Wolf Man

1995. In the state of Oregon, a hiker’s disappearance in the mountains causes many to speculate that there is something bad in the woods, a virus of sorts, that is changing these people into, well, something else.

Enter a young Blake Lovell and his father Grady. These two are out on the hunt for deer when they suddenly see a creature watching and stalking them. Before long, Blake and Grady retreat to a treehouse/tower hiding from this massive and horrifying creature. What is this monstrous thing that lurks in the forest? Half wolf, half man? Bear and man? Who can say?

Fast forward 30 years, Blake, his wife Charlotte, and his daughter Ginger find themselves returning to a small forest in Oregon to clean out the cabin of Blake’s deceased father, Grady. While en route in a moving van, the family suddenly has to swerve, and the truck careens down a mountain, landing in a tree. As the they try to get to safety, and without warning, Blake is scratched by some sort of human/wolf-like creature. The three eventually escape from whatever is hunting after them and they make it to Blake’s childhood cabin.

Suddenly, things REALLY begin to change for Blake—and not in a good way. Blake’s senses are heightened. He is unable to comprehend simple speech, and his complexion changing. This worries Charlotte and especially Ginger, who has grown really close to her father. Before long, Blake finds himself turning into something that he never have imagined.

But the real question remains: What do you do when someone you love becomes the thing that you fear?

“Wolf Man” feels very similar to films that follow this kind of narrative in which there is a hero, a guest and then something otherworldly, or mythical, is out to kill them, and that the only solution seems to be either “killed or be killed.” This kind of storytelling has been utilized countless times, again and again, in every possible film genre, though, not just in fantasy. If you were to look back at, perhaps, the first Wolf Man film in 1941, you might think this kind of concept would be mind-blowing to the average viewer. And thus, the “monster” genre really took flight.

Over time, though, it seems the formula of the monster/horror genre has really taken its toll, and while the wolfman character produced countless films (some with other classic monsters, Frankenstein and Dracula, and even one with comedians Abbot and Castello), viewers surely are growing tired of how often the wolfman appears in films, as for 5 decades, like the character himself, wolfman became a mystery, disappearing from the film industry until the early 2000s.

I state all of this BECAUSE the last wolfman film appeared over 15 years ago. Since so much time has passed, my hope was that with this most recent version, “Wolf Man” (2025), there would be a new and fresh approach. Well, there was… well… something…

“Wolf Man” (2025) does indeed scare, but it also shocks. There are absolutely no holds barred when it comes to the level of graphic and grotesque content that slither their way on screen. At the screening I attended, which was completely packed, some people sat quietly during the severely graphic moments on screen, others like myself felt queasy and very uncomfortable. As I watched, I just kept thinking “Man, I’m glad I didn’t get the popcorn tonight…”

I’ve said this many times, and I’ll say it again: It’s a shame that producers feel they have to stoop this low to make money. The film has a lot going for it, almost as much as it has going against it. So to simplify things, I’ve compiled a “Good” and “Bad” list…

The Good

The Performances: While Christopher Abbott certainly gives a fair performance, with only a handful of lines, it pales in comparison to Julia Garner. I remember her in the Netflix series “Inventing Anna,” where she supplied a striking performance as Anna. She does so again as Charlotte in “Wolf Man.” She starts off very quiet, meek, and reserved, but, like the wolfman, her performance gradually shifts from protectee to protector at the beginning of Act 3.

The Use of Sound/Sound Mixing: I have to give praise to the Sound Engineer and the entire sound department. Certain sounds, during the film, came from the back speakers in the theater, some came from the front, and some from the sides. Each calculated at just the right moment to increase the tension and sense of dread I felt. It also raises the scare factor to a 10.

The Lighting: In the beginning, the colors are slightly bright, with light use of shadowing. Like the sound, the lighting is brilliantly allowed to transition to less light and then greater darkness.

The Bad

The Violence: Wow, just wow. I haven’t seen anything this graphic, this gratuitous and disturbing in a long time. There are moments where people actually chew through their arms, their legs and skin and muscle are shown peeling away. I’ll go into more details in a bit, but needless to say I’m surprised I didn’t pass out from the violence on screen.

The Language: While the bad language count isn’t as high as in most other R-rated films, there’s still enough profanity and vulgar language to make Christians raise an eyebrow and perhaps some that’ll make you want to walk out.

The Pacing: It’s slow at times. Whether it is characters looking out the window or standing in a spot for extended periods of time, these really slow the film down (and the film is only an hour and 45 minutes long).

Content of Concern

VIOLENCE (partial list): Blake’s arm is seen coming completely off (yep all bloodied and detailed), and viewers witness, as he turns into a wolfman, that he begins chewing and eating his arm. At one point he also chews his entire leg off to get out of a chain. The wolfman (aka Blake) is seen bashing through a windshield trying to grab two characters. They are later seen terrified atop a flimsy greenhouse, with one nearly falling through. ***MINOR SPOILER** A second wolfman (let’s call him Wolfman Sr.) is seen fighting with the Wolfman (let’s call him Wolfman Jr). One of the wolfmen ends up having their throat ripped out and dies. **END MINOR SPOILER***. A knife is seen going into both Wolfmen’s backs. Both wolfmen attack each other in the most violent of ways—cut with a knife, shot with a rifle, and Wolfman Jr. vomits up blood and a severed finger. Scary truck crash. Family running in terror from an attacking creature. A visitor that was in the truck accidentally steps out and falls to the ground, before being clawed on his chest and dragged away by the creature.

VULGAR LANGUAGE: F**k (3), M*ther-f***ing (1), F***ing (1), F***er (1), Sh*t (4), B*llsh*t (1)

PROFANITY: J*sus (1), G*d-d*mn (1), “Swear to G*d” (1), H*ll (1)

NUDITY: Shirtless man in most of the second half of the film.

There are really no redeeming qualities or morals I can draw from this very violent film.

Final Thoughts

In the packed showing I attended this evening, a dad, his friend and the dad’s very young son were in attendance. Afterward I kept thinking to myself, “What on Earth possessed this parent to bring his young son to “Wolf Man”? That kid is going to have nightmares for many days to come.”

The child won’t be the only one who’ll have nightmares, I will too, and there isn’t much that scares me. The violence is absolutely horrid, tasteless at times, and just downright evil. What little light and hope that exists in the beginning is snuffed off quickly, and what we are left is fear, darkness and tragedy, all the things the Devil, our adversary, delights in.

In case I wasn’t clear enough, there is absolutely NO REASON for any Christian, even those who love the monster-horror genre, to view “Wolf Man.” You don’t need to subject the Holy Spirit to such filth. In fact, you might be safer watching the original Wolf Man. Then again, maybe you should just skip it entirely.

• Violence: Extreme
• Profane language: Moderate
• Vulgar/Crude language: Moderate
• Nudity: Minor
• Sex: None
• Drugs/Alcohol: None
• Occult: None
• Wokeism: None

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.