Christopher Abbott Changes in Classic Gory Reboot

After the quiet success of the 2020 reboot The invisible man, hampered by the closure of theaters during the pandemic but critically acclaimed, Universal and Blumhouse decided to take on a proud member of the studio’s famous classic monster franchise that also includes Frankenstein and Dracula. In this case, it’s 1941 that sends shivers down your spine The Wolf Man, in which Lon Chaney Jr. played the memorable title character.

Creating an entirely new story for a contemporary setting, director and co-writer (with Corbett Tuck) Leigh Whannell returns after so skillfully reinventing The invisible man as a female-centric horror story about domestic violence, among other issues. This film for my money was one of the most impressive of all recent horror films, as it not only took a legendary figure of terror, but made him relevant in all kinds of unexpected ways for audiences, especially with a powerful lead performance from Elisabeth Moss.

With The wolfman, Christopher Abbott takes on the title role of a family man named Blake Lovell in present-day San Francisco whose devotion to his 8-year-old daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth) is unquestioned but whose marriage to the breadwinner, journalist Charlotte (Julia Garner). ), hit rock bottom in terms of communication between the two. It’s here that Whannell dives back into contemporary issues by showing how we change in relationships, and in this case, it’s literally.

Before getting into the details of Blake’s current life and times, the film offers an opening sequence set 30 years earlier in the Oregon woods in which Grady (Sam Jaeger), the father surviving young son Blake (played at this age by Zac Chandler), attempts to immerse his boy in the harsh outdoor lifestyle he leads. This includes hunting and other types of macho madness that Blake rebels against, a divide that was never truly bridged, and a father/son bond that was completely shattered when Grady simply disappeared.

30 years later, when Blake learns that his father has died and left him the family cabin in Oregon. With the keys in hand, he convinces Charlotte that it might help their marriage to go up and spend some time deep in the woods to perhaps rekindle what they’ve lost. So they head north with Ginger in the backseat in a rented U-Haul.

It’s not everything as Blake remembered it as a child, as he finds himself lost when a risky-looking local (Benedict Hardie) shows up to offer help, saying he remembers Blake – who doesn’t really remember. him – and can direct it towards the house. He jumps into the U-Haul, but after a horrific moment where Blake sees a strange human-shaped creature in the road, the vehicle spins out of control in the woods, hanging over the edge. The local is dead and the battered family must trek on foot, soon finding the cabin but also pursued by a deadly beast as they breathlessly attempt to get inside.

This is only the beginning of the real terror as, in true Wolf Man fashion, Blake undergoes frightening bodily changes – first a tooth falls out, then much more bloody effects after almost being pulled through the gate of the dog by an invisible creature. Soon he begins to change physically and mentally, and the real horror lies not only in those prosthetics so effectively created by Jane O’Kane and Arjen Tuiten, but also in Charlotte’s face as she sees her husband transform into someone. ‘one she no longer recognizes.

Whannell is too smart to let this all drift into predictable 2025 horror territory, but he also tries, as he did in The invisible man, to give his story real relevance. And that’s what makes it work so well, even if the scares are slow in coming. However, when Blake starts gnawing off pieces of his body, everything kicks off; so have no fear, the blood presentation is very generous.

We’ve seen many variations on this over the years, including The Howling, An American Werewolf in London, Teen Wolf, Wolf with Jack Nicholson filtered through Mike Nichols, and even Dusk. The list has gone on and on since the 1930s, and it’s to Whannell’s credit that it’s still going strong.

Abbott throws herself into the role with complete relish and succeeds for the most part, as does Garner, such a good actress, who too often has to look horrified. Firth is an effective young actress and does what is asked of her, and Jaeger (The Handmaid’s Tale)in only the first part of the film, creates an all-too-believable man who gives in to the myths of the barren land he loves so much. Production design by Ruby Mathers and photography by Stefan Duscio – who worked with Whannell on The invisible man — is exceptional, as is Benjamin Wallfisch’s classically influenced musical score.

Producers are Jason Blum and Ryan Gosling, the latter of whom at one point attached to star in the picture.

Title: Wolfman
Distributer: Universal images
Release date: January 17, 2025
Director: Leigh Whannell
Screenwriters: Leigh Whannell and Corbett Tuck
Cast: Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, Sam Jaeger, Matilda Firth, Benedict Hendie, Ben Prendergast, Zac Chandler, Milo Cawthorne
Rating: A.
Operating time: 1h 43m