Kit Harington’s Underrated 1-Year-Old Horror Did Wolf Man’s Big Twist Even Better

Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man is not the typical horror fare. While Universal Pictures has tried in the past to aim for spectacle and build an interconnected Dark Universe, the studio pared down. It’s now about character portraits, and Robert Eggers’ remake of Nosterfatu is a prime example.

Like Eggers’ highly successful vampire movie, Wolf Man is less about mass bloodshed and murder, and more about the cerebral aspects of the human condition. However, this werewolf movie’s big twist was actually done better by 2024’s The Beast Within, starring Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington.

What Is Wolf Man’s Big Twist?

Wolf Man’s Beast Mode Is a Metaphor For Toxic Masculinity

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In Wolf Man’s ending, an infected Blake turns into a werewolf and kills the werewolf hunting his family. This beast turns out to be his abusive father, Grady. Years ago, Blake left Grady in their Oregon forest cottage. His military-minded father was abusive and controlling, but he did want to protect his son. Unfortunately, his aggression was off the charts. Blake inherited some of this, which annoyed his wife, Charlotte, and worried his daughter, Ginger. As the movie plays out, the transformation becomes a vehicle for toxic masculinity.

Grady was louder and obtuse, while Blake was quieter, awkward and scarred. The problem with this is that fans don’t see much of his emotional abuse towards his family. He snaps now and then, but it’s to safeguard his daughter in the streets from traffic, or to beg his wife to take a vacation with them. It’s also not scary like his father. If anything, positioning Blake as hiding a beast within feels contradictory at times, as Blake is selfless and empathy-laden most of the time towards his pack.

It stands in stark contrast to Grady, who curses, acts angrily and berates his son. Had Blake shown more of Grady’s traits, or had he been angry over his rough childhood and accosted his family, the metaphor would have made more sense. Instead, it’s forced just to have Blake’s family kill him in the end when his feral side takes over. It’s a nice idea, but the execution is off and needs better creative padding.

The Beast Within Has More Nuance Regarding Toxic Masculinity

Kit Harington’s Noah Has a Stronger Foundation to Be a Monster

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In The Beast Within, Harington plays Noah, a father whose daughter, Willow, seemingly sees him transforming into a werewolf. Her grandfather, Waylon, and mother, Imogen, make it clear he has a monstrous curse passed down his bloodline. Willow learns the men in his family were violent and abusive, which is why her father has anger within.

Willow thinks it’s manifesting as this wolf, which she sees at night. To that point, she has to help burn him alive in the finale to save her family. But the final moments reframe her visions as the perspective of a child who reads Wild Fang and latches onto wolves as hunters and apex predators. It turns out, Noah isn’t a werewolf; he’s just abusive to his wife and daughter. Part of it is due to his upbringing, part is due to him drinking, and another part is him being insecure that his wife is cheating and wants to leave him.

Kit Harington Details

Throughout the movie, there are hints of the generational trauma and vicious cycles he’s transferring to Willow. That’s why the twist ending is easy to reconcile with everything that came before. Fans get more information about Noah’s past, witness his harmful behavior in the present, and understand why Willow views him as a monster. This builds a bigger emotional connection, as fans have more backstory and a deeper understanding of present-day Noah, his duality and conflict.

Ultimately, The Beast Within’s wolf might be imaginary, akin to the weredog in Amy Adams’ Nightbitch, but the message is clearer than what Wolf Man tries to achieve. These kinds of twists need more details rather than rushed flashbacks. It’s why Noah’s story has more substance compared to Wolf Man’s Blake, which feels more like a plot device than a nuanced interpretation of a serious issue plaguing families in the world today.

Wolf Man is now in theaters.

Wolf Man

Release Date

January 15, 2025

Runtime

103 minutes

Director

Leigh Whannell

Writers

Leigh Whannell, Rebecca Angelo

Producers

Beatriz Sequeira, Jason Blum, Ryan Gosling, Ken Kao