Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Leigh Whannell’s “Wolf Man,” A Modern Retelling Of The 1941 Classic, Is All Howl And No Bite

A family at a remote farmhouse is attacked by an unseen animal, but as the night stretches on, the father begins to transform into something unrecognizable.

Leigh Whannell’s reimagining of “The Wolf Man” arrives with considerable pedigree, positioning itself as a modern interpretation of the 1941 classic that starred Lon Chaney Jr. As someone who never quite connected with the original despite multiple viewings, I approached this new adaptation with measured anticipation. Years of film criticism have taught me that tempering expectations often yields a more rewarding viewing experience. Yet despite its accomplished cast and Whannell’s directorial credentials, this new iteration proves remarkably inert.

The narrative opens in Oregon’s pristine wilderness, where Grady (Sam Jaeger) and his young son Blake embark on a deer hunting expedition. Their routine excursion takes an ominous turn when mysterious sounds drive them to seek refuge in a hunting blind. The tension builds as something stalks them from below, culminating in a piercing shriek before dissolving into uneasy silence. When Blake seeks reassurance, his father attributes the disturbance to a bear—though a later overheard conversation reveals Grady’s encounter with something far more sinister: the wolf man.

Fast-forward three decades, and we find an adult Blake (Christopher Abbott), established as a writer in San Francisco, sharing a life with his journalist wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) and daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth). News of his long-missing father’s legal death brings Blake back to his childhood home in Oregon, family in tow. Their arrival turns violent when an unseen creature forces their moving van off the road and wounds Blake during their desperate dash to safety.

What follows is Blake’s gradual, horrifying transformation. As an external threat circles the house, Blake’s own metamorphosis into a wolf man forces him to flee, protecting his family from his increasingly feral nature. After dispatching the original creature, Blake succumbs entirely to his predatory instincts, hunting his own family with savage intent. The climax unfolds in a clever mirror of the opening sequence, with Charlotte and Ginger finding themselves in a familiar hunting blind, forced to confront the monster that was once their beloved husband and father.

Whannell, whose directing credits include “Insidious: Chapter 3,” “Upgrade,” and the nerve-shredding “The Invisible Man,” seemed an inspired choice to modernize this Universal monster classic. The film’s visual composition impresses, and the decision to employ practical effects over CGI demonstrates an admirable commitment to craft. Yet the creature design disappoints, bearing an unfortunate resemblance to the GEICO caveman rather than invoking the primal terror of werewolf classics like “An American Werewolf in London” or “The Howling.” The result generates mere startles rather than sustained dread.

Abbott delivers a committed performance, capturing both paternal warmth and bestial fury. In stark contrast, Garner’s portrayal of Charlotte remains frustratingly opaque. Her emotional range is limited to a single note of detachment, which undermines the family dynamic central to the story’s emotional core.

The film’s most innovative elements emerge in its technical execution. Whannell employs striking perspective shifts during Blake’s transformation, the camera rotating around other characters to reveal his deteriorating perception—desaturated visuals accompanied by heightened sensory awareness. These moments of creative flourish stand as the film’s most compelling achievements. The narrative, at least, maintains the courtesy of conclusion rather than leaving threads dangling for potential sequels—though in Hollywood’s current climate, even definitive endings carry no guarantees.

In Theaters Friday, January 17th

 

 

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James McDonald

Originally from Dublin, Ireland, James is a Movie Critic with 40 years of experience in the film industry as an Award-Winning Filmmaker. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association and the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association.