A curious, genre-mixed monster flick has popped up on the top 10 HBO Max movies for November — “The Wolfman,” starring Benicio del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt and Hugo Weaving. That’s as close to a star-studded cast as you get for a movie like this, and yet, it flopped in 2010. Right now, ratings reflect that sentiment. It has a 32% Tomatometer rating from critics and 33% Popcornmeter rating from users on Rotten Tomatoes.
Some comments are less than flattering, too, claiming “the wolfmen look like Jim Carrey’s Grinch,” and others stating outright “sadly not a monster film that I can say I like.” Part of that could be attributed to the ending, or the big twist, which is less supernatural and more “anyone with eyes saw that coming.” That aside, it may warrant a second chance. Clearly, with it hitting top movies lists for the month, people are open to the idea of watching it, and, at the very least, it may have become a guilty pleasure. Its rise is not unlike Antony Starr’s “Cobweb,” which surged up Netflix streaming charts recently.
There are positive reviews for “The Wolfman” as well, of course. Some “loved it” and feel the plot was “well written” and “exciting.” Hopkins and Benicio del Toro are standouts, and although it was unfortunate to see Emily Blunt without much to do, she shines in her role when she does appear. It wavers between suspense, action, and classic horror, and despite the reputation it has garnered, it is still lauded as a somewhat faithful recreation of the original 1941 film. Rick Baker the makeup artist even tried to keep the wolfmen from the 2010 movie as close as possible to the original designs. Perhaps that’s why they resemble the Grinch?
Does The Wolfman deserve a second chance?
“The Wolfman” is a dark and moody gothic horror. It’s also a fantastic monster flick for spooky season as gore, action, and pure terror abound. It won the Best Achievement in Makeup award at the 2011 Oscars, while being nominated for a few others. “The Wolfman” also received an extended Director’s Cut with plenty of extra scenes, particularly big character moments that help flesh out the world, the characters, and the motivations. It fills in a lot of gaps that seemed to rush the pace along.
As easy as it is to follow, this is one not worth spoiling. The big moments and reveals serve the experience. The main character, Lawrence Talbot, played by del Toro, returns home after his brother dies only to find sinister happenings. If you guessed those “sinister happenings” were related to a werewolf and a curse, you guessed right. But it’s what happens to Talbot along that journey, to learn all there is to know about the curse and where it comes from, that’s the real fun. Maybe it isn’t about the ending after all but the curses one removes along the way?
There’s been quite the resurgence of classics lately for one reason or another. A must-watch Christopher Walken sci-fi movie flew up the charts, based on a banned Stephen King book. One of the best comedies from the same years as “The Wolfman”, the 2010s, is finding new fans on Netflix as well. Streaming continues to help people rediscover old favorites or obscure flicks they’ve never seen.
