Sure, just because Angelina Jolie missed a few critical nominations, that doesn't mean her chances are over. Just ask Kristen Stewart, whose nomination for Spencer was much miraculous given some similar circumstances. That lack of attention doesn't bode well for the shortlisted makeup team, though.
Fortunately, Arjen Tuiten, who aged Jolie in Maria, has a better chance at recognition next year. That chance is Wolf Man, Leigh Whannell's take on the famous Universal Monster. Sure, the critical reception has been mixed, but Rick Baker won his seventh Oscar for Best Makeup for 2010's The Wolfman, which had an even worse reception. You won't forget the depths of Blake Lovell's (Christopher Abbott) transformation here even if you forget most of the story.
Anyway, as a young boy (Zac Chandler) in 1995 Oregon, Blake was raised by his survivalist dad, Grady (Sam Jaeger). After a traumatic hunting trip, we jump to this year to find Blake living in San Francisco with his journalist wife, Charlotte (Julia Garner), and their daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth). His home life is good, though he still tries to mind his pent-up anger. One day, Grady, who went missing years ago, is declared dead, and Blake has to settle his estate. He takes the family up to his old Oregon home to do just that.
On the way there, the Lovells get into a weird truck crash with a local werewolf. The monster chases them to Brady's old cabin, where the family decides to hold up for the night. While the werewolf tries to break in, Blake, who was scratched in the initial attack, slowly transforms into another werewolf. It's up to Blake to defend his family from the monster at the door before he becomes the monster within. I think that's mostly it.
As far as exposition goes, Whannell and co-writer/wife Corbett Tuck only devote some opening text, where we learn of a local disease called "Face of the Wolf," to explain the origins of this Wolf Man. It's rarely brought back up in the story, which leaves us to surmise the mechanics. For one thing, there's no full moon involved, so Blake transforms throughout the night. Cinematographer Stefan Duscio and the sound team frequently bring us into his perspective as his senses change, which makes for neat technical storytelling. The stages of Blake's physical transformation are well-visualized by Tuiten and his team. It's pretty saddening, though, as the transformation is framed as a terminal disease, much like in David Cronenberg's The Fly, and the end results are as pitiable as they are scary.
Early on, Blake scolds Ginger for walking on street cones, and later tenses up when Charlotte refuses to take a phone call to another room. That's mostly it for anger issues until he gets werewolved. Still, Abbott does a pretty good job playing Blake as a guy struggling to contain his demons. That gets more apparent when he starts going Wolf Man. Blake and Ginger, that incident aside, have an endearing relationship, which further amplifies the tragedy of his terminal transformation. Charlotte, meanwhile, gradually gets more compelling when she is forced to fend off Wolf Man Blake.
Let's talk a bit about the supporting cast. Grady, from what we see of him, means well, but is overly harsh. On the one hand, he's only his scariest when he scolds Blake for running off during their hunting trip. On the other hand, he could have been more upfront about the viral hominid roaming the woods. Ben Prenderghast is quite scary as the other Wolf Man, though his secret is probably too easy to guess. Benedict Hardie is quite likable as Derek, an old acquaintance of Blake's whom the Lovells pick up on their journey. He would have been a great Mr. Exposition if the film hadn't made him the Red Shirt, instead.
Why did I say the truck crash was weird? Well, the Lovells are driving along when they see the other Wolf Man. They swerve, and suddenly, they're on the treetops. It's not exactly great editing or effects, there. We get our best looks at the other Wolf Man when he and Blake duke it out. It's too quickly edited, but we still comprehend what the monster is, being as a sickly variation of the design codified by Jack Pierce over 80 years ago. I wasn't exactly impressed when I first saw the design months ago, but I must say it looks pretty good with the right lighting.
Meanwhile, Duscio's location shooting in the New Zealand countryside, which stands in for Oregon, is breathtaking. A pivotal shot has Blake and Grady overlook the valley and is later revisited by Ginger & Charlotte. The majesty of those moments is accentuated by Benjamin Wallfisch's intense score. Its opening shot, in which a yellowjacket is besieged by ants, is as disturbing as the monster madness that follows. The Lovells' long night is dark, in more ways than one, and the aforementioned sound team maintains the dread as it reminds us of the other Wolf Man. It's not exactly fun, but it's still effectively scary.
I think that last sentence sums up this Wolf Man. Anybody who wants a movie with a few good scares and sustained dread will get their money's worth. Anybody who just wants a fun monster movie needs to look elsewhere. I know that Whannell's The Invisible Man isn't that too fun either, but there is relief in seeing Cecilia fight back and kill her abusive invisible stalker. A few decent family moments give us quite a bit of relief from the oncoming horror. Without them, the whole film would be unbearable. Now that I've seen it, I'm tempted to watch The Fly for comparison. See it soon and you might get the same urge ... or not.
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