By Shannon McGrew
Since the release of 1941's The Wolf Man, horror fans have seen numerous interpretations of the iconic creature, each met with varying reactions. Having already reimagined a Universal Monster with The Invisible Man, it was no surprise when writer/director Leigh Whannell and his wife Corbett Tuck announced they would take on the infamous Wolf Man. But does his version have the same bite as the ones that came before?
WOLF MAN (2025) opens with a flashback to our protagonist, Blake (Christopher Abbott), as a child. His father, a stern and strict figure, frequently takes him hunting. During one outing, Blake strays after spotting a deer. When his father catches up to him, he berates the boy, though a flicker of fear betrays his composure. The atmosphere shifts as he senses something lurking in the forest. Realizing they are no longer the hunters but the hunted, they find refuge in a deer blind, narrowly avoiding a face-to-face encounter with the unseen predator.
Once safely home, young Blake sneaks down to the basement, where he overhears his father speaking in hushed tones over a radio. The cryptic conversation hints at an encounter with something unexplainable, and his father declares his intent to track it. This haunting memory is our final glimpse of their relationship before the story jumps forward 30 years.
Blake, now an adult estranged from his father, is married with a child of his own. One day, he receives a letter informing him that his father, missing for years, has been declared legally dead. Hoping to bring closure and reconnect as a family, Blake proposes a trip to Oregon to pack up his late father's belongings. However, as they drive the moving truck through dense woods, fate takes a dark turn. In the distance, they glimpse a figure, causing Blake to swerve off the road and plunge down a ravine.
At this point, the film dives fully into horror territory. With the truck overturned and precariously perched above the ground, tragedy strikes - something unspeakable has already claimed a victim. Desperate to escape before it's too late, Blake scrambles to free himself, only to be scratched by something that is lurking outside the truck, which has set its sights on Blake and his family. Narrowly evading the overturned truck and the unexplainable figure in the woods, they manage to reach the safety of Blake's late father's farmhouse. There, survival instincts kick in as they hastily prepare to defend themselves against the unknown threat.
Leigh Whannell swings for the fences in WOLF MAN (2025)
Where WOLF MAN excels is in its visuals. From the expertly crafted practical effects to the atmospheric, claustrophobic setting, director Leigh Whannell and cinematographer Stefan Duscio - who also worked with Whannell on The Invisible Man and Upgrade - fully immerse the audience in an eerie setting. One standout moment is the truck crash sequence, which, as I learned from speaking with producer Beatriz Sequeira, was a painstaking process but one that yielded incredible results.
Another highlight is the depiction of Blake's transformation, shown from his perspective. Bathed in evocative hues of blue, purple, and pink and paired with cryptic, undefined language, this sequence allows the viewer to experience his metamorphosis in real-time.
Where Leigh Whannell falters is, surprisingly, in the writing. His previous films, Upgrade, and The Invisible Man stood out for their character development. Whether you rooted for or despised those characters - looking at you, Oliver Jackson-Cohen - they elicited a strong emotional response. In WOLF MAN (2025), however, the story feels rushed and lacks the emotional depth that made his earlier work so impactful. This becomes evident in Julia Garner's character, Charlotte, who feels underdeveloped and fails to leave a lasting impression.
Early on in the film we're introduced to the tension between Charlotte and Blake, with their trip to Oregon framed as an opportunity for the family to reconnect. While Charlotte is written as cold and distant, the character lacks the depth needed to make her motivations compelling. This is especially disappointing because her internal conflict - balancing the demands of being a working mother while being present for her daughter - had the potential to add significant emotional weight to the story.
Where Julia Garner's performance feels one-note, Christopher Abbott delivers the opposite. Whannell crafts Blake as a character who is easy to care for, particularly through his moments of vulnerability, and Abbott fully embraces the role's complexity. Having experience with prosthetics, such as in Possessor, Abbott seamlessly transforms into the creature, making the physical and emotional metamorphosis appear effortless.
The transformation scene, in particular, is a stunning achievement, with Abbott delivering a raw and all-encompassing performance. Beyond the horror elements, Blake's struggle to break the chains of generational trauma with his daughter, Ginger (Matilda Firth), adds emotional depth. Even as their connection is framed by the unimaginable, it resonates as a metaphor for the painful yet necessary transformation away from our parents' influence.
Even with its missteps, I give Leigh Whannell credit for swinging for the fences - and for including a SAW reference in the film, even if the story lacked meat on the bones. WOLF MAN (2025) doesn't adhere to the traditional rules of werewolf lore. Instead, Whannell reinvents the mythos, discarding staples like full moons and silver bullets in favor of a more grounded, reality-infused approach. At its core, the film is less about monsters and more about humanity - it's a story of parenthood and the struggle to break generational curses.
By confronting the past and redefining oneself, WOLF MAN (2025) suggests we can emerge stronger, forging a new identity and striving not to repeat the mistakes of those who came before us.
WOLF MAN (2025) arrives in theaters January 17.