Creative directorial flourishes and streamlined approach ultimately don’t add much to iconic character and his story.
Universal already tried to resurrect its horror icon Wolf Man in 2010 but the Benicio del Toro-starring film received a silver bullet from critics and audiences.
The studio, teaming up with Blumhouse, has now turned to writer-director Leigh Whannell, who successfully rebooted its Invisible Man character in 2020.
He takes a more streamlined approach by focusing on Blake (Christopher Abbott), Charlotte (Julia Garner) and their daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth) as they are attacked by an unseen animal at a remote farmhouse.
Whannell attempted to make his Invisible Man as realistic as possible and he goes down similar territory here, with talk of illness and disease explaining the lycanthropic activity as opposed to ancient curses.
Much of the pre-release focus was on the unusual appearance of the titular monster featured in the trailers and set photos but while it’s far off previous cinematic Wolf Men , and the likes of David Naughton’s iconic transformation in An American Werewolf in London , it works with this more down-to-Earth take on the character and actually looks good, with effective use of make-up and prosthetics.
Another clever decision by Whannell was to show us the Wolf Man’s point-of-view as he unravels more and more into his animalistic nature, using otherworldly colours and muffled, incomprehensible sound design.
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There are several tense moments too as darkness and off-camera threats combine with gory wounds and helpless isolation.
However, while Abbott descends into madness and fear for his family with aplomb, Garner doesn’t fulfil much of a purpose beyond trying to keep the beast at bay.
And a reveal that’s treated like a twist is incredibly obvious, and under-used afterwards.
I admire Whannell’s attempts to once again do something fresh with a horror legend but beyond the modern setting and creative directorial choices, he doesn’t have very much to add to what we’ve seen before.
● What is your favourite film version of the Wolf Man story?
Pop me an email at ian.bunting@reachplc.com and I will pass on your comments – and any movie or TV show recommendations you have – to your fellow readers.
● Wolf Man is available to buy or rent on Sky Store.
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