Hopefully everyone got to partake in all of the feel-good movies the holidays had to offer, because now that we’ve started working our way down the 2025 movie calendar, there are some nasty-looking horror movies headed our way. One of the first offerings in the genre is Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man, a remake of Lon Chaney Jr.’s 1941 classic, and critics have had the chance to screen the film ahead of its January 17 release. They’re hitting social media with their first reactions, so keep reading to see if this is one you’ll want to sink your canines into.
Christopher Abbott stars as Blake, the husband and father who becomes a danger to his family after being clawed by a werewolf. Julia Garner plays his wife Charlotte, with Matilda Firth portraying their daughter Ginger. Critics’ initial takeaways indicate that writer/director Leigh Whannell is kicking off the year with a film that’s both scary and emotionally heart-wrenching. Peter Gray of The AU Review writes:
2025 is off to a great start with Wolf Man. Leigh Whannell trims all the fat and lays out a tense, no nonsense thriller that wraps its animistic telling in a story about relationship dynamics, loss and generational trauma. Pristine sound design and organic scares all round.
Tessa Smith of Mama’s Geeky agrees, praising Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner’s performances as well as those working behind the scenes. She says:
Wolf Man is not just terrifying, it packs an emotional punch. I found myself jumping out of my skin and then shedding tears. The acting is top notch and the cinematography is insane. The way the camera switches POVs provides a masterclass in horror. I loved it!
The film pays homage to the 1941 classic, Griffin Schiller of FilmSpeak says, in how it captures that melancholy. However, the director funnels that through his own anxieties about parenthood, modernizing the setting while still maintaining the timelessness of the movie monster. Schiller continues:
Leigh Whannell continues to be the master of space & sound w/Wolf Man. A damn good reimagining that plays like The Shining by way of The Fly. A claustrophobic parental panic attack w/nasty body horror & a surprising amount of heart. If you enjoyed The Invisible Man, you'll dig this!
That isn’t the only critic comparing Wolf Man favorably to Leigh Whannell’s 2020 sci-fi/horror The Invisible Man. Benjamin Watts of IGN says if Elisabeth Moss’ story affected you, you’ll likely find this one just as compelling. Watts tweets:
Wolf Man howls with raw emotion and haunting intimacy. Leigh Whannell crafts a storm of grief and ferocity, echoing the shadowy elegance of The Invisible Man (2020). If that film resonated with you, Wolf Man will leave its mark just as deeply.
Andrew J. Salazar of Discussing Film seems to address the backlash over the first look at Wolf Man’s monster, reassuring fans who might be concerned about the design. Overall he calls the remake “super fun,” writing:
Leigh Whannell's WOLF MAN is a pulse-pounding, super fun take on classic werewolf cinema. Less is more in this effective tale of generational guilt. The ‘infected’ Wolf Man design also works far better on-screen. Very different, but also complimentary to The Invisible Man.
Those at the X account Nerds Engage seem to like the movie overall but definitely make note of a few aspects that could have been tightened up. They rate the film 7.5 out of 10, saying:
Some great scares, good use of practical effects, but also some messy cg. A compelling story/performances that keeps you invested. Could have shaved some scenes that over stayed their welcome, but very well paced otherwise. Excited to see again with a big crowd 7.5/10
The movie kept Rachel Leishman of The Mary Sue on the edge of her seat, she writes, or rather curled up in her seat to keep her feet safe. Leishman says:
Wolf Man will leave you afraid of the dark! Watched this movie with my feet up on the air because I was terrified of what could grab my ankles. Just a suspenseful thrill from start to finish. Christopher Abbott is a star and I love him so much!
X (Twitter) user lizziesjuuls agrees, praising everything from the acting to the makeup to the scares that kept forcing this moviegoer to keep covering their eyes. They write:
WOLF MAN is SCARY and heartwarming. Some of the best jumpscares I’ve had watching a horror movie in a while! The prosthetics are insane, the acting is great, but the amount of times I had to close my eyes in fear/disgust is what stuck with me leaving the theater.
It sounds like fans might be in for quite a visceral experience, as several of the first reactions talk about the body horror and nasty transformation of Christopher Abbott’s character. If you want to catch this one in the theater, there’s only a couple of weeks left to wait, as Wolf Man premieres on Friday, January 17.
