Like its monstrous title character, “Wolf Man” can’t escape the impression of a movie that exists halfway between two very different worlds. Those bracing themselves for a viewing experience as visceral, intense, and culturally incisive as “The Invisible Man” would be best advised to lower those expectations. In all fairness, both movies are attempting to pull off extremely different goals with characters utterly unlike one another. Yet even with that caveat, there’s no getting around the uncomfortable reality that a few deeply-ingrained narrative and creative issues hold “Wolf Man” back at one too many turns.
The problems begin with the casting, surprisingly enough. Christopher Abbott has firmly established himself as one of our most reliable character actors with a gifted eye for choosing the right projects. And, in this instance, his ability to turn himself into a nervous, sweaty, but well-meaning wreck of a man is the perfect prelude to his disturbing transformation(s) later in the story. Once the Wolf Man finally makes a proper appearance, Abbott’s physical performance is only bested by his deeply sad and horrified eyes peeking out from behind the monster he’s become. Julia Garner similarly makes full use of her unparalleled presence as a performer, bringing a brittle courage that her character hardly even knows she possesses. Yet the dynamic between the two, upon which so much of the emotional heavy-lifting relies on, never feels as convincing as it needs to be. The dialogue does them no favors, either, cornering the two leads with awfully stilted and unnaturally direct lines that feel at odds with the rest of the picture. (After this, I never want to hear a bad word about M. Night Shyamalan’s dialogue again!)
Whannell almost seems distracted by his efforts to make us care for these protagonists, coming at the expense of making “Wolf Man” as terrifying as it could’ve been. There are a handful of effective jump scares and no shortage of nausea-inducing body horror to keep us on our toes, but otherwise the film depends heavily on the foreboding tone and brilliant sound design — all credit goes to the entire sound department, along with composer Benjamin Wallfisch’s score that frequently evokes the imagery of stomping feet chasing after our heroes — to supply the tension. Whatever else might be said about it, however, this is a true sensory experience in every sense of the phrase. This extends to the camerawork and oftentimes abstract lighting by cinematographer Stefan Duscio, which works hand in hand with Whannell’s innovative choice to show us the world through the eyes and ears of the Wolf Man during several key moments. Horror fans will appreciate the use of practical effects and careful VFX enhancements in the various iterations of the eponymous creature design, but even this fails to live up to the hype.
By the time “Wolf Man” wraps things up with an ending that’s just a bit too neat and tidy, viewers will be left to reflect on the opportunities missed rather than the bold roads taken. Fortunately, even a modest Whannell misfire is well worth a watch, particularly when so much care and effort has been poured into every facet of its construction. There’s still plenty of enjoyment to be had here … as long as you don’t expect this monster’s bite to match its bark.
/Film Rating: 6 out of 10
“Wolf Man” opens in theaters January 17, 2025.
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