Rent Wolf Man (2025)

Something Jumps Out in Front of the Van! Brake or Swerve off the Road? Hmmmm...... - Wolf Man review by The REAL Film Cricket

Leigh Whannell reimagined The Invisible Man and updated the tale from the older film and here with Wolf Man he has at least stayed consistent. I have not seen the remade Invisible Man for reasons I will not go into here so I cannot comment on it but in general it has garnered positive opinions in general. So, modernising and giving his own slant on 1941’s The Wolf Man would seem promising.

I must first add that as a young lad Lon Chaney Jnr as the tortured Larry Talbot was my most favourite ‘horror’ film and stuck with me on my journey into adulthood. So much so I was fascinated with werewolves for decades. Therefore, my feelings and judgement on this outing might be somewhat slanted and biased.

The story itself is very self-contained and I have to applaud the slow burn build-up in this day and age of flashing lights and explosions from the opening minute, although I have to say despite my genuine admiration, I did find the early parts boring and long-winded. In fact I had to pause the Blu Ray to do something and I was convinced twenty or so minutes had passed but it was in fact around seven!

Perhaps it was the script or acting but neither Blake, Ginger or Charlotte appealed to me and I was not looking forward to being in their company early on.

Eventually we moved to part of the story where the action happens and suddenly we are plunged into gloomy darkness and difficult to see moments – again.

Without just repeating the story scene for scene I was disappointed in a director repeat horror film tropes, who supposedly was re-writing them and giving them a modern, different slant. Not even good tropes either. My biggest sore-thumb gripe is in American films where we see when something jumps out into the road in front of a driver they never apply the brakes but swerve off the road causing a massive accident. This has actually happened to me recently and I avoided the deer and stopped in the road. I did not drive into the loch by the side of the road screaming.

Talking of screaming, I am sure a lot of ladies reading this do not default to loud screaming the moment there is problem in the dark.

The horror part of the story, which was in a way meant to tug at your heartstrings slightly, was disappointing and for me actually dull. The creature’s behaviour, and filming from their points of view, was dull and illogical and the make-up, praised by many, was once again a slightly bald half naked man – keeps clothes on though – with bad teeth and long fingernails.

Call me a moany old man, but 1941’s The Wolf Man was actually sadder and more wistful than 2025s with Lon Chaney Jnr actually a hairy wolf monster (admittedly he keeps his clothes on but it was 1941) and he is tormented and terrified of what he is over the course of the film, not one night. It was more involving and more emotional.

I like hairy werewolves that look like proper monsters, and the effect they have on their world, not two other people.

I think Whannell’s intentions were genuine and he made a good effort but something was not correct with Wolf Man. It was not scary and go sillier the more terrifying it was meant to be and to be frank way before the ending I was bored. I was not emotionally attached to survivors or scared and saddened by the victim.

It does not end well for Blake the Wolf Man in the murky darkness of pretend Oregon and he is left behind and finished, same for this film I am sorry to say. I will never watch this again, unless by accident.

Turgid werewolf melodrama - Wolf Man review by Alphaville

Leigh Whannell has made some good films (Upgrade, The Invisible Man). This tedious affair of a family man turning into a werewolf in an old farmhouse in the woods isn’t one of them. After a promising opening it turns into an entirely predictable tale that takes place in dim light over the course of a single night. His wife and daughter act worried. For prosthetics fans only.

Just about O.K - Wolf Man review by KB

I would rate this as 2 & a half. It just about keeps it head above water. There's is a bit of suspense but i didn't think it was scary. Some of the action scenes are visually dark (almost on purpose ,so that it doesn't look silly ) & it was hard to make out what was going on. On the plus side the film isn't too long as any longer it would have started dragging.