There I was, randomly scrolling through Netflix on a dark and stormy night. By now, Netflix has figured out that I am over its original content. The shows and movies just haven’t been doing it for me. These days, it mostly recommends action classics, recent movies, or shows I’ve already watched, like Altered Carbon—the last series I truly fell in love with. Then I saw it: The Wolfman (2010), starring Benicio Del Toro.
What I remembered about this movie was seeing the trailer sometime in 2008 or 2009, followed by a long delay before its release. Red flag. Plus, this was during the rise of comic book movies like Iron Man (2008) and The Dark Knight (also 2008), which were dominating the box office. The film’s budget ballooned from an initial $85 million to $135 million. Another red flag. When I saw the trailer for The Wolfman, I mostly wrote it off as another bad movie that would waste my time and money.
I wasn’t alone. The movie wasn’t generating good buzz, especially after a director swap from relative unknown Mark Romanek to industry pro Joe Johnston just eight weeks before shooting began. Another blow was when fans learned that CGI would be used instead of practical effects. At the time, CGI was on the rise, making films like Iron Man possible, but when CGI was done poorly, fans were vocal about it. Oversaturation was a real issue, with bad CGI running rampant in movies like Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (2002) and Van Helsing (2004), the latter of which may have poisoned the well for The Wolfman, given its similar themes of werewolves and vampires. But I digress.
That said, the movie bombed. Upon its release, it was considered one of the biggest box office failures of its time. Critics and audiences were harsh. Fast forward to 2024, and I was in the mood for a werewolf movie. I thought, “Why not? Why not give it a shot?”
So I did—and what I got surprised me. The cinematography was great. The sets were fantastic. Benicio Del Toro did a fine job as Lawrence Talbot, the protagonist and titular Wolfman. When his brother mysteriously disappears, his brother’s wife Gwen Conliffe, played by the amazing Emily Blunt, asks him to return to England to help find him. The story unfolds from there, without the corny or ham-fisted writing I expected.
Anthony Hopkins plays Talbot’s father, Sir John Talbot, and when he’s on screen, he chews the scenery with gusto, clearly enjoying his performance. Hugo Weaving also stars as Inspector Francis Aberline, investigating the unusual events, and—as always—he’s fantastic.
As the movie progressed, I was impressed. I came for a werewolf movie, and I got one. The werewolf transformations were intense, the attacks were brutal and surprising, and the blood and guts were plentiful. Then came the climax—a wild, over-the-top battle that could put a WWE wrestling match to shame! It’s a wild ride, and I found myself wondering: Why did people hate this movie again?
Looking back, it makes sense why the movie doesn’t suck. Joe Johnston is a talented director, having given us Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), The Rocketeer (1991), Jumanji (1995), and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). Even Jurassic Park III, arguably the weakest in the series, wasn’t bad. Hugo Weaving must have agreed—he came back to work with Johnston in Captain America, where he delivered a fantastic performance as the Red Skull.
With a $135 million budget to work with, Johnston didn’t squander it. It’s impressive, especially when you consider he only had eight weeks to take over from Romanek. That’s the kind of tight timeline you’d expect for a much smaller production, not a major Hollywood film.
Aside from Johnston’s solid direction and a talented cast, the cherry on top is the legendary Rick Baker. He’s responsible for makeup and special effects in films like King Kong (1976), The Howling (1981), An American Werewolf in London (1981), and Men in Black (1997). Two of those films are top-tier werewolf movies, and An American Werewolf in London even led to the creation of the Academy Award for Best Makeup. Baker won his second Oscar for The Wolfman. That’s right—this box office bomb is an Oscar winner for its makeup.
It’s a testament to the film that it’s hard to tell where the controversial CGI ends and Baker’s makeup begins. The effects are a far cry from the laughable work seen in Van Helsing, proving that Joe Johnston knew what he was doing.
To top it off, the film’s score is by frequent Tim Burton collaborator Danny Elfman, the legendary composer behind Beetlejuice (1988) and Batman (1989). Strangely, Elfman’s score was originally scrapped during reshoots, only to be reinstated before the film’s release.
So, what went wrong? Why did people sleep on this hidden gem? In short, it was one of those films destined to fail, like Dredd (2012), Cloud Atlas (2012), or Jupiter Ascending (2013) (Yes, Jupiter Ascending is a good movie. Fight me!). Bad press, bad timing, and an audience exhausted by poor filmmaking and overused special effects doomed The Wolfman to the depths of Hollywood hell.
But for those of us who find it, The Wolfman is a Halloween treat. My only caveat is that I watched the unrated director’s cut, which supposedly adds more blood, guts, and 17 extra minutes, including a special appearance by Max Von Sydow. If there’s any criticism, it’s that the plot can be a bit convoluted and some supporting actors give hokey performances, but even that can fit the overall theme of the film. We’re not looking for Best Picture material—we’re looking for a bloody, furry slugfest, and that’s exactly what we get!
As of this writing, the movie is available to Amazon Prime subscribers and should be available to rent on various Video On Demand services. Enjoy, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!