Remakes of classic horror movies have been a running trend for a while now, with no signs of slowing down. The 2024 horror slate closed with Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu and kicking off 2025 is Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man. I had never seen the original Universal production of The Wolf Man, released in 1941 and directed by George Waggner. However, after loving Nosferatu and finding I got so much out of Eggers’s interpretation because of my knowledge of the source material, I was eager to watch The Wolf Man before seeing the 2025 remake. Despite the obvious production gap between the 1940s and now, The Wolf Man is extremely consumable, with a kinetic story that is only heightened by the actors’ characterization. It suffers from a runtime that feels like it is missing some of the story and leaves you wanting more. Despite this, The Wolf Man has certainly stood the test of time and only makes me want to watch more of the Universal Monsters canon.
The Start of ‘The Wolf Man’ Is Essentially a Rom-Com

Image Via Universal Pictures

The biggest strength of The Wolf Man is far and away its cast. Lon Chaney Jr, a frequent face in Universal horror movies (and son of iconic horror actor Lon Chaney, known as “The Man of a Thousand Faces”), stars as Larry Talbot. Larry is a laid-back guy who, after the death of his brother, returns home to the UK after years in America to make amends with his father, John Talbot (Claude Rains). Chaney’s delivery oozes charisma, which is most prominent during his conversations with Gwen (Evelyn Ankers), who runs an antique shop across the road. On the surface, Larry’s interactions with Gwen are a little unnerving, especially as he talks about spying on her using his telescope. However, Chaney’s delivery is so magnetic and the pair have such electric chemistry that find yourself as enamored with Larry as Gwen — even if he comes off a bit creepy at first.
The pair have an extremely flirty back and forth, and the will-they-won’t-they that underlines the first half of The Wolf Man rivals modern-day rom-coms. Gwen and Larry’s dynamic is by far the best part of the movie; it almost made me wish I hadn’t known the werewolf plot point was imminent. However, it is not just the leads that carry the movie, as you’d be hard-pressed to find a bad performance in the entire cast. Bela Lugosi’s cameo as a fortune-teller who is revealed to be a werewolf immediately sets the tone for the more sinister side of the movie. The Wolf Man can be seen as one of the earliest examples of a movie that flips genres halfway through, and going in expecting horror and horror only makes the initial coquettish romance a welcome surprise.
Occult Debates Play A Major Part in ‘The Wolf Man’

When The Wolf Man begins to venture into its horror elements, it revels in its slow pace. It is a psychological character study before it becomes a body horror. The movie blatantly discusses attitudes towards the occult, with Larry himself being a non-believer. It doesn’t immediately assume everything the viewer is seeing is the truth and this psychoanalytic discussion makes The Wolf Man more than just a popcorn horror. However, I can’t help but crave a bit more nuance in the distinction between those who believe in the supernatural and those who deny its existence.

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However, it becomes difficult to watch as Larry becomes more isolated from his friends and family, as they gaslight him into believing that everything is in his head. There is a discussion about Larry’s mental state and how it could be causing these hallucinations, which is still a common theme in modern horror. Yet, there is something so dread-inducing about The Wolf Man’s portrayal of this lonely feeling. It is thematically interesting because the rest of the cast have such stubborn views on the impossibility of the supernatural. It creates this lingering sense that Larry’s fate is inevitable, particularly in the scene in which Larry is at the fair and is faced with a wolf image in one of the games. His slow descent into madness is unsettling because it is not just a physical transformation, but the spirit of Larry’s personality slowly fades, and he loses the confidence that made him so likable.
‘The Wolf Man’ Looks Beyond Body Horror

Image via Universal Pictures

The transformation in The Wolf Man is surprisingly horrifying; the visual of Larry’s toes curling as he begins to lose his humanity is effective body horror, even by today’s standards. Considering the limited visual effects, the fade from human to wolf works because of how stark the makeup is. The movie is purposefully obtuse with what it shows the audience during the transformation but it doesn’t need a step-by-step metamorphosis for the horror to protrude. When Larry is running around in his wolf form, there is a humanity behind his eyes that makes it particularly morbid. The horror isn’t that Larry’s werewolf form is so ferocious, it’s knowing the charming man the audience saw has now lost all autonomy.
It is in these moments that Chaney truly shows his acting ability, exhibiting humane devastation behind his eyes as he is fighting these new predatory instincts. He stalks the forest with a stance that retains the lost humanity. If it is being viewed as a straight horror, The Wolf Man isn’t scary, but it is still horrifying because of the personable aspect of the story. It retains the movie’s core message that evil doesn’t discriminate and Larry’s heartbreaking fate was totally random.
‘The Wolf Man’ Leaves You Wanting More

The most glaring issue with The Wolf Man is its length, coming in at just over an hour. A movie can definitely be short and still pack in everything it needs to say, but The Wolf Man suffers from feeling cut short. The build-up, which establishes Larry’s position in the community and explores his relationships, is given ample time to unfold. However, when the transformation does finally take place, the movie doesn’t give itself enough time to wrap the story satisfactorily. There is the issue of Chaney’s makeup taking hours to apply which would’ve limited the filming of the second half of the movie. However, the scenes didn’t need overt shots of Chaney; instead, more exploration of the impact of Larry’s condition to parallel the earlier scenes would’ve rectified the slight prematurity of the movie.
The Wolf Man is a cornerstone of horror, but it is the perfect example of false expectations. What, on the surface, appears as a gothic tale of the occult with shocking visual mutation, is actually a tender tale of misunderstanding and tragedy. It has its flaws, but for an 80-year-old movie, it stands the test of time.

The Wolf Man is surprisingly emotional horror, where the fear comes from just how unfair it all feels.

Pros

The leads have undeniable chemistry that would rival modern day rom-coms
The movie takes time to explore attitudes towards the occult
Lon Chaney Jr.’s physical acting gives emotional weight to Larry’s transformation

Cons

The portrayal of the occult lacks nuance
The runtime is too short, meaning the climax feels rushed

The Wolf Man, released in 1941, follows Larry Talbot, who returns to his family estate after his brother’s death. Upon his arrival, Larry becomes entangled in ominous events after being bitten by a werewolf, setting the stage for exploring themes of identity and fate.

Release Date

December 12, 1941

Director

George Waggner

Cast

Claude Rains
, Lon Chaney Jr.
, Ralph Bellamy
, Warren William
, Patric Knowles
, Bela Lugosi
, Maria Ouspenskaya
, Evelyn Ankers
, Fay Helm
, J.M. Kerrigan
, Forrester Harvey
, Jessie Arnold
, Gertrude Astor
, Caroline Frances Cooke
, Harry Cording
, Margaret Fealy
, Gibson Gowland
, Leyland Hodgson
, Olaf Hytten
, La Riana
, Connie Leon
, Doris Lloyd
, Ottola Nesmith
, Monty O’Grady
, Eddie Polo

Runtime

70 minutes

Writers

Curt Siodmak

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The Wolf Man is available to stream on Peacock
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