It does have heart and conviction, but is a little too shallow.

When husband and father Blake learns of his own father’s death, he takes his family to his woodland home to settle affairs. However, things quickly go wrong as something in the woods is hunting them.

Wolf Man comes to us as the second movie in Blumhouse Productions “Universal Monsters” series. Writer and director Leigh Whannell returns from 2020’s The Invisible Man, which was a massive revitalization of that concept. Starring Christopher Abbott (Poor Things) Julia Garner (Ozark) and Matilda Firth, does the Wolf Man character get similarly effective and modern treatment?

Eh, it is a mixed bag.

Blake Lovell is a writer living in the city with his journalist wife Charlotte and daughter Ginger. His father had taught him survivalist methods while they lived in the woodland of Oregon. Though he drifted away from his home, Blake is spurred to return upon hearing of his father’s death. With his family feeling the strain of modern life, he decides that a break in the countryside would do them good.

How wrong he would be.

The comparisons with The Invisible Man are unfortunate, but unavoidable. It does not feel like the same writer/director made them. The 2020 film was an encouraging sign that the classical monsters could be modernized. Genuinely, if you haven’t seen The Invisible Man, it is worth a watch.
Perhaps the wolf man isn’t quite as flexible for reinterpretation. There have also been many more werewolf movies, and exceptional ones at that. It takes a lot to stand out in that crowd.

Running twenty minutes shorter than its contemporary doesn’t help. Nor does having the saddle of a “thirty years later” plot device help. Without saying anything else, you can probably deduce from this review what happens.
With this, the film tries its best to make the characters three dimensional. Blake and his daughter Ginger have a very cute father-daughter quirk that definitely doesn’t have significance later on. The opening act shows us a tired, embittered family. But a family that does care for each other. Christopher Abbott gives it his all with the material given, a spirited performance considering.

Visually, the film has a lot of atmosphere. A lot of it is moody and dark, dingy and monochrome. The film dips into what it might be like to be a werewolf, from a sensory perspective. Although this is quite fleeting, it is an interesting aspect.

Yes, really struggling for the positives. But it is true to say that I cared for these characters.

But if you are looking for the traditional “werewolf”, you might be disappointed. The story plays more like a television “monster-of-the-week” episode, with a monster that is werewolf-like. Certainly, the film’s runtime and premise does not allow for a traditional werewolf storyline. This will likely put audiences off, which is a shame.

The problems really lie with the action, and the story’s predictability. Unlike The Invisible Man (again with the comparison) Wolf Man doesn’t really evolve the premise with modern values or new subtexts. It is played straight, without any uniqueness. Its one “twist” (if you can call it that) is blatantly obvious.
As for the action, almost all of it takes place in a woodland house. But when needs must, escape outside is necessary. Only to go back to the house. Then outside again. Then back to the house. It is not very visually interesting or creative. Especially with everything cloaked in shadows.

Only the most diehard of horror fans should apply. The characters and performers do their best; I was rooting for them, so there is some credibility. But the film itself isn’t much to write home about.