Werewolves have their own mythology throughout history, but they are closely associated with vampires and often overshadowed by them. Dracula transforms into a wolf at various points throughout the novel, and Bram Stoker's Dracula features him as a full-fledged wolfman. They also tend to be derivative of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde without the problematic anti-Asian elements, but the concept of letting out the wild inner beast nonetheless serves as a sign of (occasionally) accidental villainy in any number of narratives. However, werewolves as their own creatures often manage their own plots and are more than the sum of their simple transformative parts to become the central characters of a narrative all their own.
With Halloween fast approaching, the go-to costume of hairy-armed people everywhere deserves a bit of study. By looking at these movie monsters in the films where they are best known, one can begin to construct an idea as to why the monsters have become such a staple of American cinema, even as their plot lines are often tangential to the main one. With that, it begins to be clear just why they are so well-loved... and so very scary.
Peacock's Harry Potter Features a Subtly Beautiful Werewolf Plot
It's well known that J.K. Rowling's history of progressive topics in her books is less than stellar. Her treatment of werewolves is very nearly good, though, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban manages a decent allegory for the AIDS epidemic before the rest of the series falls into a problematic portrayal of the same population. In this universe, werewolfism is a disease that can be managed just like any other, even though there is a massive amount of hatred from the wizarding world about it. Given that Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban features Remus Lupin's werewolf affliction as a subplot that factors massively into the overall plot, it's important enough that the movie and its less-than-monstrous, if problematic, monsters earn their spot on this list. Given its 90 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and its availability on Peacock Premium, it's well worth streaming for those who have access. And hey, if it's just watched as part of a watch-through of the whole saga, that's acceptable, too.
Werewolf By Night Is Disney+'s Spooky Marvel Halloween Special
Werewolf by Night is perhaps the funniest entry on the list, even as it represents a less comedic show than most of the Marvel Cinematic Universe presents. Technically a television special and thereby straddling the line between TV show and movie, it's short enough to allow for a full exploration of its contents in less than an hour. It resides on this list not because it's an intriguing meditation on what makes a monster (though it certainly is) but because it's a love letter to classic horror cinema, with practical effects and carefully reconstructed angles. It's creepy and just a bit scary, breaking just as many conventions as it embraces. Its unique violent bloodiness and Jack Russell are fun additions to the MCU, and at a Certified Fresh 90 percent, it's well worth logging on to Disney+ and catching before October ends.
Van Helsing Is a Fun, Silly Romp Across Peacock's Transylvania
A movie that is so universally reviled rarely gets revisited and deemed a cult classic. This is not what happened with 2004's Van Helsing. It's just bad. Starring Hugh Jackman as the titular professor (here reimagined as a monster hunter), the movie is a fun special effects monster romp with explosions, weird gadgets and a steampunk noir take on the Europe of antiquity. It brings in nearly every monster from the classic monster canon, including the likes of Frankenstein's monster, Dracula, Mr. Hyde, and, of course, werewolves. Boasting a unique take on the transformation process and a bit of convoluted backstory as to the way that the beasts came to be, Van Helsing is a fun take on werewolves that either doesn't take them too seriously or takes them so seriously that it comes back around and becomes silly again (It's hard to tell). Catching the movie on Peacock is a great idea if other, headier horror seems like too much of a challenge and one would just like to watch Hugh Jackman's claws emerge differently than in X-Men.
An American Werewolf in London Is Prime Watching on Prime Video
It's a classic that helped to form the societal idea of what, exactly, constitutes a horror-comedy. An American Werewolf in London is smart, smarmy, silly and somewhat sweet, all the while helping to redefine how makeup could be used in movies. The treatment of horror that this classic gave was one of loving reverence mixed with hilarity, a formula that many have come to emulate since. It's easily one of the best horror movies ever released, as confirmed by its 89 percent Certified Fresh rating. Whether watched on Amazon Prime Video for its status as a cult classic, horror classic or comedy classic, it is required reading for lovers of horror and howlers.
The Wolfman Is Peacock's Answer to the Horror Rebirth
Horror in the 2010s was all about body horror, and Universal's response was to fully embrace it with a psychological twist on The Wolf Man. Boasting a star-studded cast and brilliant effects, the beautiful movie is a sadly stunted attempt at bringing its titular creature into the limelight. However, it manages a few brilliant and creepy sequences over its relatively short runtime and is well worth the watch. Though the 33 percent on Rotten Tomatoes is likely to run off a good number of potential fans, those who catch it on Peacock would likely find a movie well worth watching.
The Twilight Saga: New Moon Is a Shockingly Original Take on Werewolf Lore
Wait, wait! Hear this out. The Twilight Saga: New Moon isn't a very good movie. Like many films on this list, it's not about the overall film but the way that it approaches the lore of werewolves. Now available to rent or buy on AppleTV, Amazon, Google Play and YouTube, it portrays werewolves not as a horrible disease that must be cured but as an intrinsic part of someone's being meant to protect their people. What's more, the movie, despite infamously horrid pacing, too-ridiculous-to-live situations and unkind portrayals of every character except Alice Cullen, actually does have some brilliant points. It represents depression and loss originally and beautifully, and bingeing it is a necessary part of living through the Twilight renaissance. Edward's attempts to rat out the vampires and the lore established between the two races in this movie is brilliant world-building. Even if it's Twilight.
The Wolf Man Is a Classic on Peacock Premium
Universal is the grandfather of horror cinema, and Peacock Premium is the home of its classic horror catalog. Alongside the greats of Dracula, Frankenstein and The Creature from the Black Lagoon came The Wolf Man, yet another horror classic that was well ahead of its time. Much like most of Universal's classic monster catalog, it sits well above the pack on Rotten Tomatoes, earning a 90 percent Certified Fresh rating. Starring Lon Chaney, The Wolf Man is the perfect assimilation of the Universal horror classics, and it managed some of the greatest special effects of its time. Practical and beautiful, timely and grand, The Wolf Man is a must-watch for werewolf aficionados.
Werewolves have not been given the chances that their peers have, and the places where they have appeared have not always been grand. However, there are a few gems among the coal, and even the less-than-brilliant treatments still manage originality and fun fantasy. A person turning into a wolf is ostensibly a hard sell. However, werewolves occasionally manage it well, and even when they don't, they manage to nonetheless be entertaining.