A Wolf Man star breaks down what makes the horror movie's central transformation so terrifying. Co-written and directed by Leigh Whannell, known for 2020's The Invisible Man, the upcoming reboot of the classic 1941 film follows a family man who moves into his inherited childhood home and is attacked by a werewolf during a full moon, beginning a terrifying transformation witnessed by his family. Christopher Abbott leads Wolf Man's cast in the titular role, formerly Blake, alongside Julia Garner as his wife Charlotte and Matilda Firth as their daughter.
During an exclusive interview with ScreenRant, Julia Garner broke down exactly what makes Blake's transformation into the Wolf Man so horrifying. The star says the transformation is so terrifying because the prosthetics are "incredible" and the transition happens slowly, which creates an unsettling familiarity that amplifies the fear experienced by his family members, and the audience. Read her full comments below:
It was really interesting. The first time I saw [Christopher Abbott] with the prosthetics, it was great. I could not stop looking at him. It was very weird and bizarre. And I was just like, "Oh my God, this is terrifying." And then I got used to it after like, three days.
The prosthetics are incredible in this film. And I'm very happy that I got to be a part of this film, because I think it's that's actually very special. I think it's actually more scary when it is a slower transition, because I still recognized little elements of Chris. His skin and his hair were changing, but he still had his eyes. And I think if you want to make anything scarier, just go with something familiar.
That's why they always put dolls in horror films, because you see a doll almost every day. So, I think that this wolf man is almost scarier for that reason. There's something familiar that Charlotte sees. She still sees her husband, but he's not there anymore.
She's The Latest To Tout The Reboot's Practical Effects
Julia Garner, calling the prosthetics "incredible," is just the latest person involved with the Wolf Man reboot to tout its use ofterrifying practical effects. Director Leigh Whannell says the reboot is "practical, all make-up," and "there are no CGI elements." For Blake's slow transformation into the titular Wolf Man, Whannell took inspiration from the body horror of John Carpenter's The Thing and David Cronenberg's The Fly. The result is, according to the film's makeup artist Arjen Tuiten, one of the scariest things he's ever seen.
Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner star in a new take on Wolf Man from director Leigh Whannell, which is now playing in theaters before streaming.
Garner, who witnessed it firsthand, highlights how the Wolf Man's transformation is horrifying because it blends the familiar with the monstrous. The slow transition, in which Christopher Abbott's character retains recognizable features like his eyes, creates an unsettling contrast as his skin and hair change. This familiarity amplifies the fear, as Charlotte sees remnants of her husband even as he becomes unrecognizable. Garner compares this to the use of dolls in horror, in which everyday objects become terrifying because they are familiar and mundane.
Our Take On The Wolf Man's Central Transformation
Will The Reveal Pay Off?
Just like the new Nosferatu, Wolf Man's marketing campaign has been masterful, skillfully keeping the titular monster hidden in the marketing materials while continually hyping up just how horrifying the reveal will be. However, in order for this approach to work effectively, the reveal of the monster has to be terrifying to truly pay off. That question will be answered when Wolf Man releases in theaters very soon.
Wolf Man releases in theaters on January 17.
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Wolf Man, released on January 15, 2025, follows Blake and his wife Charlotte as they visit his secluded childhood home in rural Oregon. After a mysterious animal attack, they become trapped inside, and Charlotte is forced to confront Blake's disturbing transformation amidst growing tension and fear.
Release Date
January 15, 2025
Runtime
103 minutes
Cast
Christopher Abbott
, Julia Garner
, Matilda Firth
, Sam Jaeger
, Ben Prendergast
, Benedict Hardie
, Beatriz Romilly
, Milo Cawthorne
Character(s)
Blake
, Charlotte
, Ginger
, Uncredited
Director
Leigh Whannell
Producers
Beatriz Sequeira
, Jason Blum
, Ryan Gosling
, Ken Kao
English (US) ·