Wolf Man Review

Leigh Whannell’s latest foray into the Universal Monsters pantheon, Wolf Man, arrives with towering expectations after his 2020 success with The Invisible Man. This time, Whannell takes a bite out of lycanthropy lore, blending body horror and family drama into a new spin on a well-worn tale. While the film excels in some areas, particularly its gruesome transformations and haunting atmosphere, its bite ultimately lacks the impact of its bark, weighed down by undercooked characters and a scattershot script.

At its core, Wolf Man is a story about Blake Lovell (Christopher Abbott), a stay-at-home dad wrestling with the generational trauma of his strict, survivalist father. When Blake returns to his estranged father’s Oregon cabin with his wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) and daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth), he unwittingly crosses paths with a mythic disease, “Face of the Wolf.” This encounter leads to a slow, horrifying transformation that endangers not only Blake but also his family. The setup brims with potential, offering a compelling mix of survivalist tension and body horror, but much of it feels frustratingly hollow.

The film’s strongest moments lie in Whannell’s love for physical transformation and gore, with scenes evoking classics like An American Werewolf in London and The Fly. Abbott’s performance during his metamorphosis is particularly compelling, as he shifts from a loving father to a tortured, feral creature. His physical acting conveys both tragedy and terror, anchoring an otherwise shallow narrative. Whannell’s penchant for practical effects shines here, with grisly depictions of nails falling off and flesh mutating, designed to make viewers squirm in their seats. Yet, the reliance on these visuals exposes the film’s deeper flaw: it never fully commits to a cohesive emotional or thematic core.

Whannell attempts to tackle themes of familial trauma, masculinity, and identity but leaves them underexplored. The tension between Blake’s desire to be a better father than his own and his monstrous transformation offers rich storytelling potential but is treated as window dressing rather than the foundation. Charlotte and Ginger, played admirably by Garner and Firth, are given little depth or agency, reducing their roles to archetypes in service of the plot. Garner, in particular, feels wasted, her character offering little beyond a few moments of fear and concern.

Visually, Wolf Man struggles to capture the same confident aesthetic as The Invisible Man. The dim lighting, while likely intended to evoke a sense of dread, often obscures the action, making pivotal scenes feel muddled. A werewolf-on-werewolf fight, which should have been a standout moment, suffers from choppy editing and an unclear sense of geography, sapping it of its intended impact. The rural Oregon setting, though beautiful, feels underutilized, with the cinematography failing to fully capitalize on the eerie isolation of the environment.

Ultimately, Wolf Man is a film caught between two worlds. It wants to be a visceral horror experience and a poignant family drama, but it never fully commits to either. While Whannell’s talent as a director is evident in the film’s occasional moments of brilliance, the rushed production and lack of thematic depth leave much to be desired. Fans of the werewolf subgenre will find elements to appreciate, particularly the transformative body horror, but as a whole, Wolf Man doesn’t reach the heights of its potential.

For those who loved The Invisible Man, this entry feels like a missed opportunity — a howl into the night that fades before it echoes. Still, it’s worth a watch for its strong lead performance and practical effects, even if it doesn’t leave a lasting mark.