamics. Blake’s father was a stern military vet who had difficulty showing affection and created an environment of fear, despite caring deeply for his son. Today, Blake is terrified of passing down the fear his father instilled in him; ironically, this leads to him snapping at Ginger at one point. Charlotte struggles with how close Ginger is to her father and worries that her own connection is disappearing. It’s a surprisingly honest rumination on parenthood.

The practical creature makeup looks fantastic. Blake’s transformation is treated more like a viral infection than regular lycanthropy. He slowly devolves into an animal over several hours, with facial features and body language adjusting to match. Another thing that sets the transformation apart is its subjective nature. The camera spins around representing Blake’s disorientation, as if his center of gravity is shifting. Environmental noises become louder and heavier in the mix. We transition between his perspective and the family’s as his vision changes. Whannell and his crew put in a lot of work to sell what Blake is experiencing, and it’s quite effective. However, this leads to one of Wolf Man’s biggest flaws: the pacing.

Christopher Abbott in WOLF MAN ©Universal Pictures

The film takes place largely over a long night in a single location, making the viewer feel as trapped as the protagonists. Unfortunately, this sometimes makes Wolf Man feel longer than its runtime, like you’re waiting out the transformation, too. Other single-location films like Ex Machina or The Thing have enough twists and turns to keep the story from getting stagnant.

But Wolf Man is a very cut-and-dry picture at one hour and forty-three minutes. It just doesn’t have enough to keep things moving as it should. Despite strong performances from its leads and excellent effects, Wolf Man isn’t quite a knockout. But it proves that sometimes people try so hard to keep from scarring their children that they themselves become the thing that scars them.

l-r: Julia Garner and Matilda Firth in WOLF MAN ©Universal Pictures
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George W. Campbell is a director/screenwriter/editor from Bowie, Maryland, whose films focus on themes of family and personal relationships. As a Nicaraguan-American filmmaker, he aims to highlight specific parts of his culture and personal experiences (songs, dances, foods, and language).

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