Wolf Man
Warning: This article contains spoilers forWolf Man.
Much like withThe Invisible Man, Whannell connectsWolf Mans horror tropes with a real-world social issue.
Gwen is the proprietor of the local antique shop that Larry falls for.
Gwen continually rejects Larrys proposals for a date, because shes engaged to a man named Frank.
The whole thing isa monstrous metaphor for unrequited love.
1941’sThe Wolf Manwas Universal’s second werewolf movie after the less successfulWerewolf of Londonin 1935.
Joe Johnstons 2010 remake,The Wolfman, put even more emphasis on the romantic element.
Its what makes an otherwise standard monster movie unusually sad.
Its what makes the audience care about the human being underneath all the fur.
Wolf Man, released on January 15, 2025, follows Blake and his wife Charlotte as they visit his secluded childhood home in rural Oregon. After a mysterious animal attack, they become trapped inside, and Charlotte is forced to confront Blake’s disturbing transformation amidst growing tension and fear.
The main focus oftheWolf Manmoviesis, of course, the werewolves themselves.
Its what makes an otherwise standard monster movie unusually sad.
Its whatmakes the audience care about the human being underneath all the fur.
There was a lot of potential in this setup.
Stanley Kubrick used that tool to deeply disturbing effect with Jack and Wendy Torrance inThe Shining.
But inWolf Man, it didnt work.
They have the dramatic chops to elevate a well-worn horror story with depth and nuance.
But the problem is that they just dont share any on-screen chemistry.
Buttheir romantic chemistry with each other inWolf Manjust isnt convincing.
When theyre in scenes together, they both seem like theyd rather be anywhere else.
But thats not the only problem withWolf Mans love story.
Theres also the issue with the scriptnot giving the characters a chance to feel really connected.
It dives into its werewolf story too quickly to explore their romantic difficulties in any real depth.
It dives into its werewolf story too quickly to explore their romantic difficulties in any real depth.
In its first act,Wolf Mancuts right to the chase.
