There’s Something Evil Out In The Woods in Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man

There’s something evil out there in the woods  – in Wolf Man, people go missing never to be seen or heard of again. Say your prayers as terror is fast approaching…

Blake (Christopher Abbott), who is a writer between jobs, inherits the property of his father who mysteriously vanished 30 years earlier and is presumed deceased. He brings his wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) and daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth) to the cottage for summer situated in the dense dark woods of Oregon, where he hopes they will try to be happy as a family – but unfortunately this is not to be…

During a full moon Blake is attacked and clawed by a wolf of sorts and he slowly transforms into a dangerous creature, whose urges to kill his family cannot be contained.

Wolf Man which was directed and co-written by Leigh Whannell (who was responsible for the fear audiences experienced in 2020’s The Invisible Man), is a simplistic yet satisfying horror flick in which the terror is overshadowed by emotion. The scenes where Charlotte and Ginger must sit back in the barricaded farmhouse and watch helplessly as Blake deteriorates and transforms into a hideous creature are emotionally draining to watch.

There will be screams of horror, but what are most affective are the heart felt scenes, notably those with Ginger as she reluctantly comes to term that her father’s memory and love for his family are fading fast as he transforms into a savage beast.

Tension and suffocating suspense build quickly in Wolf Man. It’s like being on a rollercoaster ride – you want to get off, but you don’t really.

The transformation of the beast is realistic and visually terrifying to watch. The success of this movie lies on the pivotal cast of three who are virtually in every scene. They are credible as a family unit and their plight is highly compelling.

A special note must be made of 11-year-old actress Matilda Firth who delivers an outstanding performance portraying the young daughter whose emotions constantly alternate from terror to sadness and concern for her infected father.

Filmed in the picturesque forests of New Zealand this is a movie which boasts high production values and stands far ahead of similar horror flicks which have been panned over the years, owing to low budgets and repugnant cheesiness.

A final message to moviegoers who are intent on watching Wolf Man: be afraid… be very afraid!

Wolf Man

****

In Cinemas January 16