Leigh Whannell, writer and director of The Invisible Man, brings his chilling approach to another Universal Monsters adaptation with Wolf Man. From Blumhouse production, this reimagining of the 1941 film explores Blake’s (Christopher Abbott) harrowing transformation into a werewolf after returning to his estranged father’s remote Oregon home. Alongside his wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) and daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth), the Wolf Man story follows Blake’s battle with a monstrous curse and the slow, terrifying loss of his humanity.
In an interview with The New York Times, Whannell shared how he conceived the werewolf’s point-of-view sH๏τs. The director’s latest monster movie included a standout feature: scenes sH๏τ from Blake’s perspective, giving a visceral glimpse into Blake’s harrowing experience as he slowly transforms into a monster and attacks his family. Here’s what he had to say:
I had this idea of the camera moving around the room and suddenly what seemed like gibberish became legible, and you realized there was some invisible wall that the camera had crossed through. I started researching wolves, how they see, the colors of their eyes. I was thinking about how animals hear.
When we talk to our dogs, we all anthropomorphize our pets. I have whole conversations with my dog where I’m like, “What are you doing? Oh, you’re upset. What are you upset about?” You know that he’s just staring at you. They recognize tone and maybe up to 20 words. I was thinking about that.
This classic Wolf Man story is a great way to use this because usually in Wolf Man stories, the transformation is very quick. I was like, what if you slowed this down and treated it more like a degenerative illness? I was thinking more of a film like “Still Alice.”
What Wolf Man’s Werewolf POV SH๏τs Mean
Blurring the Line Between Man & Beast
Leigh Whannell’s decision to include sH๏τs from the Wolf Man’s perspective reflects his eye for technical artistry in advancing a horror story. As noted in Screen Rant’s review of Wolf Man by Alex Harrison, “Whannell’s films display a talent for creatively deploying form to reflect content,” with the film showcasing this through its distinct visual and sound design. As these perspective sH๏τs allow audiences to experience Blake’s gradual transformation firsthand, the line between man and beast is horrifyingly blurred.
By framing the transformation as a slow, degenerative process, Whannell crafts a unique take on the monster narrative. Inspired by films like Still Alice, he connects the werewolf mythos to the emotional and physical toll of an illness that strips away one’s idenтιтy over time. While its narrative form could have stood to strengthen Blake’s descent into monstrosity as a metaphor for disease, Whannell’s enveloping approach to the transformation nonetheless delivers moments of gripping immersion that resonate beyond its body horror.
Our Take On Wolf Man’s Werewolf POV SH๏τs
Seeing The Horror From The Inside Out
The werewolf perspective sH๏τs in Wolf Man are a mark of Leigh Whannell’s creative ambition as he imbues a fresh and visceral dimension to a classic monster tale. By focusing on Blake’s deteriorating humanity with an immersive sensory experience, Whannell explores themes of transformation and loss in a way that’s uncommon in the werewolf genre. While Wolf Man has drawn criticism for its sprawling thematic puzzle, moments like these demonstrate Whannell’s strength in using technical and artistic choices to leave a lasting impact.
Source: NYT
