Real wolves won't typically attack humans unless they're starving or backed into a corner. Some rare wolf packs have grown used to humans and prey on them, but wolf packs like that get exterminated in a hurry, and it's not going to happen with a pack in the middle of nowhere. Wolves are fierce and intelligent predators, but they aren't really as malicious as this movie depicts.

However the story does indicate that the wolves are in some way protecting their den. This happens in real life. Wolves will kill other canids (dogs, coyotes, jackals, etc) in their territory and will even attack bears and cougars if they feel their den is threatened. But the movie exaggerates this behaviour quite a bit.

The wolves in the story are hunting the humans for territorial reasons and not as prey to eat. Real world wolves in that situation would almost never be so bold or persistent. In addition, the wolf social order is also exaggerated in order to provide parallels with humans.

In short, the wolves don't act, look, or move quite like real wolves, certain features being exaggerated or distorted for the scary effect. But wolves really can be that dangerous in certain rare cases, and their physical hunting abilities were not made up, so even as an animal lover I can chalk it up to Hollywood and be fine with it. I don't think it was trying to demonize wolves. It just needed a smart, scary animal to use as a metaphor for the way the world takes things from you, and the wolf is certainly the most effective choice they could have made.