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Plot: What’s it about?
Leigh Whannell made the successful 2020 reboot of The Invisible Man which must’ve compelled him and Universal to take another jab at the classic monster series and now rework The Wolfman brand. While I was fully on board with what he did with Invisible Man, this more straightforward approach to Wolf Man is decidedly much more of a mixed bag. I will get more into that in a bit, but something just seems to have been lost in translation here. Full disclosure: I was a fan of the 2010 The Wolfman with Benicio Del Toro in the lead and hate that we never saw more of that chapter, but it still works as a standalone film. Where this series goes from here (especially after the abysmal reception of this film) is now up in the air.
A caption tells us about a vanishing in 1995 and speaks of a virus linked to wildlife. We meet a young Blake Lovell (Zac Chandler) who seems to live alone in a cabin with his very strict father, Grady (Sam Jaeger). They go out hunting and discover some mysterious creature which is never shown in plain view. Flash forward to the present day and we now meet an adult Blake (played by Christopher Abbot) walking with his daughter, Ginger (Matilda Firth). We can see right away that they have a special bond and that the close discipline Blake’s father had on him translates to how he raises his daughter. His wife, Charlotte (Julia Garner) arrives home from work one day and we can see right away that Blake has a bit of a temper as he demands she take a call into another room. Knowing that things aren’t great between them, Blake decides to take his wife and daughter to his father’s cabin in rural Oregan. This is after Blake receives a letter that his father has passed away, so he will need to move his stuff back home. They are packed in a big moving truck, but on the way, they veer off the road and have an accident. During this, we see that Blake is cut and slowly becomes infected. They make it into the cabin where much of the film now takes place. There isn’t cell phone service, but Blake discovers some of his father’s old tech to try and call for help. There is something else out there lurking, but we see Blake’s progression into the wolfman.
Now here is the big issue I had with the film and I’m sure will be for a lot of viewers. It’s the look and design of the Wolfman in this version. I can applaud the filmmakers for attempting something different, but the look here just didn’t do it for me. That, and outside of a few jump scares, the film just isn’t very frightening. With such great source material, I wish the design of the creature at least had something closer to what we’ve come to know and expect. The film does move along nicely during its brief running time, but once it ended it left me rather cold and empty. I didn’t take much away from this iteration. The acting is good from Abbot and Firth, but Julia Garner is more of a mixed bag. While she has good moments, a lot of her performance seems flat. The film isn’t terrible, but it’s a curious decision to strip back so much of what makes these films interesting to give us such a flat experience.
Video: How’s it Look?
Call me crazy, but I’m willing to bet that any film that has the title “Wolf Man” will likely be dark. Both in its physical nature and “mental” as well. Universal’s 2.39:1 HEVC 4K image leaves little to the imagination and pulls no punches as this transfer is spot on gorgeous. Granted, a majority of the film takes place indoors and in the dark, wooded forest but the contrast is strong, detail sharp and colors (for lack of a better term) look lovely. This is a double-edged sword, of course, as when we see the “transformation” sometimes less detail is better. Suffice it to say that for a new to the format film – it delivers.
Audio: How’s it Sound?
The included Dolby Atmos track is equally ideal as it delivers several “whomps” and “thuds” at just the right time. Thankfully (and hopefully) I’ll never know what sound an actual wolf man makes, but I’m fine with relying on the filmmaker’s vision on this one. The LFE are heavily involved during the film’s final act, but that coupled with crystal clear vocals, ambient surround effects and an active front stage should leave the viewer more than satisfied.
Supplements: What are the Extras?
- Audio Commentary – I’ve always enjoyed Whannell’s commentary tracks. He seems to get straight to the point, but at least tells us of his motivations (in this case a deeply personal one), but also manages to focus on casting, lighting, production and so forth. This track is no exception and fans of the film are sure to enjoy it. I did.
- Unleashing a New Monster – Explore Leigh Whannell’s dark and gritty take on one of horror’s most iconic monsters. Learn what inspired the visionary director to create this tragic tale of family, loss, and a night of absolute terror.
- Desgining Wolf Man – Director Leigh Whannell and prosthetic designer Arjen Tuiten, set out to create a Wolf Man unlike any seen before. Take a closer look at the conceptual designs, sculptures and prosthetic make-up that aided in the creation of a monster that stays with you long after the credits roll.
- Hands on Horror – Strap in for a breakdown of the film’s most thrilling action sequences. Cast and crew discuss how practical effects enabled them to capture raw and realistic performances of the most terrifying, heart-pounding scenes in the film.
- Nightmares and Soundscapes – Transition into Blake’s perspective and witness the world through the eyes of an animal. Learn how sound design and VFX came together to highlight the enhanced hearing, vision, and complete abandonment of humanity that materialized during the transformation from Man to Wolf.
The Bottom Line
While not terrible, Wolf Man still makes for an odd feature. It is well made, but strips away so much that we know and love about this character that it hardly feels like a werewolf movie. There are countless other versions/variants of this type of movie out there, but if this one is for you then Universal’s disc certainly doesn’t disappoint.
