The Universal Monsters are a beloved property amongst many movie-goers. So much so that Universal is dedicating an entire land to them at their new Epic Universe theme park in Orlando. However, other than 1999’s The Mummy, the studio has struggled to come close to the quality of those original black & white classics. The less said about the Dark Universe debacle, the better.
Leave it to Blumhouse Productions to recapture the spirit of the original films with a modernized twist. Blumhouse has been churning out low-budget horror films for decades, including the ultra-successful Paranormal Activity and The Purge franchises. Blumhouse’s revamping of the Monsters began with 2020’s The Invisible Man. Leigh Whannell was given directorial duties after co-writing and producing the Saw and Insidious series as well as directing the sci-fi action flick Upgrade.
Whannell deftly took the concept of The Invisible Man and melded it with hot-button issues of domestic abuse and gaslighting. The titular character was now a disturbed engineer using his newfound abilities to terrorize his ex-girlfriend. Whannell returns to the director’s seat for another popular character in the Universal stable, Wolf Man, after Ryan Gosling and Derek Cianfrance exited due to scheduling conflicts. This time around, Whannell deals with topics of abuse and generational trauma.
Blake Lovell (Christopher Abbott) has had a tumultuous relationship with his father Grady (Sam Jaeger), ever since his mother passed away when he was young. Grady had become overly protective of his son and prone to outbursts of anger. As an adult, Blake has become one of those parents who has vowed to not become his father. In spite of that, he yells at his daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth) for misbehaving and wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) for being a workaholic.
Things change when Blake receives word that his father has been officially declared dead after going missing several years ago. He’s also inherited his father’s cabin in Oregon and hopes an extended camping trip will refresh familial ties. Instead, the Lovells are attacked by a mysterious creature. Even after taking refuge inside the cabin, Blake is mauled by said creature through the doggie door.
Whannell’s vision of Wolf Man is minimalistic to the point where you almost expect NOT to see the werewolf. The word itself isn’t even uttered nor is lycanthropy or any mention of silver bullets or the full moon. Whannell keeps a majority of the action confined to the cabin’s interior. The tension comes from Blake’s slow devolution into beast mode. One of the more gruesome moments in Wolf Man sees Blake gnawing on his arm. The practical effects are well done. Just don’t expect anything close to the infamous transformation from An American Werewolf in London. However, you can tell the filmmakers were heavily influenced by the John Landis classic.
Julia Garner, who has proven to be a powerhouse actor due to her work on Ozark, gives a strong performance as the fearful wife and protective mother. Unfortunately, the bare bones script doesn’t offer much character development for her beyond the hard-working journalist.
Video/Audio: 9
The video is presented in 1080p with an aspect ratio of 2.39:1. The transfer is clean, but the film itself leans towards the dark side. We’re talking “The Long Night” episode from season 8 of Game of Thrones. Day scenes are gloomy, but much easier to make out fine details.
The audio is presented in Dolby Atmos, which seems overly fancy for such a low-key movie. The ambient sounds of the city and the woods are well done while the creepy growls of the creature pop out from any direction.
Extras: 5
Unleashing a New Monster (8:07) is a behind-the-scenes featurette that delves into Whannell’s vision for the film, bringing the script to life, and shooting in the New Zealand countryside, which is supposed to double as the Pacific Northwest.
Designing Wolf Man (8:54) looks at the make-up and character designs by artist Arjen Tuiten.
Hands on Horror (6:51) breaks down the movie’s big action set pieces, such as the truck crash and wolf attacks, and their practical effects.
Nightmares and Soundscapes (6:56) is a featurette about the “Wolf Vision,” which allows us to see the world through Blake’s eyes as he transforms. Think of it as a black light version of the Predator.
Rounding out the disc is an audio commentary track with Leigh Whannell.
Film Value: 7
Wolf Man presents a grounded take on the werewolf tale that treats the monster as a slowly debilitating disease rather than a supernatural curse. It’s stripped down and bare bones, which is refreshing compared to so many bloated Hollywood blockbusters.
