Like its monstrous title character, Wolf Man can't escape the impression of a film that exists halfway between two completely different worlds. Those bracing themselves for a viewing experience as visceral, intense and culturally impactful as The Invisible Man would do well to temper those expectations. In all fairness, both films are trying to achieve extremely different goals with characters that are completely different from each other. Even with that caveat, though, there's no getting around the uncomfortable reality that several deep-rooted narrative and creative issues hold The Wolf Man back from too many twists and turns.

The problems start with the casting, surprisingly enough. Christopher Abbott has firmly established himself as one of our most reliable character actors with a gifted eye for choosing the right projects. And, in this instance, his ability to transform himself into a nervous, sweaty but benevolent wreck of a man is the perfect prelude to his disturbing transformation(s) later in the story. Once the Wolf Man finally appears properly, Abbott's physical performance is only bettered by his deeply sad and horrifying eyes peering out from behind the monster he has become. Julia Garner similarly makes full use of her unparalleled presence as a performer, bringing a brittle courage her character hardly knows she possesses. However, the dynamic between the two, upon which much of the emotional heavy lifting relies, never feels as compelling as it should. The dialogue does them no favors, with horribly stilted and unnaturally direct lines that clash with the rest of the picture. (After this, I never want to hear a bad word about M. Night Shyamalan's dialogue again!)

Whannell seems almost distracted by his efforts to make us care about these protagonists, which comes at the expense of making The Wolfman as terrifying as he could be. There are some effective jump scares and no shortage of nausea-inducing body horror to keep us on our toes, but otherwise the film relies heavily on foreboding and brilliant sound design - full credit goes to the entire sound department, along with the Score of composer Benjamin Walfisch, which often evokes images of trampling feet chasing our heroes - to supply the tension. Whatever may be said about it, however, this is a true sensory experience in every sense of the phrase. This extends to cinematographer Stefan Duccio's camerawork and often abstract lighting, which works hand-in-hand with Whannell's innovative choice to show us the world through the eyes and ears of the Wolf Man at several key moments. Horror fans will appreciate the use of practical effects and careful VFX enhancements in the various design iterations of the eponymous creature, but even this falls short of the hype.

By the time The Wolf Man wraps things up with an ending that's just a little bit also neat and tidy, viewers will be left to ponder missed opportunities rather than brave paths. Fortunately, even a modest Whannell misfire is worth seeing, especially when so much care and effort has gone into every aspect of its construction. There's still plenty to enjoy here... as long as you don't expect this monster's bite to match its bark.

/Movie rating: 6 out of 10

The Wolfman will hit theaters on January 17, 2025.