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In Wolf Man, a husband and father refuses to shave, his wife and daughter are terrified, and a family is splintered due to his lack of hygiene. From the director of The Invisible Man, who opposingly was spotless, Wolf Man is an effectively exciting and creative monster feature well worth howling about.
Wolf Man kicks off in memorable fashion with a chillingly prolonged opening, which puts a father and son in the woods as they are hunted by an unusual creature. Director Leigh Whannell immediately establishes the tone and style he’ll subject his audience to for the next 100 minutes, presenting us with patiently shot sequences where you find yourself inching toward the edge of your seat, or slowly lowering your eyes, as you wait for something unpleasant to happen.
The first half of the movie plays with the audience in similar ways, with well-staged horror-action scenes that build suspense through clever angles, sound, and the threat of what is going to happen next. The use of sound effects is incredibly effective throughout, highlighted by a scene where Blake (Christopher Abbott) is just beginning to transform into Michael J. Fox.
Whannell’s fascinating decision to pivot between the human perspective and wolf perspective during this transformation is also a standout, culminating in a smile-inducing shot set in a pitch-black dark.
The second half of the movie isn’t as perfect, as tends to be the case with monster movies. Once things are fully set in motion and the wolf man is fully visible as he basks under the full moon, Wolf Man loses some of its magic, becoming a pretty typical survive-the-creature genre flick. Still, with strong acting by Julia Garner and a devoted Abbott performance, Wolf Man bites and snarls to the bitter end.
Even still, the third act feels a little too simple, a little too predictable. Maybe it’s just that the first act or two are so damn good that the more straightforward finale feels… less good… but one wonders what Whannell could have done to go a different direction one last time. The final line from the daughter (Matilda Firth) lands with unintentional laughter/groans, unfortunately, which doesn’t help.
As far as monster movies go, Wolf Man snaps its nasty jaws more than a few times. Even if it ends with more of a growl than a neck-cracking bite, there is plenty of great horror action to feast on throughout.
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.
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