'Wolf Man' review: Monster mash doesn’t have any bite
Courtesy of Universal Pictures/Blumhouse
Whatever happened to making monster films a little more cartoonish? That’s the thought that crossed my mind watching Leigh Whannell’s lackluster reboot “Wolf Man.”
Whannell, who previously impressed with the much grittier (and far superior) “The Invisible Man,” demonstrated his knack for fresh spins on familiar tropes. In that film, he tackled toxic masculinity through the lens of a woman abused by her husband. It's clear from the start that he aims to explore similar themes in “Wolf Man,” but this time under the guise of a father slowly transforming into a ravenous beast.
For a while, the film has some pulse—particularly during a thrilling crash sequence early on—but it soon falters as it pivots to cheesy dialogue, clumsy prosthetics, and an overly self-indulgent tone. It’s a shock, especially considering the talented cast Whannell has assembled, including Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner, who play Blake and Charlotte, a married couple on the brink of collapse.
When Blake receives news that his father (Sam Jaeger) has been declared dead (this after an opening sequence reveals that thirty years earlier, he disappeared while chasing an unseen animal in the woods), he decides to settle the estate in the remote Oregon wilderness—the bitter, cruel place where he grew up—bringing along his family, including his young daughter, Ginger (Matilda Firth). What was intended as an attempt to repair the family dynamic quickly devolves into a nightmare and when the trio is attacked by a creature, they are forced to take refuge in Blake’s father’s isolated home, where a tense cat-and-mouse standoff ensues.
As the story progresses, Blake begins exhibiting some major red flags—teeth falling out, blood blisters, and the emergence of fangs—indicating he may have been infected. The isolated setting and small cast provide the perfect atmosphere for the usually thrifty Blumhouse production company, and, credit where it’s due, some of the practical effects evoke a fun, 1980s aesthetic, reminiscent of those made-for-TV "monster of the week" shows. And despite the film not quite reaching the heights it aspires to, the theme of a man doing anything to protect his family offers a refreshing change of pace for a studio-backed horror movie.
Abbott, so compelling in smaller-scale indies like “Sanctuary” and “On the Count of Three,” feels somewhat miscast as the loving father figure grappling with his new inner demon. And “Wolf Man” doesn’t offer the same star vehicle for Julia Garner (“Ozark”) as “The Invisible Man” did for Elisabeth Moss. While Garner has certainly proven her acting chops, the script (co-written by Corbett Tuck) takes itself too seriously, and her chemistry with Abbott doesn’t spark.
The film also disappoints by robbing us of a truly great wolf transformation. Remember how excruciatingly tense and nerve-racking the transformation scene in “An American Werewolf in London” was? Instead, Whannell opts for a slow-burn approach, peeling back the layers of this creature over the course of nearly two hours, never quite allowing the tension to build before revealing the monster’s appearance. And when it’s finally shown, it’s underwhelming.
The one instance where the film embraces its campy side—when we see Blake’s transformation into the wolf-man through his own eyes, and it’s presented like an AI enhanced acid trip—displays faint glimmers of a film that understands how ridiculous it should actually be.
Unfortunately, such moments are few and far between, leaving audiences with yet another disappointing reboot, one that half-heartedly weaves in a metaphor about the dangers men pose to women and children. We get it. But can we at least see some monsters fighting and being silly, please?
Grade: C
WOLF MAN is now playing in theaters.