By John Corrado

Director Leigh Whannell is no stranger to taking horror properties and turning them into domestic dramas, having already followed this model in his 2020 film The Invisible Man.

Now Whannell and producer Jason Blum shift their attention to another one of the Universal Classic Monsters in Wolf Man, turning the lycanthropic tale into a contained story about fatherhood and parental fears. But the results are a lot more mixed this time around.

Christopher Abbott stars in the film as Blake Lovell, who is introduced as a young father. Due to a troubled relationship with his own dad (Sam Jaeger), shown in the film’s opening hunting trip flashback, Blake tries to control how he acts around his daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth).

Ginger shares a close bond with her dad, while her mother Charlotte (Julia Garner) wishes that she was closer to her. When Blake receives notice of his father’s death, he travels to the remote cabin in Oregon where he grew up to settle the estate. He brings along his wife and daughter, hoping the time away will serve as a reset for their family. But they start to be pursued by a monster in the woods, that leaves Blake suffering mysterious injuries.

Turning this horror property into a domestic family drama is a decent gambit – it worked wonders in Invisible Man – but Wolf Man by comparison feels pretty thin. The screenplay, which Whannell co-wrote with his wife Corbett Tuck, does introduce some interesting themes about the unresolved trauma that parents pass down to their kids, using the werewolf transformation as an allegory for uncontrolled anger. But a lot of the story feels half-formed and fairly predictable. The ideas and character outlines are there, but they remain underdeveloped.

Still, on a technical level, Whannell is a gifted enough filmmaker to stage some suspenseful set-pieces, despite working with the limited setting and cast. He’s able to achieve a sense of atmosphere, through cinematographer Stefan Duscio’s moody photography of the rural backdrops, and some intricate sound design. The body horror transformation that Blake undergoes is also fairly impressive, mostly achieved through makeup and practical effects (the filmmakers opt for more of a humanoid werewolf look here, as opposed to going full American Werewolf in London).

Abbott in particular delivers a strong performance, notably sharing a believable paternal bond with Firth that sells their scenes together. But the pacing is somewhat stilted, and Wolf Man builds to something that feels like it doesn’t entirely live up to its own promise. It leaves the film as a whole feeling like pretty thin soup, though there are still some solid horror elements throughout. The 4K presentation also does a fine job highlighting what is often a fairly dark picture.

Film Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)

Bonus Features (4K Ultra HD):

The 4K disc includes four “behind the scenes” featurettes and a director’s commentary track. A regular Blu-ray is included in the package, which ships with a glossy slipcover.

• Unleashing a New Monster (8 minutes, 7 seconds): Whannell and company talk about their grounded approach to the characters, and shooting in New Zealand.

• Designing Wolf Man (8 minutes, 54 seconds): Special make-up effects designer Arjen Tuiten takes us through the prosthetics and practical effects used for the werewolf transformation.

• Hands-On Horror (6 minutes, 51 seconds): Looks at the use of practical effects behind several of the big set-pieces in the film, including the truck suspended in the trees.

• Nightmares and Soundscapes (6 minutes, 56 seconds): Director of Photography Stefan Duscio talks about the unique look of the film, including those “wolf vision” scenes, as well as the heightened sound design.

• Feature Commentary with Director/Co-Writer Leigh Whannell

Wolf Man is a Universal Pictures Home Entertainment release. It’s 103 minutes and rated 14A.

Street Date: March 18th, 2024