“Wolf Man” (1941) is an incredible classic horror tale seated among the ranks of Frankenstein and Dracula, and the 2025 remake is a creative parody of the source material.
Wait. It’s not a parody?
Indeed, the most recent “Wolf Man” is the writer-power couple Leigh Whannell and Corbett Tuck’s genuine attempt at bringing this gothic story into the modern day. In fact, another studio tried to in 2010, and it went, somehow, even more poorly. So, this “Wolf Man” is really an upgrade.
We saw something immensely similar to “Wolf Man” at the tail end of last year, with an alright reprisal of “Nosferatu,” another 20th-century classic, which, in retrospect, I can admit I was too harsh on.
From the original film, the Wolfman has an interesting background and story, which are overall well executed in this remake. The family dynamic is projected fine, and the actors are fairly convincing, especially the wolfy Christopher Abbott. It’s just — the Wolfman isn’t exactly a wolf.
Not everyone wants a Van Helsing or Del Toro type of creature. Except that they do. It’s hard to write a convincing werewolf with no mention of the moon, the curse and a beast that not only looks remarkably human but one that also looks the same the entire movie.
Imagine if Blake Lovell, the Wolfman, first transitions into the sickly wolf they portray, but by the end morphs into a corrupt, twisted actual werewolf. Just an idea.
The body horror interpretation is an interesting take, but what really sells it is how the perspective changes during his transformation. Honestly, messing with the cinematography is one of the best things they could have done for an 80-year-old IP, and they did it well.
“Wolf Man” is an acceptable film. If you’re unfamiliar with these original horror icons, movies like Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu” and Leigh Whannel’s “Wolf Man” are good places to start. They meet 21st-century expectations while telling a compelling, classic story.
In fact, Frankenstein’s monster is next in line to receive an update from director Guillermo Del Toro. The cleverly titled “Frankenstein” is set to release in November this year and can hopefully take the ideas of “Wolf Man” with a little better execution.
