Leigh Whannell's The Invisible Man was so good, it (almost) made us forget about the Dark Universe, Universal's failed attempt to revive their classic monsters into a shared universe – which ended up lasting for precisely one movie, The Mummy.
And now, Whannell is back with another standalone revival of a classic Universal Monster in Wolf Man. At one stage, it had Ryan Gosling starring and Derek Cianfrance directing, but it now arrives in cinemas with Whannell at the helm and Christopher Abbott in the lead role.
As with The Invisible Man, Whannell – alongside co-writer Corbett Tuck this time – has delivered an innovative, grounded take on the classic monster, framing it as a tragic disease rather than focusing on the fantastical element.
If not quite as successful or memorable as his previous movie, Wolf Man still proves an entertaining horror watch to kickstart the year.
In an effort to salvage their marriage, Blake and Charlotte (the always-watchable Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner) decide to take a trip to Blake's childhood home in rural Oregon with their daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth).
Blake's father went missing years ago in the wilderness and has now legally been declared dead, so alarm bells should already be ringing. And sure thing, as soon as they arrive, they're attacked by an unseen animal in the forest.
Barely escaping a crash that kills the only other person living in the area, Blake, Charlotte and Ginger manage to make it into the house and barricade themselves inside. But when Blake starts to act strangely, Charlotte realises that they might have trapped themselves in the house with the real danger.
Unlike the 2010 remake starring Benicio Del Toro, Wolf Man is more of a reimagining of the werewolf mythos that the 1941 movie popularised rather than a direct remake. With the single location and only the three characters on-screen for the majority of the runtime, it's a more contained, intimate werewolf story.
It allows the movie to explore the human tragedy of the set-up where a couple who try to fix their communication issues find themselves no longer able literally to communicate. Whannell treats this version of a werewolf as a disease, Charlotte losing Blake in front of her very eyes, and the tight focus heightens the final act's emotion.
It does come at the expense of more thrills, however. Wolf Man might be engaging, but it's not particularly scary. It does boast some gory sequences (including a nod to one of Saw's most iconic moments) and a transformation that has wince-inducing beats involving fingernails and teeth, but you won't be terrified.
The transformation itself will likely split opinion, too. Largely achieved using impressive prosthetics, it's aimed at ensuring Blake is recognisable even in the later stages and isn't your usual werewolf look. It works within the context of the movie but could put off werewolf purists.
What should be applauded is the excellent use of visual storytelling to put the audience in Blake's perspective as he transforms. Shifts in the sound design and lighting convey how Blake's senses improve, with scenes playing out from his POV and Charlotte's POV to highlight the differences.
It's an innovative and stylish approach, which also folds in dialogue changes to heighten Blake's isolation. Whannell wants you to feel for this particular wolf man, and while it might come at the expense of a terrifying finale, it works to make it an affecting one instead.
You might be wishing that Wolf Man had more bite, but it will leave you wanting Leigh Whannell to bring another Universal Monster to life.
Wolf Man is released in cinemas on January 17.
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Ian Sandwell
Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.