In the realm of horror, monster films are among some of the most lucrative movies in the genre. Among the creatures that stalk the night, none may be as formidable as the likes of a werewolf. Stories of this legendary creature have come in many forms on the big screen with the most notable being none other than The Wolf Man. The 1941 classic shaped the idea of men becoming monsters, and it not only pioneered a subgenre but defined horror movies in general. Now it is a new year and with Universal looking to create new takes on their classic monsters, it is no surprise that the Wolf Man would be among these recreations. The idea of a new Wolf Man movie went through many forms with one featuring Ryan Gosling. However eventually the studio would turn to Leigh Whannell, director 2020’s Invisible Man, to craft this new rendition; and the movie would come into fruition in the form of Wolf Man.

The story follows an ordinary man Blake Lovell (Christopher Abbot) and his family who travel to the remote home of Blake’s estranged father. However the family are attacked by mysterious creatures and as they find themselves trapped in the house Blake soon discovers that he is slowly changing into some kind of monster. Along with directing, Whannell also wrote the story with his wife, Corbett Tuck, and it would deal with themes such as isolation and parenting. Besides my admiration for the 1941 classic (and Universal Monsters in general) , this new take looked interesting as its concept and presentation could create a unique werewolf movie; but did it live up to its legacy?

Werewolf movies are a dime in a dozen but (as stated) Wolf Man showed promise with its unique premise; and I think the movie succeeded in being different-at least to an extent. Instead of going into a supernatural direction, the movie went into a more grounded approach in its concepts of werewolves (though there were some mystical elements to it). In the case of directions like isolation, I found these factors were effective as it kept me thrilled as well as engaged. Yet this was a double-edged sword for the film as it hindered aspects such as the story. While the plot itself was fine, the storytelling was fairly straightforward and this contrasted with the movie’s thematic side. While this conflict did not completely derail my experience, it was noticeable and it made this werewolf film feel a bit disjointed.

As for the Wolf Man himself, I thought Christopher Abbot did a fine job. Abbot’s role as Blake was believable and his progression into the monster was intense; not to mention unique when compared to other movie monsters. Once Blake fully transformed, the Wolf Man was a formidable beast, but did lack the presence of other werewolves particularly the Wolf Men of Universal. As for the rest of the family, both Charlotte (Julia Garner) and Ginger (Matilda Firth) were decent in their roles. The scenes between Blake and Ginger were particularly well done as their connection helped flesh out Blake’s character and transformation. As for Charlotte, I felt both her character and relationship with Blake needed more time to develop. While Garner did a good enough job in her performance, Charlotte’s lacking development was problematic to say the least; though not enough to make this small cast ineffective.

The horror of a werewolf movie typically relies on aspects such as tone and effects. In the case of Wolf Man, the film did its best to emphasize both of these elements-and it succeeded. The film featured a gripping atmosphere that encompassed the movie’s sense of isolation, and this direction was also enhanced thanks to the movie’s fantastic locale. Also helping the tone was the cinematography by Stefan Duscio which created a gritty look that gave this monster movie a sense of distinction. In the case of effects and design, the movie decided to keep the werewolf practical and this was the right move as it fit the grounded approach the film was going for.. Rounding things out of course was the score by Benjamin Wallfish. The music was tense and its use of eerie sounds crafted a unique soundtrack for a monster movie. Together these aspects created a keen presentation and captured the unique approach the film was going for.

Wolf Man is an ambitious reimagining. Between its concepts and execution, the movie sets out to create a new take on werewolf movies and go against many of the tropes that have defined the horror subgenre. Yet despite its ambitions, this monster film was not without its faults. While the movie had a keen sense of direction, its story and characters were simplistic to the point where it contrasted with the movie’s thematic nature; which led to conflicting experience to say the least. Yet despite its issues, I still appreciate what Wolf Man set out to do, and if nothing else this monster film was still thrilling and lived up to the ideas that has allowed werewolf movies to endure for so long.