Directed by Joe Johnston, “The Wolfman” brings the classic horror film experience back to the cinemas. The film is a remake of the 1941 hit of the same name about a man who turns into a werewolf.
The film starts off with a man returning to England upon learning that his brother has gone missing, via a letter sent by his brother’s wife.
After arriving in his hometown of Blackmoor, Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) is reunited with his estranged father, Sir John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins).
Lawrence soon learns of his brother’s brutal death through the discovery of his mutilated body near town.
Immediately, a funeral is held, where Lawrence meets his brother’s wife, Gwen (Emily Blunt). Lawrence vows that he will find her husband’s killer and not leave town until he completes his objective.
At first, Lawrence believes the suspect to be an insane serial killer. But after examining his brother’s body, he realizes no man could cause such damage on another human being. The gypsies in town claim that a creature that comes from the woods may have been the culprit.
Desperate for answers, Lawrence visits the Gypsies and is directed to an elderly woman. Inside her wagon, Lawrence asks what had happened to his brother.
Immediately after he asks, screams and shouts are heard outside the wagon.
Lawrence goes outside to see what’s happening and realizes the gypsy village is being attacked by the mysterious werewolf creature.
Lawrence then runs around helping the gypsies escape and then sees a boy run away into the wilderness. Lawrence runs after him to try and save him from the beast; however, he only gets so far when he encounters the monster himself.
He is then attacked and bitten on the neck and is lucky to survive such a horrific ordeal.
The people in town then begin to shun Lawrence, believing that “those bitten by the beast are cursed.”
He experiences visions and nausea, and discovers that his wounds from the previous night have miraculously disappeared.
Stunned by the speed of his recovery, Lawrence understands now that he has become a werewolf. He goes and tells Ben’s wife to leave town for her own safety, and then transforms and goes on a rampage of killings.
The film is a much gorier version of the classic, incorporating blood, decapitation, and guts in almost every minute. For those who are squeamish, I highly recommend that you do not see this film.
However, if you are the type that loves horror and enjoys watching blood and gore being splattered all over the screen, I say go ahead and see this movie.
The one thing that intrigued me about this film was the soundtrack. When you watch “The Wolfman”, you truly feel like you are watching an old horror film because of the eerie music that transports the audience back to eras past.
Overall, the film receives a three out of five for me because it wasn’t anything special, but still managed to deliver what it promised. 