THE WOLFMAN
A stylish, bloody descent into the beast within — for adults only.
Should You Watch It?
The Wolfman succeeds as a modern retelling of Universal’s classic horror story. Its atmosphere is strong, its acting is good, and its music is even better, though somewhat loud. Modern special effects make the violence far more intense and disturbing than in the original.
The film also gives its horror a moral frame. It asks where the Beast begins and the human ends, shows the sinful nature of man, and explores the destructive consequences of a father’s sins. It includes positive references to Christianity and prayer, but it also contains graphic mayhem, frightening transformations, and disturbing scenes in an insane asylum.
This is worth considering only if you are an adult prepared for intense horror and gore; families with children or young teens should choose something else.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESLawrence Talbot returns to his family’s estate on the English moors after receiving a letter from Gwen, his missing brother’s fiancée. Ben has been brutally killed, apparently by a savage animal or a lunatic.
While investigating the local gypsies, Lawrence encounters a werewolf and is bitten. As the full moon approaches, he begins to face troubling visions, frightening emotions, and the possibility that he may become a vicious beast himself.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means this is a good, effective horror remake with real atmosphere, but also significant flaws and limits.
The film draws effectively on the classic horror conventions established by Universal Pictures in the 1930s and 1940s. It has atmosphere galore, and the modern special effects make the story more intense and disturbing. The acting is good, while the music is even better, though a bit loud.
Its strengths are balanced by very graphic violence, blood, and gore, along with disturbing scenes in an insane asylum. The result is a fine retelling that works best for viewers already prepared for severe horror content.
The Worldview
The film presents a light Christian worldview with some strong moral and biblical elements. It explicitly suggests that every person has a beast within, waiting to be released, and repeatedly asks where the human ends and the Beast begins. This gives the horror a clear moral concern about sinful human nature.
The movie also presents the biblical notion that the sins of a father will be visited upon the children. Lawrence and his father harbor a terrible family secret that threatens to destroy them. The film includes prayer and Christian imagery: Lawrence prays silently to God and makes a visual reference to the Cross. However, a local vicar tells Lawrence that God has forsaken him, while Gwen holds out hope that her love may save him.
The film’s central idea—that destructive desire and sin can take hold within a person—aligns with Scripture’s warning: “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin” (James 1:14–15).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Light Christian worldview overall with some strong moral, biblical elements including protagonist prays silently to God then makes a visual reference to the Cross, amid lots of graphic mayhem and some problem areas (see below), plus some capitalist, patriotic elements that include a positive view of a London police detective; two “d” words and one light exclamatory profanity referring to the Mother of God, plus man exclaims, “God help us!”; extreme, scary violence with much blood and gore includes many attacks on people by a werewolf, at least three decapitations, werewolves fight one another, people get burned in fires, man tied down and dunked into icy water at insane asylum, boy sees blood on mother’s throat with father next to her, people shoot at attacking werewolves; no sex but man dreams of seeing woman’s naked back and man bitten by werewolf suddenly displays lustful interest in a woman when he stares at her exposed upper neck, but this is played very lightly to reveal the beast he is becoming; upper male nudity and implied nudity when woman has her naked back turned to camera; alcohol use; smoking and man is drugged by doctors and attendants in an insane asylum; and, vicar says God has forsaken a man bitten by a werewolf, father gets son placed in an insane asylum, talk of being cursed, and kindly but distant father turns out to have been transformed into villain who now wants his own way rather than the welfare of others, including his two sons and his main servant.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The film asks where the Beast begins and the human ends. What does Scripture say about the desires that grow inside us, and how should we respond to them?
James 1:14–15 · Galatians 5:16–17Lawrence’s family carries a terrible secret from one generation to the next. How can sin affect a family, and where does Scripture point us for freedom?
Exodus 20:5–6 · 2 Corinthians 5:17Lawrence prays silently and makes a visual reference to the Cross, while the vicar says God has forsaken him. What is the difference between human accusations and God’s promises?
Romans 8:38–39 · Hebrews 13:5Gwen hopes that her love may save Lawrence. What can human love do, and what can only God’s saving grace accomplish?
1 Corinthians 13:7 · Ephesians 2:8–9The Final Word
The Wolfman is a good, atmospheric retelling with strong moral ideas, positive Christian references, and impressive horror filmmaking. But its graphic violence, gore, frightening supernatural material, and asylum scenes make it a poor choice for children and young teens. For discerning adults prepared for intense horror, it is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY. For other family viewing, see.
