Mario Martinez Ignacio is a writer from Mexico City. As a child, he spent most of his free time deep-diving into online wikis, which sparked a passion for lore and worldbuilding. Driven by his love for writing, Mario obtained a BFA in Dramatic Writing at the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2024. With the objective of inspiring others, he fuses writing and education to create narratives that entertain while igniting curiosity and fostering new perspectives, one word at a time.
Feb 14, 2025
Table of Contents
Leigh Whannell attempts to modernize the Horror classic for new generations, turning it from its Gothic Horror roots into a more psychologically driven experience.
The Horror genre has held an important position in the history of the film industry, with Monster Horror standing as one of the most influential and pioneering subgenres that allowed the genre to gain significant historical recognition. These types of films dominated the First Golden Age of Horror with films like 1931’s ‘Dracula’ and 1942’s ‘Cat People’ standing amongst the best pieces in the genre to this day.
As the last decade of this Golden Era slowly approached one film rose above the rest, quickly becoming the biggest film in the genre in the 40s. 1941’s film ‘The Wolf Man’ introduced the modern concept of the werewolf to the film industry, while previous depictions of the beast showed it more animalistic and lacking deeper exploration. ‘The Wolf Man’ was the first film to show the human side of the creature, portraying it with moral dilemmas and internal struggles.
With ‘Wolf Man’ Leigh Whannell attempts to reboot this Horror Classic as part of Universal Studios’ planned reboot of its Universal Monsters Catalog titled Dark Universe. Starring Christopher Abbott as Blake Lovell, Julia Garner as Blake’s wife Charlotte Lovel, and Matilda Firth as their daughter Ginger Lovell. ‘Wolf Man’ takes a psychological body horror turn to the classic Gothic film.
When it comes to reboots, it’s always a bold move to change a central genre, especially when the rebootee is considered a classic as is ‘The Wolf Man’. It invites risk, as established audiences may resist the new direction if it deviates significantly from the original. Yet, if done correctly it not only can appease these pre-established expectations but also opens the door to attract new viewers, fostering creativity, and refresh the franchise by displaying new interpretations of familiar concepts.
In an unfortunate world where many of these sorts of reboots do not reach success or acclaim, ‘Wolf Man’ manages to land on those few ones that reach that desirable goal. Despite changing much from the 1941 film and its 2010 remake, it still feels well-fitting within its created universe, keeping the central plot while uniquely changing its delivery. This allows the classic story not to feel filled with repetitive tropes and have a more dynamic rhythm.
While the 1941 original stood as a pillar for the wave of more complex human-like character dynamics that later emerged significantly during the late 1950s and early 1960s, and alongside its 2010 remake ‘The Wolfman’ focused on a parent-child relationship. 2025’s ‘Wolf Man’ expands this theme by giving its protagonist a daughter, allowing the audience to experience a broader aspect of the central theme when presented with both sides of the coin.
The film focuses more on the psychological realism aspects of the werewolf lore instead of the supernatural ones seen in previous versions. Forming a more relatable creature that is rooted in human emotion, accurately aiming for a more modern concept of what is considered scary without relying on over-the-top tropes seen nowadays with the genre.
The fact that ‘Wolf Man’ is a reboot and not a remake gives the creators a stronger opportunity to update the classic that pushes for creative freedom while maintaining the franchise’s roots.
The film cleverly and strategically benefits from this decision, taking inspiration from the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic writers Leigh Whannell and Corbett Tuck managed to shift the franchise’s scary factor to a more time-adequate type of fear without heavily relying on the paranormal. Although this leaves the classic “curse” explanation behind, it works well taking into consideration that diseases have been a more striking fear factor in recent years.
Compared to its rebootee the 2025 film is about only 35 minutes longer, still keeping it under the 2-hour mark. This makes the pacing feel a tad bit unbalanced with some scenes feeling rushed. Despite this, it adds an extra level of suspense that keeps audiences on the edge of the scene even in scenes where things seem to be “normal”.
In contrast to other reboots that heavily diverge from the original’s core themes and morals, ‘Wolf Man’ changes things enough for those core elements to feel fresh, despite taking a more background role but are present nonetheless.
The strongest element of ‘Wolf Man’ has to be its execution and craftsmanship. Every element comes together to impulse a more immersive experience that fully complements the film’s tone and flow.
Although shot to resemble Oregon’s wildscape, the film was filmed on the North and South Islands of New Zealand. This gives the film a gorgeous scenery where each leaf feels to have a life of its own, and with Stefan Duscio’s cinematography, that same scenery manages to perfectly increase the unease that the film explores. The editing allows the thriller aspect of the piece to truly hit to the bone, making viewers jump from their seats even when the outcome of a scene is expected.
Benjamin Wallfisch’s music works in tandem with an intricate sound mixing take full advantage of the surrounding Dolby ATMOS making the immersion feel seamless, with growls and branch cracks sounding as if they were whispered right into the audience’s ear.
Leigh Whannell’s ‘Wolf Man’ truly stands out amongst the countless horror films that come out each year. It not only proves there is always room for improvement no matter how old is the subject of the improvement, but it holds as a decent reboot when taking into consideration that set types of film are mostly seen as mediocre at best with a cash grab mindset. With ‘Wolf Man’ the craftsmanship and passionate love for the art of filmmaking is clearly appreciable through the piece, expanding the legacy of not only Curt Siodmak’s 1941 Gothic Horror classic and the horror genre but for the art of filmcrafting as well.
By Mario Martinez Ignacio
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Mario Martinez Ignacio is a writer from Mexico City. As a child, he spent most of his free time deep-diving into online wikis, which sparked a passion for lore and worldbuilding. Driven by his love for writing, Mario obtained a BFA in Dramatic Writing at the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2024. With the objective of inspiring others, he fuses writing and education to create narratives that entertain while igniting curiosity and fostering new perspectives, one word at a time.
Mario Martinez Ignacio is a writer from Mexico City. As a child, he spent most of his free time deep-diving into online wikis, which sparked a passion for lore and worldbuilding. Driven by his love for writing, Mario obtained a BFA in Dramatic Writing at the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2024. With the objective of inspiring others, he fuses writing and education to create narratives that entertain while igniting curiosity and fostering new perspectives, one word at a time.
Mario Martinez Ignacio is a writer from Mexico City. As a child, he spent most of his free time deep-diving into online wikis, which sparked a passion for lore and worldbuilding. Driven by his love for writing, Mario obtained a BFA in Dramatic Writing at the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2024. With the objective of inspiring others, he fuses writing and education to create narratives that entertain while igniting curiosity and fostering new perspectives, one word at a time.
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