Wolf Man didn’t do it for me. It’s not a disaster, but it’s a frustrating near-miss. The trailer made me want to see it in the theater but I am glad I saved my money.
Family Under Siege
The movie follows Blake, a San Francisco writer and househusband married to a workaholic journalist and a strained marriage. When Blake inherits his childhood cabin in rural Oregon after his father’s presumed death, he convinces Charlotte and their daughter, Ginger, to reconnect at his childhood home. Things go wrong fast after a mysterious creature attacks their van scratching Blake. The family runs from a creature to his childhood home and barricades themselves. As the night progresses, Blake’s behavior turns erratic as he gets sick from his scratch.
The Good
Let’s start with what works. Christopher Abbott is great as loving father Blake. His performance is raw and carries the movie. He nails the descent from loving dad to tormented monster, with subtle physicality and haunted expressions that make you feel his unraveling humanity. He is vulnerable and menace but the story doesn’t always match his intensity. The film’s early atmosphere is another high point. The moody, shadowy Oregon wilderness feels alive with menace. The practical effects, while not groundbreaking, deliver some wince inducing body horror, like nails peeling and teeth shifting. There was even a jump scare that got my husband and daughter jumping at the same time. I stifled a chuckle.
This werewolf transformation adaption is more viral infection instead of howling at the moon. It seemed very sci-fi almost reminiscent of The Fly. The point of view shifts, showing Blake’s distorted “wolf vision” and garbled audio, are a clever touch, immersing you in his disorienting change as the woman in his life look grey with lit eyes.
The Bad
Where Wolf Man stumbles is its thin script and pacing. The story leans too heavily on predictable beats and shallow characters. Charlotte, played by a talented Julia Garner (Ozark), is underwritten—she spends much of the film reacting with wide-eyed fear rather than driving the story. Garner does what she can, but the script gives her little depth, making her feel like a bystander in her own survival tale. Ginger fares better, with young Matilda Firth delivering a heartbreakingly authentic performance as heartbroken girl who loves her daddy.
The film’s themes—generational trauma (my daughter’s assumptions 15 minutes into the movie), fear of becoming your parents, the fragility of family—sound promising but fizzle out. A prologue showing young Blake with his domineering father (Sam Jaeger) sets up a “sins of the father” arc would have been better in a flashback scene because it was resolved too neatly. The reveal that Blake’s father is tied to the creature isn’t surprising as we figured that out 25 minutes in and the climax feels rushed, with a wolf-on-wolf brawl that’s more distracting than thrilling. At 103 minutes, the film drags in its middle, spending too much time on repetitive tension instead of fleshing out its ideas or characters.
Wolf Man isn’t a bad horror film it was atmospheric, well acted and takes risks but it lacks the formula that would make it soar. It’s worth a watch for horror fans, especially those who vibe with Director/Writer Whannell’s style or those loving Abbott’s work.
Streaming on Peacock
Rating: 6/10 – A solid effort with standout moments, but it’s no masterpiece.
