The moment we first caught a glimpse of Wolf Man's titular monster during last year's Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, it was clear Blumhouse's take on the iconic character would be divisive.
In terms of creature design, it's not what fans expected and definitely not what the majority wanted. Alas, it now sounds like that's at least one of the contributing factors to filmmaker Leigh Whannell's take on the franchise being too light on scares in a reboot that lacks bite.
The review embargo lifted today and while some critics enjoyed this fresh take on the most iconic of all werewolves, most agree that Wolf Man is a far cry from the edge-of-your-seat horror movie Whannell delivered with The Invisible Man in 2020.
According to Variety, "'Wolf Man' wants to say something — about the fear of inheriting aggression or mental illness from our parents, perhaps — but winds up making him pathetic in the process." The Hollywood Reporter, meanwhile, acknowledges that "Even with some missteps and underwhelming dialogue, tension remains mostly high."
The Wrap had a better time with the movie, noting, "Leigh Whannell knows what makes werewolves tick, if not necessarily what makes them awesome to look at, and 'Wolf Man' is (mostly) better for it."
Unfortunately, The Guardian did not. "Leigh Whannell’s unfocused follow-up to The Invisible Man is a howling disappointment, misjudged and dull," reads the 2* review. The Independent says Wolf Man is "far too tame to be frightening" and adds, "Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner star in a film that feels jumbled and confused – by its end all you can ask is 'huh?'"
Empire concludes, "It doesn’t quite marry up underlying themes with its hairy horror surface, but Wolf Man delivers strong performances, skin-crawling bodily changes and excellently scary sequences." Total Film awards it the highest score of any outlet with 4*. "Leigh Whannell has done it again, bringing his talents back to the world of Universal monsters with a worthy update to another horror icon," the site promises.
IGN's 6/10 verdict states, "Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man boasts some impressive filmmaking and fresh spins on the how and why of a classic Universal Monster, but its story lacks bite." Finally, The Daily Beast opines that the movie "will leave audiences howling with boredom."
As a result of these reviews, Wolf Man currently has a "Rotten" 59% score based on 54 verdicts. It only needs one more percentage point to claw its way into "Fresh" territory so it will be worth keeping an eye on that as we head into opening weekend.
Wolf Man co-stars Sam Jaeger (The Handmaid’s Tale), Ben Prendergast (The Sojourn) and Benedict Hardie (The Invisible Man), with newcomer Zac Chandler, Beatriz Romilly (Shortland Street) and Milo Cawthorne (Shortland Street).
Wolf Man is directed by Whannell and written by Whannell & Corbett Tuck. The movie arrives in theaters on January 17, 2025.