Wolf Man (2025): A Grounded Rebirth That Howls—But Fades
Wolf Man (2025): A Grounded Rebirth That Howls—But Fades
"A visually restrained, emotionally raw take on a classic monster—better in concept than execution." — 3/5 Stars
In 1941, Universal gave us Larry Talbot—a man cursed, not evil—whose lycanthropy was less a power than a prison. That tragic core made The Wolf Man endure. Now, Leigh Whannell’s 2025 reimagining honors that spirit: this is not a monster movie about spectacle, but about inherited trauma, loss of control, and the terror of becoming something you can’t recognize in the mirror.
Following the path blazed by The Invisible Man (2020)—another Universal reboot that traded gothic grandeur for psychological realism—Wolf Man strips the myth down to its emotional bones. Blake (Christopher Abbott) returns to his remote Oregon childhood home with his wife Charlotte (Julia Garner Ozark, Weapons) and daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth), hoping to mend a fraying marriage. But when a feral creature attacks their farmhouse, Blake begins to unravel—his body betraying him in ways that feel less like transformation and more like possession.
The cast is uniformly excellent—far better than the script deserves. Abbott (Men, Catch-22) delivers a performance of quiet desperation, his eyes hollowed by guilt and dread. Garner (Ozark) brings fierce, grounded warmth as Charlotte, while young Matilda Firth holds her own as Ginger. Sam Jaeger (The Americans) adds crucial texture as Grady, a local with his own buried history. Together, they sell the family’s love and fear so convincingly, you almost forgive the film for not knowing what to do with them.
First Half: Dread in the Woods
The first hour is masterful. Whannell leans into naturalism: handheld camerawork, muted colors, the creak of floorboards, the howl of wind. The werewolf is glimpsed in shadows, felt more than seen. Practical effects dominate—claws, fur, distorted limbs—and when CGI is used (notably in “wolf vision” sequences), it’s serviceable but unremarkable. There’s one transformation scene, and while it uses digital enhancement, it’s tasteful and never overwrought. This is horror as intimacy, not fireworks.
Second Half: Lost in the Fog
But as the night wears on, the film loses its way. The pacing drags, the tension dissipates, and the themes—fatherhood, control, inherited violence—remain frustratingly muddled. Is Blake a victim or a threat? Is the curse biological or psychological? The script hints at answers but never commits. By the end, it feels less like a myth and more like a mood piece that forgot its destination.
And that’s the tragedy: as an origin story, this may be all we ever get. There’s no sequel setup—just a standalone portrait of a man becoming a monster, left unresolved. It’s not terrible (despite some 1-star takes)—it’s painfully average for a big-budget horror: competent, atmospheric, but ultimately forgettable.
“It’s not the curse that haunts you—it’s the man you were before it.”
I don’t regret watching it. It’s a sincere, visually coherent take on a classic. But unlike The Invisible Man, which weaponized its premise with razor-sharp clarity, The Wolf Man howls into the void—and gets no echo.
Final Verdict: A grounded, well-acted horror with a strong first act and a meandering finish. Not a new classic—but not a waste of time. 3/5 stars.
Official trailer for The Wolf Man (2025)
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