“Wolf Man” Review: A Spine-Chilling Thriller, But With Some Flaws That Leave Us Howling

Lycanthropes, i.e., werewolves and the like, have always fascinated the minds of writers and storytellers, even far back in ancient times. People were always intrigued by the concept of a well-mannered man devolving and allowing his baser instincts to take hold; perhaps that’s the reason the 1941 film “The Wolf Man” was such a major success – so much so that it kicked off Universal Pictures’ Universal Monsters collection.

After 85 years from his first appearance which has seen a greater tolerance for horror, moviegoers need to be (violently) reintroduced to this horror icon. Luckily, Blumhouse’s 2025 “Wolf Man” is here to do just that. This chilling reboot gives a more gruesome take on the classic creature, but will it kick off a new generation of monster mania or will a stray silver bullet dash those hopes forever?

The film opens with an idyllic view of the lush forests of Oregon, USA, where we see our young protagonist, Blake (played by Zac Chandler), living a rather strict and regimented life with his militaristic father, Grady Lovell (played by Sam Jaeger). Grady reasons that he is doing this to help prepare Blake for when he is all alone, but this strict upbringing results in him living in constant fear of his father. During a morning hunt in the woods, Blake chases after a deer that he wants to hunt, to prove to his father that he is improving. Unfortunately, he instead encounters the titular wolf man.

Found in the nick of time by his father, the two hide away in a treehouse until the beast leaves. This drives the father to obsess over the lycanthrope, to the point where Blake is forced to move away once he is of age. 30 years after this event, the now-adult Blake (played by Christopher Abbott) moves to San Francisco, where he meets his breadwinner wife, Charlotte (played by Julia Garner), and has his daughter, Ginger (played by Matilda Firth). Though the scars and trauma of his father never left, Blake tries his best to be a better person for his family. One day, he receives a letter from the state of Oregon that officially declares Grady to be dead. To make up for lost time and perhaps reconnect with his father, Blake takes his family to Oregon, but is accosted by the wolf man, resulting in Blake receiving a curse.

Right off the bat, we can say with confidence that “Wolf Man” is a breath of fresh air for the werewolf genre as a whole. Though we know the original film featured the struggles of bearing the curse and how the protagonist of that film was transforming into a beast, the reboot has a far more creative approach to iconic metamorphosis. From gory flesh tearing to bass-amplified super hearing, this incredibly-visceral change leeaves our jaws on the floor. Though some bits are left in darkness, every moment of his painful bodily re-moulding, down to the last false prosthetic, is absolutely stunning and gives us chills that we won’t forget.

For the longest time, bouncing between two POVs has always been done via abrupt cuts and other various transitions, if there are any at all. “Wolf Man” has a very novel approach when shifting between Charlotte and her fading husband. The camera will first showcase one of the two’s perspectives and slowly bounce between the two in a singular take. What makes this more impressive is that there is a very noticeable visual effect, where Blake can actually see better in the dark compared to his other half, who can only perceive pitch black. It is a brilliant little detail that sticks with us for the remainder of the film, but we have a singular gripe about it, which we will elaborate on later.

In its earlier forms, “The Wolf Man” always focused on the human aspect of the werewolf, and it was a part of the franchise that made it so compelling. Despite his violent tendencies and baser instincts, there is still a human underneath that fur. Luckily, this idea takes centre stage in this reboot, as Blake fights the transformation to protect his family. It is a beautiful bit of storytelling that endures for more than 2/3s of the film.

Abbott is great in this role, as he masterfully balances the struggles of being a loving father and savage monster. Throughout the film, we simply can’t help but feel sympathetic towards him, especially during and after his transformation, and it is unfortunate, in hindsight, that he resignes himself to this doomed fate the moment he just wants to reconnect with his late father. It is a very nuanced performance that Abbott is able to pull off exceptionally well and deserves recognition for it.

Unfortunately, we can’t really say the same for Julia Garner. From when she first appears on screen all the way to the end, Garner has a very stiff interpretation of her character; she’s not necessarily relatable or someone worth sympathising with, unlike Blake – but you can argue that that is the whole point of it all. In the story, she’s the sole breadwinner of the family and is under incredible amounts of pressure. She’s doing her best to be a mother but falls just short, resulting in her growing apart from her daughter. Of course, when Blake falls, she has to grow a spine and rise up to meet the challenge. The least we can say is that she executes her role well; could there have been more to it? Absolutely.

Being the middle man between these is Ginger. She is a loveable scamp who shares a lot of similarities with Blake when he was younger; hence, the two are able to bond nicely on screen. Eventually, as her father loses himself, she begins to communicate and interpret his message for her mother, which is a great way of showcasing how deep their bond goes. Though her performance is significantly weaker than the two adults, something that’s to be expected, Firth brings a lot of heart to the film, which is a welcome change to the genre.

What makes this film truly remarkable is that most of the effect is done practically, as pointed out in our previous article. Each stage of Abbott’s disgusting transformation is perfectly captured step by step, from his gnawed arm to rearranging bones. Every time we see him on screen, we see less and less of the loving father, which is a horrifying thought in itself. It is this dedication to sticking to practical effects that makes this film feel more visceral. However, it isn’t anywhere close to being a deep cut, like the first “A Quiet Place,” where John Krasinski sacrifices himself after an intense buildup, but their relationship is up there.

Of course, it is not a perfect film. In fact, it’s plagued by a lot of problems. One thing that irks us are the inconsistencies. These can naturally be boiled down to nitpicks, but there are a lot of little details that are amiss. From the sudden transition from night to day in the last act, Blake slowly goes bald while the rest of his body becomes hairy, and others. These are small things that you can let go of, but you can’t really miss them if you’re paying attention. You can also argue that the movie isn’t scary enough, but that is quite subjective.

Another issue is that, once the transformation is complete, the third act essentially becomes a generic outrunning-the-monster sort of flick, which drains most of the excitement and buildup from the film. This sequence is to be expected, but it could have been great if there had been something during the chase scene that would have spiced things up.

One such example of spicing things up is a POV shot of Blake chasing his wife and daughter. We see how absolutely amazing it is to be the wolf man in the brief moments we step into Blake’s shoes; what could have kicked the final act into high gear would have been a chase sequence through Blake’s eyes, complete with the trippy visuals. The fact that we didn’t get this is a total letdown.

Overall, “Wolf Man” is a fresh and exhilarating take on a classic monster, packed with a lot of light-hearted and suspenseful moments in between to keep us hooked from start to finish. It takes its time to build up tension as we slowly see the transformation of the titular beast, and the payoff of the final product is amazing, due in large part to detailed practical effects. But it falls short on a lot of aspects, largely due to small inconsistencies that pile up and ultimately kill the vibe of the final act. The final act is also surprisingly weak and would have benefitted more from a change of perspective. Despite these flaws, the film is a sight to behold and might even become the benchmark for suspense buildup in future thriller films.

“Wolf Man” will be in cinemas on 16th January.