It’s never been a better time to be a fan of cinema, especially for those who are fans of horror. Horror has never been more popular and it’s exciting to see diverse genre projects find life, whether they’re grueling psychological terrors or old-fashioned monster stories. Werewolves may not have the same cache as vampires or zombies, but there have been movies that focus on these wild beasts for more than 100 years.
So much of a werewolf movie comes down to the success of its big transformation sequence, which makes it intimidating subject matter to take on. However, there are some iconic werewolf movies that exist and push the creature’s inherent brutality to its limits.
10 A Tourist’s Vacation Turns Into Cinema’s Signature Werewolf Story
An American Werewolf In London
John Landis' An American Werewolf in London is widely considered the prototypical werewolf movie and Rick Baker's special effects set a new standard that still looks incredible to this day. Griffin Dunne stars as Jack, the conflicted victim who finds himself subject to these monstrous transformations.
Jack must wrestle with his growing corruption, which is satisfying on a character level, but it's the movie's unexpected scares and visual spectacles that set it apart from its peers. The carnage and transformations actually look real, as silly as that sounds.
9 Joe Dante Creates Bewildering Visuals Through His Transformation Tale
The Howling
Joe Dante is a cinematic genius and it should come as no surprise that his take on werewolves is both innovative and visually sublime. The Howling's story isn't anything remarkable and it's yet another werewolf story where the beast's attacks are misconstrued for a vicious serial killer.
However, Dante makes sure that the movie's transformation sequence boggles the mind and helps this type of story evolve. There are more than eight Howling films, as well as an upcoming remake on the way, which speaks to this exaggerated werewolf franchise's appeal. Joe Dante has created a rich universe that audiences want to see expanded upon.
8 The Spiritual And The Supernatural Mix Together In This Horror Story
Wolfen
Wolfen from 1981 is an unflinching police drama that masquerades as a horror movie. Wolfen is more akin to an art film, but it dabbles in inherently brutal territory as a NYPD investigator looks into a series of horrific murders.
These massacres are initially presumed to be the work of rabid animals, but soon reveal a more supernatural and spiritual culprit. Wolfen requires its crime scenes to be beyond the pale and push the imagination to dark places so that they buy into Dewey Wilson and Rebecca Neff's crusade.
7 Werewolf Carnage Is Contextualized Through Childhood Innocence
Silver Bullet
Silver Bullet loosely adapts Stephen King's Cycle of the Werewolf and it's an underrated 1980s werewolf film that celebrates the underdog. A small community is held in terror after a series of murders begin to occur and vigilante justice gets out of hand.
In the end, a young boy in a wheelchair, his sister, and their unusual uncle become the only people capable of stopping a werewolf from eradicating the whole town. Silver Bullet is filtered through the wide-eyed innocence of Corey Haim's Marty, which presents these werewolf attacks with an extra level of ferocity.
6 Trained Military Professionals Go Up Against Brutal Beasts
Dog Soldiers
Before Neil Marshall directed some of the biggest Game of Thrones episodes and the iconic subterranean horror film, The Descent, he directed an engaging modern werewolf story with Dog Soldiers. A routine training mission for a team of British soldiers turns into a fight for survival against wild werewolves.
The movie needs to create massive spectacles to shatter the rough exterior of these trained warriors. Dog Soldiers doesn't shy away from excessive gore as the soldiers' automatic weapons face off against these feral monsters. It's a devastating movie with very few survivors.
5 Female Puberty Becomes A Stirring Werewolf Allegory
Ginger Snaps
A lot of werewolf movies are presented as examinations of male rage and testosterone, but Ginger Snaps sets itself apart as it turns this beastly transformation into a female coming of age narrative. Ginger's maturity into womanhood coincides with her transformation into a werewolf, which puts her sister in difficult territory when she begins to enjoy this new power.
The original Ginger Snaps is the strongest. However, Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed and the 19th century-set fur trader saga, Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning, both have their moments and are still unique takes on the werewolf subgenre.
4 Werewolves And Vampires Clash To The Bitter End
Underworld
Len Wiseman and Kate Beckinsale's Underworld franchise has spawned five feature films over the span of 15 years, all of which chronicle an ongoing war between vampires and lycans – the series' werewolf equivalent.
The Underworld movies are first and foremost an action series and they're unlikely to scare anyone, but the heightened nature of the genre actually facilitates all sorts of bloody werewolf brutality. Hundreds of vampires and werewolves mow each other down, and it has a body count that dwarfs every other cinematic werewolf story. Lycans are portrayed as efficient killing machines.
3 Wes Craven And Kevin Williamson Give Werewolves The Smarmy Scream Treatment
Cursed
Wes Craven is a master of horror who’s responsible for such legendary slasher franchises as A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream. 2005's Cursed reunites Craven with Scream's screenwriter, Kevin Williamson, for a subversive take on the werewolf subgenre.
Scream's tongue-in-cheek tone carries over into the quirky horror film that combines lycanthropy with Hollywood and celebrity culture. Cursed was subjected to extreme studio interference and the theatrical release is a messy mixed bag. However, Cursed’s werewolf scenes are vicious, even when they dabble in comedy.
2 A Mystery-Comedy Hybrid Still Proves That It Has Bite
Werewolves Within
2021's Werewolves Within is a strange werewolf horror-mystery-comedy that's a video game adaptation that should, by all means, be a disaster. However, Josh Ruben taps into the perfect energy where a talented cast of comedians get to play to their strengths.
Ruben cultivates an Agatha Christie-esque atmosphere where a snowy small town community slowly gets picked off by a werewolf, who they begin to fear is among them. Comedy is the film’s priority, but the mystery is satisfying, and it makes sure that it doesn't fall short when it comes to the werewolf effects. There are some grisly set pieces that use werewolf carnage as a macabre punchline.
1 An Update To A Werewolf Classic Bares Its Teeth And Strikes
The Wolfman
1941's The Wolf Man is a benchmark in werewolf cinema and an important pillar in Universal's Mount Rushmore of monsters. The original Wolf Man still holds up, but 2010's remake from Joe Johnston prior to him directing the first Captain America movie is a lovely tribute to the original that triumphs when it comes to its effects and gothic violence.
Benicio Del Toro leads an all-star cast that includes Emily Blunt and Anthony Hopkins. The movie also concludes with a werewolf-on-werewolf showdown that does something new with the genre.