The very nature of a werewolf lends well to metaphor. Lycanthropy and the brutal transformation it causes offers fertile ground for stories to explore sexual awakenings, the duality of human nature, ruminations of mortality, and even puberty. In French horror-comedy Teddy, becoming a werewolf highlights the growing pains that come with transitioning into adulthood. While it retreads familiar ground and is a bit too on the nose, Teddy’s emphasis on humanity and awkward humor proves winsome.

The eponymous Teddy (Anthony Bajon) lacks ambition or direction as a young twenty-something living in a small, rural town. He lives with his uncle and disabled aunt and works at a local massage parlor for an overbearing boss. All of it seems to stem from a fear of change; Teddy wears the same clothes day in and day out. The only time Teddy sparks to life is with his high school girlfriend, Rebecca (Christine Gautier). Teddy’s an outcast with a disregard for authority figures. Lucky for Teddy, the local authorities are preoccupied with a rogue wolf killing all the livestock in the area. When Teddy wanders into the woods one day, he runs back out soon after, bitten by the creature. He begins experiencing new changes in his body that leave him questioning his station in life.

Written/Directed by Ludovic Boukherma and Zoran Boukherma, Teddy uses restraint when it comes to the horror element. The central character remains in the dark that he’s been bitten, and the symptoms of lycanthropy remain subtle throughout. For the most part, anyway. The filmmakers spend most of the narrative establishing Teddy’s mundane existence and how he carefully controls his barely contained rage for the sake of those he cares about. His oblivious turn into a werewolf is less about the body horror, though there are a few cringe moments and more about how it erodes his carefully curated defense walls.

That approach works well for Teddy’s character arc. He begins as a frustrating character prone to awkward situations, many of his own making. The more unwanted change is thrust upon him, the more it has a humanizing effect and evokes sympathy for the troubled character. Teddy experiences sexual harassment, bullying, and trying to cling tight to first love when it’s evolving too rapidly for comfort. Between Bajon’s performance and how the filmmakers frame the scenes goes far with the emotional heavy lifting. Moments between Teddy and his uncle add a poignant resonance, even when they’re largely devoid of dialogue.

Teddy’s journey does build into a bloody finale, offering a satisfying finish to his arc. However, it’s still an effort in minimalism, which means that this werewolf feature downplays the werewolf. There’s no effects-heavy transformation scene or even showier symptoms leading up to the change. It’s an internal shift for Teddy, an effort in restraint and minimalism both out of necessity and as a means of highlighting the growing pains that shake up Teddy’s comfortable way of life. The core concept behind this werewolf story isn’t novel, but the filmmakers make it engaging nonetheless with a personal journey told with awkward humor and heart.

Teddy releases on Shudder on August 5.