Gambling is a dangerous business, especially when you’re playing with legacy IPs like the Universal Monsters. The desire to innovate and adapt for a new generation comes with a heavy amount of pushback from legions of older fans who decry the bastardization of the thing that they grew up with. At the same time, that audience is aging and a younger one doesn’t resonate with the old films the way older folks do, thus leading to the gamble; make a legacy remake that is merely an aesthetic update of the original, or blaze a new trail by upending all assumptions and going in a different direction entirely. It’s impossible to say which is objectively right, but that hasn’t stopped studios from continuing to either stick with what they know or throw caution to the wind and let it ride. Such is the bet being made in Universal Pictures’ “Wolf Man” by co-writer/director Leigh Whannell, but does this risky bet pay off in full or does it go into creative bankruptcy?

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

Seeking a fresh start, Blake moves his wife Charlotte and daughter Ginger to his childhood home in rural Oregon. Upon arrival, they encounter a brutal animal attack, forcing the family to barricade themselves inside the house as an unseen creature prowls the perimeter. As the night wears on, Blake’s injuries worsen, and his bizarre behavior turns monstrous. To protect her daughter, Charlotte must decide whether to confront the danger outside or the growing horror within.

HOW IS IT?

What’s a werewolf movie without a werewolf? It’s not a trick question, but it is the same one posed to viewers of “Wolf Man,” and it’s a head-scratcher. Following in his own footsteps after the triumphant reboot of “The Invisible Man,” Whannell was tapped to take on the lycanthrope-laden lore of The Wolfman and turns in something that looks far from what most audiences expected. While we always appreciate a big swing, particularly when it relates to something as stale as the Wolfman, big swings have to come with even bigger runs, and sadly, “Wolf Man” whiffs it. Hollow characters, meandering pacing, and an inspired, but boring creature design make “Wolf Man” less of a werewolf movie and more of a body horror one that leans heavily on undeserved metaphors of toxic masculinity and generational trauma while offering little in terms of substance beyond some impressive practical effects.

Right from the jump, “Wolf Man” wants you to know that it is a werewolf movie, but they don’t call them that here instead referring to some sort of infectious disease known as ma'iingan odengwaan that the local Indigenous people (who are not named) speak of. This translates into, “face of the wolf”, get it? The preamble that starts the film is more of a warning than anything else that all ye who proceed beyond this point aren’t going to get the werewolf movie they thought they were, which begs the question, why make it a werewolf movie at all? While certain visual hallmarks will ring familiar, the overall look and design of the titular wolfman leaves a lot to be desired looking more like a feral human with an underbite, which we understand was the intention. The problem is, it’s just not very interesting to look at, that is when you can even see it. For all of the emphasis placed on the use of practical effects and makeup, the lack of adequate lighting often means that we can’t appreciate the level of detail and craftsmanship at play here and in turn, aren’t getting the full value of the wolf man we came to see. It’s a shame too, because the special features do a fantastic job of showing the level of care and attention given to bringing this creature to life only to have to squint to catch a glimpse while watching the film.

Poor lighting is one thing, but a meandering script that never really takes off is the death kiss for a horror film, and “Wolf Man” suffers the unfortunate fate of just being plain boring. Even when things start to pick up, they screech to a halt to invite in either long, drawn-out pondering shots or some unearned tugs on the audience’s heartstrings. These emotional moments would work better if there were characters we cared about, but we hardly knew anything about them before being asked to care for them completely. The relationship between Charlotte and Blake feels empty like they are already estranged and not in the process of becoming that way, and beyond their marital troubles all we know is that Charlotte is a reporter and Blake is a writer. Beyond that, we know that Blake’s father was especially hard on him, but our only insight into their relationship is in the very beginning when we see Blake’s father berate him for not being “man” enough to survive. This idea of parentally-induced trauma is used as an accessory, and not anything meaningful to the character or their development, which again begs the question, why include it? Introducing important aspects of a person’s background should play into that character’s growth and journey, but that’s just not the case here as it’s used more to feign sympathy rather than color the character. It’s all part of a broader trend with the “Wolf Man” to eschew tradition in favor of something different, but that something different lacks vision. Even if the intention was to ground this in something more science-based rather than supernatural, why not make the effort to make that clear? The opening that speaks to “hills fever” in the same paragraph also mentions an Indigenous curse, so which one is it? All of it speaks to the notion that there are a lot of ideas on display, but they lack a grander vision and purpose for being there as opposed to just “trying to be different.”

HOW DOES IT LOOK?

Despite not loving the movie itself, the visual presentation of “Wolf Man” is quite impressive. The 4K UHD disc included comes in glorious 2160p and a 2.39:1 aspect ratio and HDR10. The use of greens, blues, and dark grays/blacks really pops particularly in the scenes where we get wolf-man vision, but as mentioned in the review above, some of the scenes are so dark and poorly lit that it is difficult to make anything out. OLED screens are lauded for their ability to bring crisp, dark shades to the screen with clarity, but that only works when the scenes are lit accordingly. Images from this release are used throughout the review.

HOW DOES IT SOUND?

“Wolf Man” includes multiple sound options in various languages, and the track we opted for during our review was the Dolby Atmos track and it delivers in spades! The scenes in the woods, especially during the van wreck scene are a symphony of tension as the sound of branches scratching metal pierces one’s ears just high enough to register as authentic without doing actual damage. The soundscape created here engulfs the audience in the isolation of the location, while also feeling alive with chirps and ambient noise. It’s the kind of audio track that begs to be watched with a proper sound system.

ANYTHING SPECIAL?

Much like other Universal releases, the supplemental features in “Wolf Man” are a rehash of mostly previously available vignettes that are used for pre-release marketing before the film’s theatrical release. These features are often short and surface-level but can offer a glimpse into the thinking behind filmmaking as long as you can put up with some marketing jargon. The first feature we took in was Unleashing a New Monster, a roughly 8-minute multi-person interview with Whannel, Abbott, Garner, and others about their reinvention of the legacy Universal Monsters character. Whannell claims he wanted to do something, “no one has ever seen before,” and while it’s quite hubristic to think that this is that, we catch his drift more or less. The cabin they built in New Zealand for the set is highly detailed and the production designer speaks about how the idea was to make nowhere in the cabin look safe, mission accomplished!

The other feature we reviewed was Designing Wolf Man, another 8-9 minute short about creating the new Wolf Man design. This one heavily features Arjen Tuiten, the lead designer and makeup effects creator of the film as he unpacks the process of not just creating but applying the makeup for the film. Whannell makes an appearance referencing his influence for the film “The Fly” and gives Arjen the idea that he didn’t like the “furry dog” look of the traditional werewolf. Most fascinating is the infamous leg-chewing scene and how they created an edible leg and bone out of white chocolate and used over 650 prosthetics for the makeup. Abbot spent between 2.5 - 7 hours in makeup, which is quite the gauntlet, and while we are impressed with what we see it’s a shame that the lighting is so poor you can’t make out the great details that are shown here.

Special Features:

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.
DESIGNING 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.
Feature Commentary With Director/Co-Writer Leigh Whannell

LAST RITES

“Wolf Man” is a big swing that unfortunately is too focused on being different rather than being great. While the practical effects and sound design are top-notch, the overall film suffers from a lack of chemistry, interesting characters, and pacing that never makes it to 5th gear.

THE GORY DETAILS

Thank you to the fine fiends over at Universal and Mandy Kay Marketing for providing a review copy for the crypt! Wolf Man is available NOW and can be purchased via Amazonor other physical media retailers!

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Nov 4, 2020

Matthew Orozco