Leigh Gannell's half-baked scare fest will make you tear up

Like its monstrous title character, The Wolfman can't escape the impression of a film that exists halfway between two very different worlds. Those preparing for a viewing experience as visceral, intense and culturally harsh as The Invisible Man would do well to temper those expectations. To be fair, the two films are trying to achieve extremely different goals with characters that are completely different from each other. Even with that caveat, however, there's no getting around the uncomfortable reality that some deep-rooted narrative and creative issues hold The Wolfman back from taking one too many turns.

Surprisingly, the problems start with the casting. Christopher Abbott is firmly established as one of our most reliable character actors with a gifted eye for picking the right projects. And in this case, his ability to transform into a nervous, sweaty but well-meaning wreck of a man is the perfect prelude to his disturbing transformation(s) later in the story. When the Wolf Man finally makes his proper appearance, Abbott's physical performance is bested only by his deeply sad and terrifying eyes that stare out from the monster he has become. Julie Garner likewise makes the most of her unparalleled presence as a performer, bringing a fragile courage her character barely knows she possesses. However, the dynamic between the two, upon which so much of the emotional weight rests, never feels as compelling as it should. The dialogue doesn't do them any favors either, hamstringing both leads with horribly choppy and unnaturally straight lines that are at odds with the rest of the picture. (After that, I don't want to hear another bad word about M. Night Shyamalan's dialogue!)

Gannell seems almost distracted in his efforts to make us care about these characters, making The Wolfman as scary as it could have been. There are some effective jump scares and no shortage of nausea-inducing body horror to keep us on our toes, but otherwise the film relies heavily on its foreboding tone and excellent sound design – all credit goes to the entire sound department, as well as composer Benjamin Walfisch's score. which often creates a character chasing after our characters on stomatal legs – to build tension. However, whatever one might say about it, this is a true sensory experience in every sense of the phrase. This also applies to cinematographer Stefano Duscio's cinematography and often abstract lighting, which work hand-in-hand with Wannella's innovative choice to show us the world through the eyes and ears of the Wolfman at several key moments. Horror fans will appreciate the use of practical effects and meticulous VFX tweaks in the various iterations of the eponymous creature design, but even that doesn't live up to the hype.

Until “Wolf Man” wraps things up with an ending that's just a bit also neat and tidy, viewers will be left pondering the missed opportunities rather than the bold paths. Fortunately, even a modest Whannell ignition release is worth looking at, especially when so much care and effort has gone into every aspect of its construction. There's still plenty of fun 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

“The Wolf Man” will be released in theaters on January 17, 2025.