Directed by Leigh Whannell and written by Whannell & Corbett Tuck, Wolf Man marks Whannell’s second feature film in the Monsters franchise after the success of The Invisible Man. It’s hard to believe it’s been five years after that film. Whannell has curated so much success in his career. Between his signature camera style and authenticity to horror, it makes sense as to why Universal found him to be the perfect fit for this. While I can imagine where a majority of people will undoubtedly enjoy this, this was just not for me.

The premise is quite simply. Family man Blake relocates his wife, daughter, and himself from San Francisco to his childhood home in Oregon after his father passes away. As soon as they arrive, a werewolf claws Blake’s arm, leading the family to barricade themselves in the family home. When Blake begins to transform into the werewolf, he puts the lives of his loved ones as risk. Simple and to the point. Unfortunately, it’s the weakest character driven drama I have seen from Whannell’s filmography by far.

The film opens up Blake’s upbringing and it’s as generic as it comes. We see how he was raised with his father and we get some understanding of this world, but we have zero clue as to the why. You’d think we’d get some big dramatic moment that leads into the present day. Nope, it just cuts to the present day just as Blake’s dad gets done summarizing how he saw something in the forest. He clearly knows what it is, but decides to knowingly risk his and his son’s life for this? I guess if this took place in the 1600’s or something, that would make sense. Boom. There you go. Why not do that? You could have really leaned into the origins of this character. Instead, we get another family drama surrounded by an iconic character that deserved better writing.

When we cut to the present, we see grown up Blake, played by Christopher Abbott. His wife, Charlotte, played by Julia Garner, is there along with their daughter, Ginger, played by Matilda Firth. We get a by-the-books explanation as to who these people are and where they are at in their life. Abbott & Garner already have zero chemistry and their marital rift is simply random. It lacks any purpose as to why they feel the way they do. Charlotte plays sympathetic towards Blake’s grieving. Then, out of nowhere, Blake convinces Charlotte to move back to his family childhood home, literally for no reason. It’s been at least 20 years. Why endure that trauma again? I guess that’s one theme the film has going for it. If you go chasing your past, you’ll regret it. It’s best to appreciate what you have now. Unfortunately, the film quickly glimpses over it as the family decides to pack everything up… for no reason. I guess it would make sense if they lost their home. Nope, that’s not the case. Similar to 2024’s Speak No Evil, another Blumhouse film, the film is less interested in the drama or the story and is more excited about the action and horror.

The film then quickly gets into what you paid your money for, and it does have its highs. There are some creative decisions made from Whannell’s signature camera work to the makeup transformation of the creatures. When the film leans into the horror is when the film is at its best. Unfortunately, it’s not as much as you’d think. It doesn’t quite lean into the horror as much as it should. The film is actually effective when it simply just shows the imagery without the music. Big fan of that. With dragged out family drama and limited location, the film doesn’t get the opportunity to do more with what it has. If you blended A Quiet Place and Speak No Evil (2024), you’d get a movie that doesn’t feel quite that original.

When the film hits its high, I can certainly understand the appeal. Abbott’s transformation into the werewolf is truly unreal. As a fan of practical effects, I am glad this film gets that right. There are some moments where Whannell uses the same POV cinematography where the camera follows the character’s movements. He know how to make the camera a character. The score is also haunting and riveting. The sound design is also insanely impressive.

Besides the amazing makeup transformation, POV cinematography, and haunting score, the film quickly gets redundant in the third act. It feels like a mix between dragging out the runtime and not know how to end the film. It not only copies the first act, but it is literally just people running back and forth with little to nothing changing. There is also a “twist” that I saw coming a mile away. The problem stems from the film relying on the beginning to give you clues as to what’s to come rather than giving meaningful character development that leaves you feeling like you learned something. I know Whannell is capable of that according to his last film.

I am already hearing where viewers want Whannell to lead the Monsters franchise. As long as he can make the stories more original, he is capable of it. I know people will enjoy this. This feels like Speak No Evil (2024) all over again. I just really wanted a better story that sparked more shock & originality and left me feeling for what these characters went through. Instead, I just can’t stop thinking about the daughter’s future therapist not believing a single word she says. Also, what was up with that final shot? What exactly am I supposed to take from that? Just so much lost potential.

Overall, viewers will enjoy this and Blumhouse is going be happy with the box-office results. At the end of the day, I can’t complain about that. If you are looking for some mindless monster fun, I’ve got the perfect recommendation for you. While Whannell shines in the horror, the story and dialogue really holds the film back from reaching its full potential when it lacks any importance as to why characters make the decisions they do.

VERDICT: 2/5 (Bad)