Wolf Man: Critics Split on Thrills vs. Character Flaws

by

Blumhouse returns this year with another horror movie, Leigh Whannell’s “Wolf Man”, a modernized remake of the 1941 classic “The Wolf Man”. Unlike some who view January as a place for mediocre horror films, the early release of reviews for “Wolf Man” suggests that Blumhouse learned from their previous early release, “Night Swim”. This new film seems to be an ambitious contribution to Universal’s ongoing series of monster movies, starting with “The Invisible Man” in 2020, but its character development may not quite match up to the original.

According to David Rooney’s critique from The Hollywood Reporter, he commends the acting skills of Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner as they effectively build suspense by portraying a deteriorating marriage under the pressure of escalating violence and cannibalism. However, the review notes that the script lacks depth psychologically compared to the intense psychological foundation built in the remake of The Invisible Man. Additionally, Will Sayre from MovieWeb found issues with the movie’s final act.

As a passionate cinema enthusiast, I found myself grappling with an issue in the third act of the movie, where Blake’s family was trying to flee. This particular sequence felt like it didn’t fully utilize the incredible talents of the award-winning actress, Jennifer Garner. She seemed to be merely going through the motions, and her role felt limited to running and screaming. By the end, her portrayal of terror felt more akin to real-life frustration at having to reenact the same survival sequence repeatedly to fill up that last half-hour. It struck me that if Wolf Man had been trimmed down by even this much, it could have been a significantly better film.

Meagan Navarro from Bloody Disgusting offered a favorable yet nuanced review, describing the film as “polarizing.” She praised director and screenwriter James Wan and his wife Corbett Tuck for deviating from the 1941 original film’s narrative. According to Navarro, this fresh approach transforms the horror classic into a contemporary perspective, breaking all conventional werewolf film rules in the process. This unique reimagining of the Wolf Man mythology makes James Wan’s interpretation an ambitious yet divisive endeavor.

Navarro commended Abbott’s performance and Wan’s decision to showcase Blake Lovell’s transformation throughout the entire movie, creating gripping body horror sequences as he morphs from human to beast. However, she felt that Wan’s exploration of generational trauma within a fragmented family unit, featuring Garner and Abbott’s daughter Ginger Lovell (Matilda Firth), was hindered by the family being “thrust into an intense survive-the-night ordeal that leaves little space for character development.

Critics Believe ‘Wolf Man’ Offers Up Solid Scares But Lacks Meaningful Character Arcs

According to Bilge Ebiri from Vulture, the film offers some effective scares and acknowledges Whannell’s skill in creating terrifying horror scenes. However, he points out that the film is only “partially complete,” or in other words, it feels like just half of a movie.

Although the movie offers exhilarating moments, its character development falls short. The initial scenes focusing on Blake’s relationships with his father, daughter, and wife appear more like decorative elements rather than integral parts of the story. Initially, it seems as though the film aims to explore how a father’s mistakes impact his son, but eventually, it appears to abandon this theme – suggesting that the movie might have been intended to be more profound before genre constraints took over.

David Ehrlich from Indiewire criticized the movie “Wolf Man” as a “disappointing January production that’s dark but lacks bite.” He explained further that the film is “murky, lacking humor, and marred by unconvincing special effects.” Despite the fact that the prosthetics are well-made, Ehrlich points out that their overly realistic design often turns into comedy when the movie strays from its emotional center. Finally, he concludes his review by stating that “Wolf Man” is a semi-wild drama about parental fears, but it fails to be frightening enough to make those concerns relevant to the on-screen action. Essentially, the movie shies away from its potential with its tail between its legs.

In every case, it’s crucial to watch a movie personally. It’s worth noting that some of the initial social media responses from last week were overwhelmingly positive and hailed the film as an impressive contribution to the body horror subgenre. Our review acknowledged its more realistic approach, although it might not have fully achieved the intended effect.

The story revolves around Blake Lovell, a man who moves his family – his wife Charlotte and daughter Ginger – to San Francisco after inheriting his childhood home. However, the house was left empty by his absentee father following a baffling disappearance. A chilling event occurs when their peaceful life is disrupted during a full moon, as they are assaulted by a werewolf that targets Blake specifically. As days pass, Blake starts undergoing a horrifying transformation, and this new form now endangers the lives of his wife and daughter relentlessly.

Wolf Man hits screens this Friday.

Read More

2025-01-15 22:31