Wolf Man, Universal's latest redux from their monster movie catalogue, offers a fresh and compelling take, straying considerably from the Gothic melodrama and excessive CGI of Joe Johnston's 2010 film, The Wolfman. Unlike the profound reimagining seen in Leigh Whannell’s previous take on classic horror, The Invisible Man, Wolf Man presents a far simpler plot, but it doesn't lack in dread or blood-curdling horror. The efficient storytelling isolates and throws a typically ordinary family into a horrifyingly abnormal reality.
The story largely unfolds in a remote Oregon farmhouse and the surrounding woodlands, setting it apart from the bulk of contemporary cinematic horror and creating a sense of COVID-era claustrophobia. Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner's performances as a couple with a strained marriage elevate the unsettling circumstances amid an escalating spree of gruesome incidents.
Whannell and co-writer Corbett Tuck, in this modern adaptation of the anthropoid legend, choose to exclude popular elements like full moon, silver bullet, and fortune-tellers. Instead, the narrative steers towards familial drama, honing in on a couple’s strained marriage as Abbott's character starts exhibiting alarming symptoms, forcing Garner's character to make immediate decisions to protect herself and their young daughter.
While the scripting could have been a bit more refined to better examine the psychological aspect as done in The Invisible Man, the film manages to hold its own. Thanks to Stefan Duscio’s disorienting cinematography, an eerie soundscape, and an intense score by Benjamin Wallfisch, as well as a bias towards practical effects rather than CGI, Wolf Man remains gripping.
The narrative traces the transformation of Blake (Abbott), a writer going through a rough patch, and living with his wife (Garner) and daughter (Firth) in San Francisco. After learning about his estranged father's passing, Blake takes his family to Oregon, where they are attacked by a beast, causing his arm to be severely wounded. Shortly after, he starts showing signs of a fever, and his senses begin to magnify suspiciously. The family, stuck in the house without any means of contacting the outside world, could only watch as Blake slowly transforms into a terrifying beast and loses the ability to communicate.
Despite a few missteps and underwhelming dialogue, the suspense is kept up throughout the film, particularly when Blake's protective instincts kick back in. Charlotte (Garner) starts to shine once she is forced to protect her family, and Ginger (Firth) portrays compelling emotions as she tries to believe that her loving father is still within the beast that Blake has turned into.
Notwithstanding the clichéd 'nuclear family in terror' trope, Whannell’s clever use of classic horror techniques to actualize character transformations, and his emphasis on primal fears keeps the movie engaging. The Wolf Man may not bring any fresh innovations to the genre, but it keeps the viewers entertained, reminding them of the satisfaction provided by classic monster tales.
