Leigh Whannell follows up his 2020 hit, ‘The Invisible Man,’ with a haunting and visceral creature feature, “Wolf Man”.

The story centers on Blake (Christopher Abbott), a nurturing father who takes his family to rural Oregon to settle his estranged father’s estate, only to confront the same werewolf-like creature he encountered as a child. 

As Blake succumbs to his wounds and begins transforming, the film explores the scars parents leave on their children, though it falters in deeply connecting his childhood trauma to the present. 

While the dialogue often feels heavy-handed and on-the-nose, Whannell’s mastery of tension and relentless horror shines, delivering chilling set pieces that compensate for the script’s weaker moments, and caused me terrible anxiety.

Abbott’s layered performance anchors the film, which is bolstered by stunning practical effects that depict the werewolf transformation as a grotesque disease in graphic, gory detail reminiscent of David Cronenberg’s The Fly. Julia Garner also brings quiet strength to her role as Blake’s wife, though the chemistry between the leads is lacking. 

The final act unleashes unrelenting terror, with inventive cinematography and sound design immersing viewers in Blake’s crumbling psyche. Darkness is as much of a villain as the werewolf itself.

Wolf Man amplifies its fear factor and delivers a wild, nerve-shredding ride. It’s an effective, chilling experience that horror fans won’t want to miss and that will replay in my nightmares for years to come.

In my latest review I discuss the missed opportunities of the screenplay, the stunning VFX work and sound design that enhance the scares and the scene that creeped me out the most.

Letter Grade: B

About The Author

Founder, Deputy Awards Editor

Matthew Koss is the Deputy Awards Editor at Awards Focus and a Senior Film and TV Coverage Partner.

He is the host and creator of the weekly YouTube series The Wandering Screen with Matt Koss, which features dynamic reviews of all the latest film and TV releases. His writing has also appeared in The Movie Buff, Voyage LA, and ScreenRant, and he is a moderator for post-screening Q&As.

Since joining Awards Focus in 2020, Matthew has interviewed A-list talent, including Academy Award nominee Maggie Gyllenhaal, Emmy winner Alex Borstein, and Lovecraft Country’s Jonathan Majors, across film and TV. He also appears on red carpets for major studios and film festivals, most recently with Netflix's The Crown and Hulu’s The Bear.

After moving from Melbourne, Australia, to Los Angeles in 2014, Matthew has worked in various areas of the entertainment industry, including talent and literary representation, film/TV development as a Creative Executive, and at film festivals as a Regional Manager. Matthew is also a screenwriting consultant, most recently partnering with Roadmap Writers, where he conducted private, multi-week mentorship consultations, roundtables, and monthly coaching programs.

Matthew is also a producer, and he recently appeared at the Los Angeles Shorts International Film Festival with his film Chimera, directed by Justin Hughes.

He continues to work with entertainment companies such as Warner Bros. Discovery, Zero Gravity Management, Sundance Institute, and MGMT Entertainment.

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