Wolf Man
Full disclosure "The Wolf Man (1941)" is one of my favourite movies, as I've said several times in the last few years as they try to mine new versions of old classics ("Nosferatu", "The Last Voyage of The Demeter", and a few years back "The Invisible Man"). And to be completely fair most of them have been pretty darn respectable. "The Invisible Man" was so successful in fact that they gave its director, Leigh Whannell, control over this new "Wolf Man". And although this new adaptation doesn't reach the heights "The Invisible Man" did, it's a damned respectable try.
The movie falls short in its characters. Certain decisions seem out of place, and there isn't really any growth to be seen throughout the runtime. But that said, all the roles are acted very well. So much so that you can carry on to the end without being bothered too much by their decisions.
There is an element here that you might not appreciate if you aren't a fan of the original, and that is in fact the design of the titular Wolf Man. I've seen people complain that this isn't even a werewolf, and to a degree you're right - it's a modernization of "The Wolf Man". And the design is definitely heavily based on the original. They realized this through practical effects throughout, which I respect the Hell out of, including a practical transformation moment. For that alone I'm satisfied with the care given to this take on the subject. But if you've never seen the original, I can understand your confusion. Most people think of werewolves like "The Howling" or in more modern movies like the "Underworld" series.
There are a few really excellent moments that build tension, create scares and flesh out the transformation. It's a slow burn movie and I liked that, but I can easily see how a certain audience might struggle.
It's got great cinematography and sound design as well. In all honesty, there are a lot of things I really liked about the movie. And it's short. It's just that, there really isn't much happening with the characters, they don't really change much (not literally, because they DO change...literally... Well, you know what I mean). And there are some elements from the original that I can sense are there thematically, but they're never explicitly said or explored. I would be really curious to see if there will be a director's cut or something, because I feel like there were a lot of ideas that ended up on the cutting room floor.
At the end of the day, did "Wolf Man" blow me away? No. But is it a completely reasonable modern take with some really fun moments? Yes. And of course, practical effects. I definitely think it's worth a watch if you don't mind a slow burn body horror.
7.5/10
