Shadows on the Wall

Wolf Man

dir Leigh Whannell
scr Leigh Whannell, Corbett Tuck
prd Jason Blum, Ryan Gosling
with Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, Matilda Firth, Sam Jaeger, Ben Prendergast, Zac Chandler, Benedict Hardie, Beatriz Romilly, Milo Cawthorne, Leigh Whannell
release US/UK 17.Jan.25
25/US Universal 1h43

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As with Invisible Man, filmmaker Leigh Whannell reimagines a monster classic as an intimate horror movie, adding character textures to the nastiness. He also builds genuine suspense to crank things up, rather than relying only on cheap scares. And it might be the slowest, grisliest transformation from man to wolf ever put on screen. This helps the film grab hold even if the characters and plot feel rather underdeveloped.

When his missing father (Jaeger in the prologue) is declared dead, Blake (Abbott) returns to Oregon to sort out his rural farm, inviting his wife Charlotte (Garner) and their pre-teen daughter Ginger (Firth) along. But things take a turn even before they arrive, when they encounter a creature from local folklore on the road through the woods. Over the course of their first night in the farmhouse, Blake begins to show signs of a strange illness, even as he continues to protect Charlotte and Ginger, who aren't going down without a fight.

All of this is tightly contained in this beautiful woodland location over a single night, creating intensity that tightens in around us as we watch this already fragile family come together to battle something unthinkable. Unlike most werewolf movies, Blake's changing body isn't instantaneous, and Whannell inventively allows us to see the experience through his eyes as well as his wife's and daughter's. So if the plot feels rather formulaic, including one very predictable twist, there's at least something interesting going on here.

Abbott and Garner are such gifted actors that they can add remarkable nuance even with characters and situations as simplistic as these. This is especially impressive for Abbott, as Blake undergoes his gradual shift from man to beast, all while maintaining his underlying humanity. And even if she spends rather a lot of time running and screaming, Garner gives Charlotte's step-up to action a gritty undercurrent that's unusually compelling. Firth also has some strong moments as the bewildered but plucky Ginger.

With a steady stream of original ideas, the film holds the interest, surprising us by approaching familiar scenes through new perspectives. The shifting point of view between Blake and his family is fascinating to watch, and beautifully rendered with imagery and sound. The location is spectacular, when we can see it. And the emotional intensity gives the action a nice kick. So it's a bit frustrating that the narrative itself feels so unambitious.

themes, language, violence 16.Jan.25

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