Horror has always thrived on reinvention, and Leigh Whannell's Wolf Man is a testament to how a classic monster can still chill audiences when approached with fresh eyes. With a keen understanding of tension, an inventive audio-visual style, and a grounded take on the iconic creature, Whannell crafts a story as much about the scars we inherit as it is about the horrors that stalk us in the dark.

The story begins by following a young boy and his father (Sam Jaeger) on a hunting trip in the misty forests of Oregon. Blake's father is stern, his parenting rooted in the belief that survival depends on vigilance and fear. "You're always an inch away from death," he warns. The warning becomes quite prescient as their outing takes a terrifying turn when a shadowy beast charges them, forcing them to hide in a deer blind. When they return to safety, Blake overhears his father discussing plans over the CB radio to track and take down the creature, solidifying his father's stern and unrelenting approach to danger.

Thirty years later, Blake (now played by Christopher Abbott) lives in New York with his wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) and their young daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth). A struggling writer turned stay-at-home dad, Blake shares a tender bond with Ginger, highlighted by their "mind-reading" game. In this shared ritual, Ginger "reads" his mind and always discovers the same comforting thought: "I love my daughter." Despite these moments of warmth, Blake grapples with the shadow of his father's teachings, often catching himself parenting with the same fear-based intensity. Meanwhile, Charlotte, a journalist supporting the family, quietly struggles with feeling less connected to Ginger.

The domestic equilibrium is shattered when Blake learns that his estranged father, long missing in the Oregon wilderness, has been officially declared dead. With this news, Blake decides to take his family back to his childhood home to settle his father's affairs. This trip catalyzes the film's descent into horror as the family encounters a shadowy beast on the road to Oregon. Their truck crashes, and this creature scratches Blake's arm during the chaos. They trek through the woods and find their way to Blake's childhood home, but an affliction takes over Blake. As his condition deteriorates, a transformation begins, and he must grapple with his family legacy and the weight of his father's teachings.

The production journey of Wolf Man is as intriguing as its narrative. In 2020, Universal confirmed the development of a new Wolf Man film with Ryan Gosling attached to star. By 2021, Derek Cianfrance was slated to direct, but the project saw significant changes over the next few years. Gosling stepped away from the lead role in 2023, though he remained on as executive producer, and Cianfrance also exited. The reins were eventually handed to Leigh Whannell, the director behind The Invisible Man, who brought his knack for psychological horror and inventive storytelling to the project. Principal photography took place in early 2024 in New Zealand, with Christopher Abbott cast as the lead. Whannell'sinvolvement injected new energy into the film, giving fans hope for a revitalized Universal Monsters universe.

I admired what Whannell accomplished in The Invisible Man. His skillful camera work elevated the scares by turning empty spaces into sources of palpable tension, effectively suggesting unseen threats. In Wolf Man, Whannell revisits some of that visual language, especially when an unseen predator lurks nearby. What stands out here, however, is his inventive use of audio-visual cues that immerse the audience into Blake's perception of the world around him, vividly contrasting what he sees and hears with the more grounded reality experienced by his wife and daughter.

As Blake's transformation begins, the film's sensory storytelling takes center stage. Whannell immerses the audience in Blake's altered perception. Facing each other, Charlotte looks at Blake but can't make out anything he's saying. As the camera arcs from Charlotte's perspective over to Blake's and the camera crosses over the median between them, Charlotte's voice becomes garbled. The room takes on a bluish hue, illuminating the dark shadows, and Charlotte's eyes sparkle like bright stars. In practice, it's similar to how John McTiernan gave the Predator a unique camera POV. Whannell has added the flourish of shifting to the altered POV within a single camera shot. It's really effective as a storytelling tool, and it also happens to look and sound really cool.

Separate from these sensory elements, the film's practical effects shine with gruesome, squirm-inducing moments that add a visceral edge to the horror. As Blake's body and mind succumb to the infection, the physical transformation is rendered in excruciating detail, with some wonderfully grotesque visuals. Add in some effective jump scares, and the film keeps audiences on edge while delivering a layered horror experience.

The theme of seeking to protect one's family but ultimately becoming the thing that one's family fears is central to Wolf Man and really resonated with me. Blake's transformation into the beast, inherited in a sense from his father, serves as a poignant illustration of how good intentions can spiral into unintended consequences when fear and trauma dominate a person's actions.

Blake's father's rigid parenting style, rooted in survival and fear, was ostensibly about keeping his family safe in an unforgiving world. However, his harshness also created emotional distance and instilled a worldview in Blake that fear and control are essential for protection. This legacy of fear manifests in Blake's parenting with Ginger, where he initially mirrors his father's approach, emphasizing dangers and teaching her to be constantly vigilant. Yet, Blake's attempts to temper this instinct show his recognition of the damage it caused him—a conscious effort to break the cycle.

When Blake's physical transformation begins, it parallels his loss of control over his intentions. His heightened senses and distorted perception symbolize the shift from protector to predator. The more he succumbs to his primal instincts, the more he embodies the very thing he has been trying to shield his family from: a source of danger. This dichotomy reflects a universal fear among parents—the possibility of harming those they love while trying to protect them, whether through unintentional actions, overbearing control, or perpetuating harmful patterns learned from their own upbringing.

Regarding Blake's physical transformation, not everyone will love the design of the Wolf Man. While Whannell aimed for a grounded and realistic aesthetic, the character's transformation is subtle to the point that it may leave some viewers underwhelmed. His lower jaw juts out slightly, his teeth narrow, and he loses some of his hair, but there's no dramatic addition of fur or significant physical changes that scream 'Wolf Man.' This approach aligns with the film's grounded tone, but it will likely be a disappointment for audiences expecting a more traditional monster design. That said, I appreciated the intention behind this choice, even if it may not resonate with everyone. Also, though I liked the isolated feeling of the film, for a monster movie, the film could have benefitted from more kills. Because there's no one around, there's also virtually no one around to serve as collateral damage.

I admired Whannell's ability to craft a distinct visual and audio language for Wolf Man, establishing a tone that, along with The Invisible Man, could serve as the foundation for a potential franchise. While I don't think it's executed quite as well as The Invisible Man, it still serves as an impressive building block. The tension and scares are masterfully executed, with moments that had me gripping my seat, and the practical gore effects were enough to make me wince. Whannell's direction shines in his ability to balance psychological horror with visceral, physical terror, creating a film that feels fresh yet rooted in the legacy of classic monsters. I'm hopeful that we'll see more entries in the Universal Monsters canon—and that Whannell will be there to help shape this dark and thrilling world.

— 4 / 5 ⭐