Wolf Man Review — Toothless Reimagining Suffers From Underdeveloped Script

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This writer is a self-proclaimed connoisseur of “January horror”: the schlocky studio horror flicks that serve as counterprogramming to the wider releases of awards nominees that only came out in NYC or LA in December. However, recent years saw films like 2022’sScreamandM3GANturn January horror into bonafide moviegoing events. Leigh Whannell’sWolf Manis the latest in that trend, but it forsakes what makes this genre work in the first place: fun.

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Wolf ManReview

Like Whannell’s last take on a classic Universal Monster,Wolf Manis less of a remake than a modern interpretation. However, Whannell and co-writer Corbett Tuck reinterpret this classic by borrowing from the dozens of other werewolf movies that have come out since. The result is a film that feels generic and unoriginal to the point of being entirely disengaging.

The best thing aboutWolf Man, bar none, is its special effects work. The werewolf subgenre of horror has always been a breeding ground for some incredible practical effects —An American Werewolf in Londonwas the inaugural winner of the Academy Award for Best Makeup, after all. While the designs of the werewolves in the trailers (and at Halloween Horror Nights) might have gotten heat from the internet, the creatures look much better in context. And the gradual transformation offers a unique twist on the genre’s typical approach.

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Whannell also brings a keen visual eye to the table with the cinematography. There are a few gimmicks pulled from his past franchise work, such asSaw’s 360 shots orInsidious’s use of spotlights and darkness. However, he also creates a world ofWolf Man’s own in several scenes, like a very cool alternate world that makes you feel like you are bathed in moonlight.

Unfortunately, despite its aesthetic strengths,Wolf Mansuffers from a terrible screenplay that cannot sustain tension. There are intense moments throughout, but the film does not deliver on so many of its set-ups that it gets boring really quickly. Points given for defying the jump scare formula that has defined modern studio horror for much of the last decade (and, arguably, is attributable to theInsidiousfranchise), butWolf Manfeels so lethargic that it’s hard to really care.

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Wolf Manis also striving for the “elevated” horror approach but fails because it has nothing to say beyond the standard familial trauma themes that have become agitatingly common in the past decade or so. However, what is even there is underdeveloped, with the audience being expected to fill in the gaps between clunky exposition in the first act and the lazy imagemaking of the finale.

However, the most consistently frustrating thing about the film is its character development. This is — quite literally — a film about transformation. You could not have a more direct metaphor at the center of your story. Yet there are no real arcs to be found. Every character’s change is as sudden as the flip of a switch, shifting when it’s convenient for the story, not in a way that makes sense for the characters.

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Still,Wolf Manbenefits a lot from its talented cast, as Julia Garner (the upcomingThe Fantastic Four: First Steps) and Christopher Abbott (Kraven the Hunter) do their best with the material they are given. Garner has little to do other than act scared, while Abbott’s performance is much more demanding in both its physicality and range. However, both have a very compelling screen presence that makes watching them quite engaging.

IsWolf Manworth watching?

If only the script were as engaging as its performers,Wolf Manwould have been something special. Considering what Whannell pulled off withThe Invisible ManandUpgrade, the fact that his take on this classic Universal Monster movie is so lame is massively disappointing. There are some strong moments, but they are just enough to tease audiences of the greatness that could have been.

Wolf Manhits theaters on January 17.