The Wolfman (2025) Review
Panel’s Chamber of Chills #6
Alright, switching gears back to a modern horror flick. This week’s review is The Wolfman (2025) — a remake or “reimagining” (or whatever they’re calling it these days) of the 1941 Lon Chaney Jr. classic, which happens to be in my top 10 horror movies of all time.
This new Wolfman follows in the footsteps of Blumhouse and Universal’s The Invisible Man from 2020. That one was a surprise hit. This one… not so much. Still, I like what Blumhouse and Universal are trying to do — take the old monsters and give them new life on smaller budgets. Even if this one wasn’t a box office smash, it didn’t cost much to make, so no big loss. I’ve always believed horror works best cheap and gritty.
Remember when Universal tried to go big with Tom Cruise’s The Mummy? Total mess. You can’t sell $200 million horror movies to family audiences. Parents don’t take their kids to see R-rated monster flicks. Anyway, my family was out of town, so I figured I’d be one of the ten people actually sitting in a theater watching this thing.
Behind the Camera
This one’s directed by Leigh Whannell — same guy who did The Invisible Man. Whannell’s one of the best horror writer-directors working today. He started with the Saw and Insidious series and now he’s back tackling the Universal Monsters. I like his style. He always tries to give these characters a real-world theme that hits hard.
In The Invisible Man, the story was really about abuse and gaslighting. Here, The Wolfman digs into fatherhood and protecting your family. That subplot gives the movie a nice emotional backbone. The original 1941 film hinted at the same stuff with Larry Talbot and his dad, but this one actually explores it more.
The Look & Feel
Visually, Whannell nails it. The movie’s dark, foggy, and full of atmosphere. It feels like it lives in the shadows. That helps cover up the film’s biggest weakness — the werewolf makeup.
Now, the original Wolf Man makeup by Jack Pierce is legendary, and this new one can’t touch it. They went for a more “human” look, kind of like Werewolf of London (1935) or Wolf (1994). Some people might dig that style. Personally, I like my werewolves looking more like monsters than hairy dudes with long nails.
The Story
Whannell wrote the script too, and it’s tight. The movie kicks off quick, gives you just enough setup, then moves fast. Blake Lovell, played by Zac Chandler, is a failed writer living in the shadow of his successful wife (played by Julia Garner). After a family death, he has to go home to handle family business, and from there the movie doesn’t slow down.
Once he’s attacked — or bitten, whatever — the transformation starts happening fast. It reminded me a lot of Cronenberg’s The Fly (1986), just done quicker and more contained. The body horror touches were a nice surprise and worked really well.
The Cast
Zac Chandler does a solid job going from weak, washed-up husband to full-blown beast mode. Originally, Ryan Gosling was supposed to play the lead, but dropped out. Kinda makes you wonder what the movie would’ve been like with him — probably a bigger budget, that’s for sure. Julia Garner is great as always, and Matilda Firth (as their daughter) really sells the terror of watching her dad slowly turn into a monster.
It’s a small cast, but it works for what the movie’s going for.
Final Thoughts
The Wolfman (2025) came out in early January, which is a weird time to drop a horror movie. I actually liked it a lot more than most people. It’s not perfect, but it’s a cool take on an old story. I really dug the Cronenberg-style transformation scenes and the emotional angle about family.
It’s not gonna be everyone’s thing, but at around 90 minutes, it’s a fast, fun watch — especially if you like your horror dark, moody, and a little weird.
Final Verdict: 3 out of 5 tombstones.
Images: © Universal Pictures / Blumhouse Productions. Promotional stills used under fair use for review and commentary.