Leigh Whannell has been quite active in the horror genre lately. He started his horror journey by directing the third installment in the Insidious series, and then created the entertaining action movie Upgrade. Following that, he offered a fresh perspective on The Invisible Man. Inspired by this success, Whannell is now planning to apply his style to another Universal Monster character, the Wolf Man. Given the positive critical response to his reimagining of The Invisible Man, will his approach to lycanthropy also win acclaim?
The story opens by introducing Blake, portrayed by Christopher Abbott, reflecting on times spent in Oregon’s wilderness with his stern father. Fast forward to three decades later, and Blake finds himself juggling duties as a husband (with Julia Garner playing the role) and a provider, facing challenges in both aspects of his life. Unemployed and grappling with marital issues, he learns about his father’s demise and stands to inherit his childhood home. Despite viewing this as a chance for new beginnings, an unexpected encounter with a werewolf threatens to disrupt his plans for quality family time.
Regrettably, my experience with Wolf Man was less than satisfying, falling short of what the Invisible Man achieved so effectively. Directed by Leigh, this film is a whirlwind of analogies that hit as hard and fast as an out-of-control Mack truck, lacking the finesse needed for deeper resonance.
The concept of blending the classic Universal Monster with narratives on generational trauma and illness seemed promising on paper. However, these ideas fail to gel in this production, leaving viewers yearning for a more immersive experience. The film’s brisk pace doesn’t allow these intriguing concepts the necessary time to develop and mature, denying us the opportunity to fully engage with them.
In this scenario, the 2025 movie titled “Wolf Man” continues the legacy of its predecessors by transforming Blake into the Wolf Man due to a fateful scratch on his arm. The transformation scenes exhibit flashes of greatness, such as the emergence of his heightened sense of hearing or the sensation that Blake is being pulled into an entirely different reality from those around him. However, these intriguing aspects are overshadowed by a predictable narrative that fails to capitalize on its potential. On the character development front, Blake’s relationship with his father is only superficially explored in a few initial scenes, leaving Blake’s present-day personality feeling one-dimensional. The shallow portrayal of characters in “Wolf Man” leaves audiences yearning for a deeper, more engaging story.
When watching “The Wolf Man”, I felt as though some shots might have been omitted during editing, and key moments were overlooked to maintain a fast-paced ninety-minute runtime, which detracts from the movie’s impact. Although this may not be directly related to its total running time, it occurred to me that the film could have been more compelling if it had been spread over a week instead of taking place within a single night. The gradual transformation of Blake into the terrifying wolf might have been more impactful if it were presented as a slow buildup rather than a dramatic climax. Certain scenes left me puzzled because they lacked depth, although this approach could work, it doesn’t quite gel with “The Wolf Man”. Instead of taking a direct route from Point A to Point B to Point C, the storyline seems to follow a predetermined path without much deviation.
One key element of promoting “Wolf Man” involves keeping the appearance of the night creature (day and night in this case, as the lycanthrope can function during daylight) a secret until its reveal. Some horror enthusiasts got their initial glimpse at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights, but unfortunately, the movie’s version doesn’t seem like much of an improvement. Whannell elects to emphasize Lon Chaney Jr.’s design more significantly with some contemporary adjustments to fit the new interpretation, yet this approach falls short in creating a more frightening adaptation of the classic creature. Similarly, Blake’s lycanthrope design aims to strike a balance between a fearsome appearance and an emotional core, but like other narrative aspects, it doesn’t succeed in making an impact.
The movie titled “Wolf Man” lacks the intricacies that made James Wan’s previous works engaging. It seems to be missing many opportunities for impact, resulting in a horror film that fails to instill fear effectively and falls short in delivering its intended message. In essence, “Wolf Man” unfortunately misses the mark and leaves me feeling disappointed.
Rating: 2 out of 5
Wolf Man lands in theaters on January 17th.
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2025-01-15 20:09