In Wolf Man, Christopher Abbott plays Blake, a father and husband grappling with personal and primal demons. After inheriting his estranged childhood home in Oregon following his father’s mysterious disappearance, Blake convinces his high-powered wife, Charlotte (Julia Garner), and their young daughter, Ginger (Matilda Firth), to leave San Francisco and accompany him to the remote property.

However, their arrival in the dead of night turns terrifying when an unseen predator attacks, forcing the family to barricade themselves inside. As the hours stretch into a nightmare, Blake begins to transform into something monstrous, leaving Charlotte to confront a chilling question: Is the horror inside the house more dangerous than what lurks outside?

Australian writer, director, and horror legend Leigh Whannell (Saw, Insidious, The Invisible Man) sat down with Supanova to discuss what he considers one of his most personal films to date.

Written during the COVID-19 lockdown, Wolf Man emerged from an introspective period in Whannell’s life. “It was a very reflective time,” Whannell explained. “If you remember, everybody was reassessing their lives and priorities, so a lot of that went into it. And I was parenting three young children, which was very challenging during the lockdown period. So it’s all in there. More than any other film I’ve made, when I watch this movie, I see a lot of my own life in it.”

(from left) Charlotte (Julia Garner), Blake (Christopher Abbott) and Ginger (Matilda Firth) in Wolf Man, directed by Leigh Whannell.

For the film to succeed as both grisly horror and heart-rending family drama, Whannell had to ensure the family dynamic felt authentic. He made efforts to foster relationships between his actors. “It’s a difficult one because, when actors come together, you wonder, should I force them to spend time together? Which I did,” he said. “I especially wanted Matilda, the young actor, to feel comfortable with Chris and Julia. These are her parents. But they’re such brilliant actors. It’s funny – you can give actors homework, but once you call action, this magic just happens.”

Whannell co-wrote the script with his wife, Corbett Tuck. “She was really great with the relationship stuff,” he said. “She was always holding my feet to the fire, saying things like, ‘Is this realistic? I don’t think they would say this.’ So we went back and forth, but it was actually harmonious, believe it or not.”

With the relationship component in place, Whannell drew on classic influences like John Carpenter’s The Thing and David Cronenberg’s The Fly to make Wolf Man a full-strength experience in terror. He is thrilled to see body horror experiencing a resurgence. “I would love to see that become the next horror trend,” he said.

(from left) Director Leigh Whannell, Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner on the set of Wolf Man.

He believes the power of the subgenre lies in its introspective nature. “When the boogeyman is coming, you’re looking outward – you can lay all the blame there. But with body horror, you’re looking in the opposite direction. You are the horror. That’s why I think it lends itself to great subtext.” He cites The Fly as an allegory for disease and the recent example The Substance as a commentary on societal pressures faced by women, noting that the subgenre naturally wraps itself around deeper ideas.

Body horror always comes with an audience expectation of spectacular practical makeup effects, and Wolf Man does not disappoint. Christopher Abbott’s transformation required extensive prosthetics and makeup. “I love practical effects and the artists who create them,” Whannell said. “These effects were important because, first and foremost, I wanted them to feel real.”

To ensure Abbott’s performance shone through the makeup, he and Whannell spent considerable time discussing the character’s nuances. “Chris doesn’t love too much rehearsal, but we talked a lot before we even started pre-production,” Whannell shared. “By the time he got to set, he knew exactly the lane I wanted to be in.”

All these elements come together in Wolf Man, managing not only to move the audience emotionally but to scare them into submission. Whannell emphasised the importance of earning the audience’s reaction. “Audiences have watched so many horror films; they’re very trained to know when something’s going to happen,” he explained.

“You know, the classic one is the mirror cabinet. Or the cat!” Leigh meows mockingly. “My approach is: where are we going to do this? Where are we building this tension? To me, it really is just about tension. I’m not counting jump scares; I’m thinking, where do I want to play a big note here and really rip people’s heads off?”

From Blumhouse and the director of ‘The Invisible Man’ comes this new modern take on a classic monster. ‘Wolf Man’ is only in cinemas January 16