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| Images courtesy of Blumhouse |
Leigh Whannell takes another dip into the monster movie and this may surprise absolutely no one. It is masterful, beautiful and hard to watch in all the right ways. As usual, Whannell looks at classic horror through a lens that we haven't seen before. Wolf Man is a family drama with a healthy dose of body horror to ramp up the anxiety inducing action that has become a hallmark of his films.
Directed with his usual mastery, it's beautifully shot, each moment crafted to create tension and empathy. With a cast led by Julia Garner, Christopher Abbott and Matilda Firth we see a relatable family that are easy to empathize with. These are astounding performances all around particularly from Matilda Firth who turns in a mammoth portrayal as the daughter.
From beginning to end the story moves, non-stop with no wasted moments. Great writing, great performances and as to be expected from Whannell it's perfectly shot. The sound design creates perfect tension and is used to superb effect. Speaking of effects, let's talk about special effects. Using practical effects to their utmost, Wolf Man gives us the best special effects I've seen in a long time, using digital effects minimally. They aren't jarring and create a nice effect.
I am a longtime horror fanatic. I grew up on it. Some people I see can't stand the change in direction that horror has taken. This blends that old horror with the new. We have deep characters and high concept story along with bloody gore and disturbing effects cool kills and monsters, well made monsters. There is something here for everyone if you like horror. If you don't, well I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, you aren't going to enjoy this movie. I'm excited by the directions Whannell takes horror. I love feeling things other than just fear or tension in a genre movie.
I've said this the last few times his films have come out. I can't wait to see what's next. Leigh Whannell keeps doing something new fun and different in each of his productions and hopefully he'll keep reaching for something new every project, because so far, his visions have been excellent.
Get to the theater. See it in a theater surrounded by other people who can't take their eyes off the screen. See it where the sound design will make your hair stand on end and your skin crawl. I can't promise you'll love it as much as I did. It's worth the risk.
Trevor West