About the film (courtesy of Universal Pictures):
Blake (Christopher Abbott), a San Francisco husband and father, who inherits his remote childhood home in rural Oregon after his own father vanishes and is presumed dead. With his marriage to his high powered wife, Charlotte (Julia Garner) fraying, Blake persuades Charlotte to take a break from the city and visit the property with their young daughter, Ginger.

But as the family approaches the farmhouse in the dead of night, they’re attacked by an unseen animal and, in a desperate escape, barricade themselves inside the home as the creature prowls the perimeter. As the night stretches on, however, Blake begins to behave strangely, transforming into something unrecognizable, and Charlotte will be forced to decide whether the terror within their house is more lethal than the danger without.

Wolf Man provides the latest take on the classic werewolf legend starring Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner. While the film has its moments, it ultimately falls short of its potential.

The visual effects are one of the highlights of Wolf Man. Though not quite reaching the groundbreaking level achieved in An American Werewolf in London (1981), the transformation sequences and creature design are well-executed and convincing. The filmmakers clearly made an effort to create a visually impressive werewolf, and it shows.

However, the film’s plot is where it falters. The story is predictable and lacks depth, offering little in the way of surprises or twists. While it’s understandable that some elements of the classic werewolf narrative need to be retained, Wolf Man feels too beholden to the source material, resulting in a somewhat stale and unoriginal experience.

Another issue is the film’s relatively low body count. Given its R-rating and the inherent violence associated with werewolves, one would expect a higher level of carnage. Unfortunately, Wolf Man plays it safe in this regard, potentially disappointing horror fans hoping for a more gruesome and visceral experience.

The performances are decent, but not particularly memorable. Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner are both talented actors, but they are not given much to work with here. The characters are underdeveloped, and the dialogue is often uninspired.

Given director Leigh Whannell’s previous success with The Invisible Man (2020), which breathed new life into another classic Universal monster, I had high hopes that he would bring a similar level of innovation and originality to Wolf Man. Sadly, this is not the case. The film feels like a missed opportunity to reimagine the werewolf mythos for a modern audience.

Overall, Wolf Man is a decent but unremarkable horror film. While the visual effects are commendable, the weak plot, lack of scares, and average performances prevent it from being anything more than a forgettable entry in the werewolf genre.