What does the opening shot of Wolf Man mean? Ants and hornets sequence explained

Leigh Whannell's new Wolf Man offers a fresh new glimpse at the 1940s horror film franchise, returning to screens, after eight decades of its initial release. The horror/thriller film was released previously this year and received mixed reviews from fans and critics. Wolf Man has been praised for its eerie elements of lycanthropy while exploring subtle themes of body horror as we follow a family attempting survival after the patriarch falls prey to a werewolf.

Wolf Man begins on an ambiguous note, where a sequence of ants surround and attack a hornet and later kill him. Even though it might seem to be a normal opening shot, it builds the temperature for the movie and the plot. The scene gives way to a shot of the main character, Blake as he goes on a hunting trip with his father and has to face a werewolf.

The hornet and ants scene is a portrayal of the ferocious state of nature and how its viciousness exists even in its tranquility. For example, Blake's neighbor comments on how peaceful Blake's father's house is, shortly before the car crash happens. It also seems to be a reference to the respective scenes of Blake and his father encountering the werewolf, armor in hand, yet unsuccessful in defending themselves from the deadly creature.

Like a true artist, Whannell sets the tone for the film at the very beginning of the story, and even though Wolf Man misses the mark on quite a few parameters, the opening scene, inarguably, is a clever and creative one.

What is the ending of Wolf Man?

The hornet scene has another big significance, and it does justice to how the film begins and ends. The scene of the hornet being killed by the ants mirrors the ending scene of Wolf Man when Blake gets killed by his wife, Charlotte, and daughter, Ginger. His prowess as a werewolf does not help him defend himself from the less strong humans who attack him, just like the hornet's deadly sting does not protect it from the swarm of ants.

The film ends exactly how it started. A bigger, deadlier creature succumbing to death at the hands of weaker, less powerful beings. Similar to the hornet scene, in the ending, Blake, in his werewolf form, full of lethality, is brought down by his wife and his child. In an act of defense, and not bloodthirst, Charlotte and Ginger bring Blake down, much like the ants who surrounded the hornet as an act of protecting themselves. It's a powerful metaphor for how intellect will always surpass strength, seeing as how both the larger creatures faced their ill fate at the hands of smaller, smarter creatures.

The Wolf Man will soon be available to watch on Prime Video.