Writer-Director Leigh Whannell brings something unique to Blumhouse’s Wolf Man, which is a sad, tragic, and absolutely terrifying film.
There have been many different iterations of werewolves on screen, dating back further than anyone can remember. Writer-Director Leigh Whannell might not have wanted to tackle another Universal Monsters movie so quickly after The Invisible Man, but fans are going to be thanful that he said yes to the Wolf Man.
Whannell has stated before that he likes to completely switch genres after he works on a film, so he never expected to tell the story of wolf man – at least not this close to the invisible man. When writing the script, it is clear that it was important to Whannell to give audiences something they have never seen before when it comes to werewolves, and he succeeded.
Wolf Man is a sad and tragic story, no matter which way you look at it. Deciding to focus on a small family of three and putting them in an old farmhouse out in the woods, is a brilliant move. Because of this, viewers get to spend a lot of time with them, almost instantly becoming invested in their story and their relationships.
Charlotte (Julia Garner) is a working mother who feels she has lost her connection with her daughter, Ginger (Matilda Firth). Her husband, Blake (Christopher Abbott), is a stay-at-home dad, so his bond with Ginger has strengthened. Many parents will be able to relate to this – no matter which side of the fence they are on.
Blake and Charlotte’s relationship is strained, but when Blake inherits his missing father’s farmhouse after he is officially declared dead, the family decides to spend some time in the woods to reconnect. It doesn’t take long for a strange animal to attack, causing them to barricade themselves inside as they hide. When Blake starts to change, Charlotte must decide who is more dangerous – her husband or the creature outside.
I will not go into details in an effort to remain spoiler free, but just from that synopsis, most people can figure out where things are going. Wolf Man is a bit on the predictable side, but that is par for the course when you are adapting monsters like this, which have had many film and series appearances before.
What I love most about Whannell’s Wolf Man is the humanity and tragedy that it delivers. Blake’s transformation is slow. Every time we see him, he is a little more changed, but this is what makes it so heartbreaking. He does not fully understand what is happening to him, and his family does not understand it as well.
As the disease worsens, it becomes harder and harder for them to communicate with one another. There are real-life diseases that slowly transform their hosts into someone their families do not recognize, which is exactly what Whannell is playing on here.
Thanks to an eerie score, incredible sound design, and some well-placed jump scares, Wolf Man is also scary. It leans into practical effects for the gore that will have some viewers watching through their fingers. Somehow, this movie is able to perfectly blend sadness and scariness, sending audiences on an emotional roller coaster. I am not ashamed to admit that I was crying by the end of the film.
I highly recommend seeing Wolf Man when it comes to theaters on January 17th. Experiencing this one on the big screen, with a group of movie goers is the best way to do it. As with most horror films, this is a communal experience. But be sure to have tissues with you… just in case.
NEXT: Leigh Whannell Compares Wolf Man To The Invisible Man
Writer-Director Leigh Whannell brings something incredibly unique to the story of the wolf man. This film is sad and tragic, but also completely terrifying. A study of generational trauma and sickness, Wolf Man is heartbreaking (in a good way).
About Wolf Man
Golden Globe nominee Christopher Abbott (Poor Things, It Comes at Night) stars as Blake, a San Francisco husband and father, who inherits his remote childhood home in rural Oregon after his own father vanishes and is presumed dead.
With his marriage to his high-powered wife, Charlotte (Emmy winner Julia Garner; Ozark, Inventing Anna), fraying, Blake persuades Charlotte to take a break from the city and visit the property with their young daughter, Ginger (Matlida Firth; Hullraisers, Coma).
But as the family approaches the farmhouse in the dead of night, they’re attacked by an unseen animal and, in a desperate escape, barricade themselves inside the home as the creature prowls the perimeter.
As the night stretches on, however, Blake begins to behave strangely, transforming into something unrecognizable, and Charlotte will be forced to decide whether the terror within their house is more lethal than the danger without.