R. Jacob’s Honeycut – “The Invisible Man” (2020) vs. “Wolf Man” (2025)

I had heard good things about “The Invisible Man” (2020), directed by Leigh Whannell. When I watched it for the “Midnight Terrors Podcast,” I was seriously impressed by it. I was constantly wondering if The Invisible Man was actually real, or if he was just a haunting specter of the main character’s past traumas. It was deeply psychological and told a great story of trying to break free from a relationship with someone who refuses to let you go. From personal experience, it’s flattering until it’s not.

After watching “The Invisible Man,” I was excited to see Whannell’s take on the classic Universal Monster, The Wolf Man. To not burry the lead, “Wolf Man” (2025) was a let down for me. I went to see it in theaters with my brother and when the credits rolled, we looked at each other like, “That was it?” 

Story

One of the things I love about horror, and why I chose to write in the genre, is that you can explore so many different topics and themes through the guise of something scary. “The Invisible Man” nails this. At its core, it’s a story about an ex-lover who refuses to let go of a previous relationship, and resorts to ruining the main character’s life to remain in control over her. That’s a terrifying concept on its own. However, you add in that he’s The Invisible Man and now you have a story that is both captivating and horrifying. 

“Wolf Man” is a family drama, which follows a mom, dad, and their daughter. They travel to the dad’s secluded childhood home, when his father is declared dead after disappearing into the woods years ago. From here, the Wolf Man attacks, and the family is forced to fend off the monster throughout the night. It’s a straightforward story. My problem is not that this movie isn’t that deep, it’s more so that the story is so incredibly predictable.

In the first 15 minutes I knew, beat-by-beat exactly how this story would play out. 

Characters

Cecilia is our heroine in “The Invisible Man.” We follow her as she tries to detach from her ex-boyfriend, Adrian. She also has a support network, helping her with the life-changing event: her detective friend, James, his daughter, Sydney, and Cecilia’s sister, Emily. Each one of the characters is well thought out and has clear goals and motivations. 

The Invisible Man is her ex-boyfriend, Adrian, and his brother, Tom; so, Invisible Men. The brief moments Adrian is on screen, he comes off like a manipulative, obsessed sociopath. Tom is a shady lawyer who appears to hate his brother but leaves us questioning his true intent. I liked the look of The Invisible Man’s suit. It reminded me of Batman’s costume. It is a spandex bodysuit, with tiny cameras all over it, creating an optical illusion so that he remains unseen. 

In “Wolf Man,” we are introduced to Blake, his wife, Charlotte, and their daughter, Ginger. This is your typical American family. In fact, so average, I found them boring. That’s literally all I have to say about them. 

Let’s talk about the transformation. These scenes have been the bread and butter for werewolf movies since the original 1941 Wolf Man movie. It looked alright in this modern retelling. I like my werewolves to look more like wolves and this guy just looked like a hairy dude. I think I have more body hair than this Wolf Man. So, I wasn’t a huge fan of the look of the monster in this movie. 

Winner: “The Invisible Man”

While “The Invisible Man” is a thrilling take on a classic character that plays with your mind throughout it’s runtime, “Wolf Man” is the opposite, feeling very flat and predictable. I’m also glad that we are getting stand-alone movies with the Universal Monsters, instead of a shared universe. Just because Marvel did it, doesn’t mean everyone else has to. Overall, I would highly recommend “The Invisible Man.” As for “Wolf Man,” go see it for yourself and if you enjoy it, you can tell me I’m wrong.