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The most crucial word in this film’s title is Man. That’s the crux behind Leigh Whannel’s new horror project—the masculine energy that exudes from one, only set apart by a man’s predisposition to sometimes feel.

Wolf Man is mainly set in the wilderness of Oregon. In the prologue, we follow a father and his son out hunting. The father wakes his son with a stern “ten-hut” and shows little emotion around him. The son daydreams in the forest, which raises concerns for his father. They live in a beautiful but unforgiving part of the land; one must always be attentive. My father was in the military; the one in the film is a big caricature, but I get the feeling Whannel was trying to pass. Ever had to deal with a parent whose whole ethos is so connected to the tight rules of the military that he can’t shake it off at home?

In that father-son outing, the two encounter a strange half-man/half-wolf creature that terrorises him. Later at night, the father talks on his CB Radio to another friend that “he’s going to hunt him down,” but we don’t see it happen. The movie then moves several decades into the future.

The son, Blake (Christopher Abbott), is now an adult living in the big city with his journalist wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) and their daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth). Blake is a writer in between jobs, so ultimately a stay-at-home father and Charlotte keeps the family afloat to the sacrifice of her relationship with her daughter. The news that Blake’s father was “declared dead” leads the family to visit the house in the Oregonian wilderness for the first time. And even before they arrive at the home, the creature attacks them and injures Blake. Or, to be more specific, infects him.

Wolf Man doesn’t take much from Curt Siodmak’s classic gothic horror novel, except the idea of a man’s transformation into a beast. It doesn’t take much from other classic movies around the same theme. The film feels small and contained, setting most of its action in and around the house with a minimal cast during the course of just one night – the creature torments the family while the father slowly transforms himself, and the mother is forced to kick her maternal instincts into gear.

What is interesting is how thoughtful Whannel is about the story. Bang for your buck; he’s probably the genre filmmaker who builds his stories most carefully and thoughtfully. Every detail is premeditated and part of a bigger idea, forming his thematic thesis. So it was for his first Upgrade and even more on the terrific The Invisible Man. The trick Whannel places here is that he understands how to keep Blake the protagonist, even when he transforms. The dramatic core is in the scenes where a groaning Blake can’t utter a word to answer his daughter’s “please”. The camera gracefully turns around, the colours shift, the sound blows up, and now, as if through his point of view, we see that he’s trying to communicate with her but also can’t understand. It’s heartbreaking, the idea of a father who is rendered incapable of not only protecting his daughter but even telling her he loves her.

The central point Whannel is trying to make is that breaking the generational trauma men carry requires a lot of effort. The twist of the creature who attacked the family isn’t that surprising, and it perfectly matches the film’s point. Something about how we can’t run from the grief passed onto us by our family, but we can protect our future generation. These are noble thoughts, and Whannel deals with them in a very caring and noble way.

But as a werewolf film, how is it? Fine. It’s a good, well-paced genre picture. Whannel said before he wasn’t interested in competing against the greats, particularly the transformation in An American Werewolf in London, and he doesn’t. Blake’s transformation is gradual and almost imperceptible. There’s a little gruesome scene halfway through, but it’s only a tease before Whannel moves along to something else, lest someone will compare him to an outright masterpiece.

I don’t think that’s a cop-out; he knows where his limitations lie and how a knowledgeable audience is waiting to compare him to the classics. But it hurts in the long run the impact the film has. The idea is strong, and Whannel’s direction is, as expected, surgical. But the contrast between man and beast betrays Whannel in the last act as his monster’s threats are diluted by the emotional side. Maybe that’s part of the lesson – there can be a man or a wolf, not both.

Verdict – 3.5 out of 5 stars
For fans of good entertaining genre cinema that doesn’t shock nor disgust. Good and intelligent but perhaps missing an edge to round it up.

Ticket giveaway – Maria

LSJ and Kismet Movies have 5 passes to the upcoming film Maria.

Step into the extraordinary world of Maria, where Angelina Jolie delivers a captivating performance as the legendary Maria Callas. Coming to cinemas on 30 January, this highly anticipated biopic and strong Oscar frontrunner gives you the chance to see Jolie bring the legendary opera icon back to life on the big screen!

For a chance to win one of the double passes, email your contact details to journal@lawsociety.com.au with the subject line MARIA before COB Tuesday 28 January.