From Blumhouse and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment comes Wolf Man, the terrifying update of the classic monster movie from horror master Leigh Whannell (The Invisible Man, Upgrade). Available now on digital, and coming to 4K UHD, Blu-Ray, DVD, and a limited edition steelbook on 3/18, the package comes with over 30 minutes of special features, and an excellent feature commentary from the director/co-writer. Click here to order your copy today!
The film:
When I first reviewed Wolf Man during its theatrical run, I gave it a positive review, but noted that it felt somewhat undercooked. When I feel this way about a film it behooves me to watch it a second time to see if, like most films, a repeat viewing opens up the story. I’m pleased to report that Wolf Man grew in esteem upon rewatch, largely because I didn’t have any expectations for it to go against. In fact, this time around, the thematic limitations that I initially griped about all but faded away, and the atypical shape of the story (as far as werewolf movies go) proved to be an asset. Now that I wasn’t seeking a more classic werewolf narrative, I was able to take this update in its own, uncommonly warmhearted terms.
The themes of familial responsibility remained at the forefront, specifically in terms of how we all work hard not to become our parents, despite being doomed by nature to do just that, but what emerged this time around was the notion of the human animal. Whannell’s film is packed with animal imagery employed as a motif, which further highlights a unique angle on a classic werewolf theme: what happens to the human animal when society is removed? What when the ability to communicate with one’s pack is compromised? Once civilization and communication are gone, what separates us from the beasts? Not much, apparently.
Another issue that I spoke about in my initial review was the dim visuals. I noted that I was inclined to blame the film’s gloomy look on poor theatrical projection (an all too commonplace occurrence), and as it turns out, my assessment was correct. Wolf Man is a dark movie by design, but the theatrical presentation robbed the images of much of the contrast and detail that the filmmakers clearly worked hard to create. Our titular creature’s slow-burn transformation is defined by visual and audio cues, and presented here on a 4K disc with excellent sound, the intentionality of the visuals/audio comes through as intended. Credit where it’s due to the theater, however: the sound during my screening was excellent, but would it kill a multiplex to mask the screens? I remember when that was standard. Pepperidge Farm remembers when that was standard!
Special Features:
Wolf Man has a few notable special features (which is more than most non-boutique label releases can say these days) all of which add value to the package.
First and foremost is the excellent feature-length commentary from director/co-writer Leigh Whannell. Commentaries used to be standard for most physical releases, so it’s always nice when a filmmaker is willing to lay one down. Whannell delivers one of the more interesting commentary tracks I’ve heard, delivering a mini-film school while highlighting the incredible attention to detail that he and his team put into every frame. My second viewing of the film bumped it up a few points in my critical estimation, and then a third viewing with Whannell’s commentary had me rethinking my entire original review. I would’ve loved to hear a commentary from co-writer Corbett Tuck as well, but alas. Hollywood is a busy place.
It was admittedly heartbreaking to hear Whannell talk about all the visual choices which were made to maximize the theatrical experience … which is so commonly subpar.
Beyond the commentary is over 30 minutes of behind-the-scenes material. Essentially it’s a “making of” documentary broken into four smaller presentations:
Unleashing a New Monster – The Cliff’s notes of the vision behind the film, complete with cast and crew talking heads. Nothing too in depth, but it highlights how much the entire production cared about making a great film.
Designing Wolf Man – A look at the special effects makeup which turned mild-mannered Christopher Abbott into our titular beastie. The best feature of the bunch.
Hands on Horror – A breakdown of the production’s focus on using practical effects and in-camera movie magic to bring the action to life. A lot of Whannell’s ethos as a filmmaker which he speaks about in the commentary is doubled down on here. He walks the walk!
Nightmares and Soundscapes – This segment covers the post-production VFX and sound design which was employed to bring the viewer into the clashing perspectives of wolf and human. Anyone who has seen this movie knows how important the soundscape is in driving the story forward, and this feature gives some insight into the processes of the sound team.
Overall, if you’re into this kind of thing, this is a solid physical release! Order here.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION 4K UHD:
Street Date: March 18, 2025
UPC Number: 191329273838 (US) / 191329274019 (CDN)
Layers: BD 66
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 2.39:1 Widescreen
Rating: R for bloody violent content, grisly images and some language.
Languages/Subtitles: Ringlish SDH, French Canadian, and Latin American Spanish Sound: English (Dolby Atmos for Feature, Dolby Digital 2.0 for bonus content), French Canadian (Dolby Digital Plus 7,1), and Latin American Spanish (Dolby Digital Plus 7.1)
TECHNICAL INFORMATION BLU-RAY:
Street Date: March 18, 2025
LPC Number: 191329273753 (US) / 191329274002 (CDN)
Layers: BD 50
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 2.39:1 Widescreen
Rating: R for bloody violent content, grisly images and some language.
Languages/ Subtitles: English SDH, French Canadian, and Latin American Spanish Sound: English (Dolby Atmos for Feature, Dolby Digital 2.0 for bonus content), French Canadian (Dolby Digital Plus 7.1), and Latin American Spanish (Dolby Digital Plus 7.1)
Run Time: 01:42:36
TECHNICAL INFORMATION DVD:
Street Date: March 18, 2025
UPC Number: 191329274026 (US) / 191329273692 (CDN)
Layers: DVD 9
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 2.39:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Rating: R for bloody violent content, grisly images and some language.
Languages/Subtitles: English, French Canadian, and Latin American Spanish Sound: English (Dolby Digital 5.1 for Feature, Dolby Digital 2.0 for bonus content), French Canadian (Dolby Digital 5.1), and Latin American Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Run Time: 01:42:42
