WOLF MAN: A Haunting Reflection on Fatherhood That Falls Short of Horror

Trapped at an isolated farmhouse, a family fights for survival against a creature as one battles a transformation of his own. Written and directed by Leigh Whannell, Wolf Man is a moving story about a father’s inner battle to be a better version than he had, but its emotional beats and solid performances from its intimate cast aren’t enough when the horrors that transpire lack bite.

Blake (Christopher Abbott) was raised by a strict single father with an explosive temperament. Now, as a dad himself, Blake has chosen the opposite of that toxic fatherhood route, even breaking from traditional roles to be a stay-at-home dad. He’s caring, sensitive, and protective, something that’s helped form an unbreakable bond with his daughter Ginger.

Having long been estranged from his father, Blake finds that he’s inherited his childhood farm upon his dad’s mysterious death. He’s emotionally vulnerable to his wife Charlotte (Julia Garner), who has become consumed by work and distant from her family, suggesting the three go to Oregon to pack up his father’s things while reconnecting.

While driving through the dense wilderness to the farm, Blake sees an animal on the road and swerves to miss it, causing them to crash. Attempting to get his wife and daughter to safety, the animal injures Blake before they can seek refuge at the farmhouse. Soon, they realize his injury is the start of a horrifying transformation.

A retelling of the 1941 film The Wolf Man, this interpretation serves as the second entry in the Blumhouse reboot of the classic Universal Monsters, the first being 2020’s The Invisible Man; also written and directed by Whannell. That film is a subversive take on the iconic character, using a story of trauma and rebirth to craft a modern horror masterpiece. Sadly, Wolf Man doesn’t quite hit the same marks.

There are certainly strong suits with this film. While the metaphors can be a bit in your face at times, the foundation is solid. The father-daughter dynamic is quite touching and the heart is there when you think about how committed Blake is to become a better man than his father and to fight against those toxic traits that he was surrounded by.

That theme also translates well to the premise and how Blake begins to transform into a beast he’s metaphorically fought so hard to overcome. The threads throughout those aspects are very well made and I think Whannell especially does a wonderful job capturing.

It’s also embodied so well by Abbott’s touching performance, a role originally meant for Ryan Gosling. But there’s something in Abbott’s eyes that speaks to the compassionate nature of his character, both as a father and husband. He truly brings a tenderness to the character and that character’s journey.

But surprisingly this horror film—made by the creator of Saw, the screenwriter for Insidious, the man behind the aforementioned The Invisible Man—has failed to offer a tense and horrifying experience for audiences, in my opinion.

Wolf Man is quite… boring. It lacked much-needed tension and a sense of dread throughout. Once past the accident sequence, it hits a plateau of sorts for the remainder of the film. It almost feels like it’s about to amp things up, but it never reaches its full potential.

It maintains intrigue with Blake’s transformation and I think the pacing of that works. There’s some interesting camerawork and treatments around this duality of the two planes he and his family are in—animal and human—and I thought seeing things from his perspective was a nice touch.

The practical effects and gore elements are fine, there are memorable moments, but I felt it needed to push things further at times. Again, the emotional beats continue to hit throughout, as both he and his family struggle with what’s happening to him. But nothing feels suspenseful, and I craved that so much.

It’s not to say this was a total misstep. I think there is an audience out there for Wolf Man. Perhaps folks who don’t want something too intense and want a fairly tame creature feature; plus the bonus of a wonderful performance by Abbott. But as an avid horror fan and someone who has loved Whannell’s work, especially The Invisible Man, I left feeling hungry for a full werewolf horror show.