Family Drama Gets Hairy in WOLF MAN Trailer

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As a long-time aficionado of horror films and a student of werewolf lore, I must say that the trailer for Blumhouse’s “Wolf Man” has piqued my interest significantly. The idea of lycanthropy as a curse, presented as an illness or plague, is a chilling concept that resonates deeply with the genre’s roots.

In my view, crafting werewolf movies that truly hit the mark can be quite challenging. These creatures can take on various forms: mindless monsters as seen in “An American Werewolf in London”, death cult-related themes as depicted in “The Howling”, or even secretly noble beings like in “Werewolf by Night”. However, a common theme that consistently appears in werewolf folklore is the notion of lycanthropy being a curse. This concept is highlighted in Blumhouse’s “Wolf Man”, which marks Leigh Whannell’s second attempt at reimagining Universal Monsters. The first reboot was “The Invisible Man” from 2020, if you didn’t know. In the debut trailer, a beast attacks a family – a father (Christopher Abbott), his wife (Julia Garner), and their daughter (Matilda Firth) – and they must cope with the deteriorating health of the affected individual. The condition is portrayed as an illness or plague, yet it remains undeniably terrifying.

Following the astonishingly grand failure of the hastily assembled Dark Universe and its debut film, The Mummy in 2017, Universal decided to abandon their strategy for expensive reimaginings of their timeless monsters. Instead, Blumhouse Productions entered the scene, utilizing their signature blend of intricate plotlines and modest budgets for a horror take on The Invisible Man. Under Leigh Whannell’s direction, the property explored themes of domestic abuse and manipulation with a touch of sci-fi flair. It turned out to be a massive hit during the COVID era.

The film titled “Wolf Man” promises to be a unique take on the subject, if you’ll pardon the expression. Traditional werewolves are difficult to portray convincingly, and it appears that Whannell is using a familiar framework to explore a family-centric story of danger. Whether or not the film will feature a traditional werewolf remains to be seen. Despite this uncertainty, I’m genuinely intrigued by this project, particularly with the involvement of talented actors like Garner and Abbott.

As a gamer, I must admit that the upcoming release date has me feeling a tad hesitant – it’s set for January 17, 2024. To put things in perspective, Blumhouse chose January 2024 to debut ‘Night Swim’, which ended up being one of the year’s least impressive films. But who knows, maybe this new release will prove them wrong!

Kyle Anderson serves as the Senior Editor at TopMob, where he also presents the weekly exploration of pop culture through the lens of Laser Focus podcast. His insights into films and television shows can be found here, and you can keep up with his latest work by following him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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2024-10-18 23:33