I’ve always been fascinated with Werewolves. From a young age, my mother would tell stories of distant relatives who swore that they occasionally had to fend these monsters off of their farms using rock salt, and I’d eat it all up (I guess life is more fun when you’re five years old). Hell, one of my first toys was a knock-off Wolfman action-figure that would eventually be destroyed by an actual canine. I guess my point is: Werewolves are awesome, and I get why we’ve been telling stories about them since the dawn of civilization.
Over the millennia, tales of Wolfmen and women have been used as everything from metaphors for puberty to physical manifestations of man’s animal nature, but there’s always been a common thread of tragedy reoccurring throughout all these tales, ironically making the Werewolf one of the most human monsters in mythology.
Of course, this makes for some great horror movie material, which is why Werewolves have howled on the big screen since the very beginning of cinema (in fact, most of the modern mythology surrounding these monsters was actually popularized by films as opposed to literature like most other monsters). However, with so many lycanthrope-centric films out there, I figured it was about time we tried ranking some of the best in a comprehensive list.
Naturally, there are a few rules, as we’re limiting the list to one entry per franchise, and the movies must focus on Werewolf monsters exclusively (though I still love the Lycans in the Underworld films).
So, without further ado, here are 12 of the Best Werewolf Movies, Ranked!
12. The Wolfman (2010)
After the Dark Universe debacle, if any studio announced a practical-effects-driven period-piece featuring the talents of Benicio del Toro, Anthony Hopkins and a very inspired Danny Elfman meant as a loving homage to one of Universal’s most beloved monsters, people would be losing their damned minds! That’s why I find it so strange that folks tend to forget about 2010’s incarnation of The Wolfman.
Sure, the film bares a few scars due to the copious amounts of studio-mandated cuts and reshoots, and the script would have benefited from a bit more polish, but Joe Johnston’s love-letter to the monster movies of yore is still a riveting ride with an appropriately old-school creature and entertaining set-pieces. All in all, it’s good fun, though I do wish they would have handled that final brawl a little better, and the CGI hasn’t aged all that well.
11. Late Phases
One of the more recent entries on this list, Adrián García Bogliano’a Late Phases is a surprisingly emotional and unconventional take on the Boy who cried Wolf trope. Although, in this case, the boy is a blind military veteran confined to an incredulous elderly community, and he just so happens to be right about the Wolf!
Dealing with an isolated protagonist (played to perfection by Stake Land‘s Nick Damici), Late Phases is a poignant exploration of disability, old age and the inevitability of death. The Werewolf might not look all that impressive, at least for my taste, and the film can get bogged down with a few extraneous scenes, but it ultimately marches towards a truly heart-wrenching finale, earning its place on this list.
10. Wolf
If you’ve ever wanted to see Jack Nicholson in his prime, peeing on a co-star in order to assert his dominance, then have I got the movie for you! Other than Nicholson, Mike Nichol’s Wolf also boasts the talents of Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Plummer and even the musical prowess of Ennio Morricone in a savage satire of corporate America.
The runtime is a bit bloated and the film doesn’t really offer anything new in terms of Werewolf plots, but the overall story (especially the romance) is still very well executed, and you can’t deny the talent going on both sides of the camera. The monster itself is rather old-school in this outing, with Nicholson’s makeup and performance harkening back to a more nuanced version of Lon Chaney Jr, but it’s the subtleties that make this movie worth a watch.
9. Silver Bullet
Stephen King’s love of B-movies has been responsible for several classic films, and though Dan Attias’s Silver Bullet isn’t exactly among the best of them, it serves as a loving homage to the low-budget monster flicks that King grew up with, while also standing on its own as a fun little Werewolf flick.
Featuring the classic Stephen King setup of a string of mysterious deaths in a small town in Maine, the film focuses on a pair of siblings (the wheelchair-bound Marty and his sister Jane, who eventually becomes the narrator of the story) that wind up in the middle of these horrific events. At times, the film does feel like a self-parody with its exaggerated characters and situations (not to mention an extremely bear-like Werewolf), but I think Ebert said it best in his review of the flick when he claimed: “I think every laugh was put in lovingly, by hand.”
8. WolfCop
Half man, half wolf, all cop! That’s all you need to know about this schlocky Canadian creature-feature that’s as much a hyper-gory monster flick as it is a charming super-hero origin story. Lowell Dean’s script is smart enough not to take itself too seriously while still presenting us with memorable characters and clever quips in a movie that’s not afraid to be fun for fun’s sake.
Leo Fafard is perfectly cast as our misanthropic/lycanthropic protagonist, but both he and the film really take off once the impressive transformation takes place and Lou Garou (yes, even the main character’s name is a werewolf pun) embarks on a face-ripping quest for justice. While WolfCop leaves you wanting more Canadian Werewolf antics, it’s a shame that the cleverly titled sequel (Another WolfCop) isn’t quite on par with the original.
7. Bad Moon
Humankind’s turbulent relationship with canines is one of the greatest examples of the duality of our species. From fearing and actively hunting wolves in the wilderness to welcoming furry little friends into our families, it’s no surprise that our relationship with dogs would eventually become the focal point of a Werewolf movie. With Bad Moon, based on Wayne Smith’s novel Thor, director Eric Red puts the family dog in the spotlight as the only character who can sense a visiting uncle’s dark secret.
