Wolf Man – Movie Reviews by Ry!

Wolf Man – Beast in the Family: Will You Be … My Protector?

When you think about movies, what is the first thought that comes?  The feelings that bring people to the big screen are defined by many traits.  One reason that brings us to the movies is the genre.  For many, one of those genres that always gets people to come … is horror.  From gothic to slasher, there is a surreal notion that makes you feel that escape, an explicit touch of scare.  If a horror movie can build that tension … then you can overlook many other misgivings, sometimes.  In this review, I look at the latest horror film to hit the big screen.  From a simple premise with predictable means, Wolf Man is a tense horror film that brings about a question of … what will you do for family?

When a simple countryside trip turns upside down, one family will discover the truth of secrets … and must choose what is most important to save each other.  From the onset, the aspect of what becomes relevant (to the viewer) is … does the horror achieve its goal.  From slashers to thrillers, the idea is to scare; build a tension that is horrific, vile and sometimes unworldly.  With this film, it realizing what it is and never trying to do too much beyond the premise.  In the beginning, we get a general prologue that introduces us to the situation: there is an unknown ‘creature’ that has haunted the Oregon wilderness for years, a creature that has caused a difficult childhood for Blake, who was raised by his estranged father in this same wilderness.  This ‘basic’ foundation propels us 30 years into the present, where we are introduced to our main characters: Charlotte (Julia Garner), Blake (Christopher Abbott) and their daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth).  After a series of conversational moments, Blake gets a letter from the state of Oregon that his father has been declared deceased.  This becomes the catalyst that propels the family to leave San Francisco and head to Blake’s childhood home.  From this point, the film connects the ‘prologue’ elements to the present, as a certain crash reveals the mysterious creature, which causes the family to walk on foot to Blake’s childhood home.  Once there, Blake’s health begins to falter, a consequence of the encounter with the creature (from the accident).  He begins to experience an unusual transformation, an unexplained circumstance for the three involved.  As strange things begin to happen, the family is faced with two dilemmas: how to help their father/husband and how to escape the onslaught of the ‘unknown creature’.  This leads into a journey that begins as a linear narrative wrapped within elements of a ‘creature feature’ and ‘body horror’ techniques but slowly evolves into a character study focused on worth, family and trust.  This level of intrigue brings about questions for our trio; can Charlotte and Ginger trust Blake, and can Blake keep some sense of humanity with his predicament.  For all the predictability at play, the focus on the trio brings that raw tension, a true sense of the scare.

As Blake’s situation starts to unravel, it leads into a series of odd (but predictable) encounters that happen between him, his family and the other creature stalking outside.  This leads through a series of atmospheric like moments, pushing the mood through vile interactions and horrific encounters.  As certain revelations are made, it starts to become a question of how the family will survive the night.  As the three are at a dire crossroads, we head into a third act that becomes a tale of survival.  As the family is faced with the ultimate confrontation, we head into a full circle climax and epilogue.  Wolf Man is a horror film that plays it safe in its own foundation.  If you are a fan of horror, creature features or simple narratives, this is one for you.  For others, I believe there is still enough for a good time.  

Full Score – 3 out of 5 (Theater Discount)