While having a dog as the main character sounds like a silly idea on paper (and the film does occasionally devolve into a Beethoven-esque family picture), it actually works remarkably well, adding another level of suspense due to the animal’s failure to communicate. A lovable dog also makes for an automatically compelling protagonist (at least for dog people like myself), especially during the surprisingly brutal fight sequences. The infected uncle is also portrayed as a sympathetic figure, wishing to overcome his condition through his sister and nephew’s love, making for an unexpectedly complex antagonist in this story about family, loyalty and redemption.
Just make sure that you see the improved Director’s Cut if you’re going to check this one out!
6. Dog Soldiers
Despite the studio interference that seems to have sabotaged the recent Hellboy, I was first in line to defend Neil Marshall as an inspired choice to helm the Mignola-approved reboot. Look no further than Dog Soldiers for proof of Marshall’s mastery of action-horror, as the film chronicles the struggles of a military squad out on a training mission in the Scottish wilderness. Naturally, the mission goes awry when the group is besieged by a pack of vicious Werewolves.
From several memorable quips (there is no Spoon!) to the terrifying Werewolf designs, Dog Soldiers is a worthy addition to the Werewolf movie canon, and it even features one of my personal favorite narrative conventions, with the film mostly takes place during a single horrific night. The Scottish accents and expressions might require subtitles to be understood by some, but that’s a small price to pay for such a kick-ass film.
5. The Company of Wolves
Wolves are no strangers to Fairy-Tales, having been featured in cautionary stories since the dawn of time, so it’s no surprise that there’s an entire anthology film about them. In Neil Jordan’s The Company of Wolves, we’re are faced with captivating retellings of nearly every classic wolf story, from the seductive to the terrifying, all filled to the brim with dreamlike atmosphere and impressive effects work.
Some viewers might find the surreal imagery and hypnotic storytelling a little hard to digest, but the unusual presentation somehow fits the film’s captivating weirdness. There are a few slower segments throughout the story, but this is one of those movies that you experience rather than watch, and it’s well worth the price of admission.
4. Ginger Snaps
Nowadays, teen dramas featuring supernatural creatures are almost instinctively compared to the likes of Twilight, but a lot of people tend to forget that we’ve had some legitimately good coming-of-age stories that just so happened to involve monsters and teenagers. John Fawcett’s Ginger Snaps is among the best of these films, using a Werewolf infection as a metaphor for puberty and the inevitable curse of growing up.
The moody soundtrack and atmosphere, in addition to memorable performances by both Emily Perkins and Katharine Isabelle, make this quirky Canadian flick stand out as a surprisingly poignant look at sisterhood and the hellish trials of high school. The film was eventually followed by two sequels, and though it is a case of diminishing returns, both are worth a watch if you’d like to see more of the ill-fated Fitzgerald sisters.
3. The Howling
While Gremlins might be Joe Dante’s most cherished creature feature, the director was also responsible for another seminal monster movie. Releasing the same year as An American Werewolf in London (and featuring phenomenal effects work by Rob Bottin, Rick Baker’s Protégé), The Howling stands out with its innovative portrayal of trauma, therapy and copious amounts of bunny-eared Werewolf gore.
While the first half of the film is decidedly slow-paced, focusing on the more psychological aspects of the story, things eventually escalate into an all-out creature-feature that boasts incredible transformations and one of the most memorable endings on this list. If you can stomach the slow start, this one is definitely worth a watch!
2. Wolfman (1941)
It may not have been the world’s first Werewolf film (that honor goes to Henry MacRae’s now-lost The Werewolf, from 1913), but George Waggner’s addition to the classic Universal Monsters still deserves its reputation as the one that started it all. From unholy pentagrams to clinical lycanthropy, this classic brought all these iconic elements to the public consciousness, doing for Werewolves what Bram Stoker did for vampires.
While Lon Chaney Jr. is a likable protagonist in his role as Larry Talbot, making his ultimate fate all the more tragic, his monstrous performance really shines once the iconic makeup appears. Though his scenes are definitely the film’s most memorable, they’re also incredibly brief, making for very little Wolfman action in a movie called “The Wolfman“. This makes sense, considering how the original script didn’t even feature a monster at all, instead focusing on the main character’s possible psychosis, a concept that was sadly pushed to the sidelines in the finished picture (though it would be revisited in future films).
Nevertheless, The Wolfman remains a classic for a reason, both as a compelling and tragic character study and as an introduction to a now infamous mythology. The movie will live on, forever reminding us that even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms and the Autumn moon is bright!
1. An American Werewolf in London
If the last copies of every single Werewolf film ever made were being held in a museum somewhere, and that museum spontaneously went up in flames, there’s no doubt on my mind which movie I’d attempt to save first. To me, John Landis’ masterful blend of horror, comedy and tragedy is the definitive Werewolf story, borrowing elements from everything that came before and still somehow delivering a completely original and memorable experience.
An American Werewolf in London might hit many of the same notes as the original Wolfman, but the film is just self-aware and creative enough to be its own thing, benefiting from a darkly humorous tone that, while peculiar, somehow makes the inevitable moments of sheer terror (not to mention sorrow) so much worse.
Of course, I haven’t even mentioned Rick Baker’s Oscar-winning effects work that brought my all-time favorite Werewolf design to life. The transformation sequence doesn’t just look cool, it hurts, and the monster itself has a downright evil look on its face despite being less anthropomorphic than a regular Werewolf. The suffering culminates in a brief yet awe-inspiring rampage through the streets of London that harkens back to classic monster movies like King Kong.
If you can only bring yourself to watch one movie on this list, let it be this one!
