Best Werewolf Movies: 20 Top Werewolf Films Of All Time

We all know that werewolves are one of the most popular monsters in movies and have been since they first appeared in cinema.

They’re so popular, in fact, that it can be hard to find a good film with them in it! Luckily for you, we’ve done the work for you and compiled a list of our favorite werewolf films below.

So if you’re looking for something new to watch this Halloween season or just want another excuse to spend your weekend bingeing on Netflix, take some time out of your day (or night) to check these out!

 

 

This portrayal of a man-wolf continued until around the 1980s when The Howling was released.

This movie changed how we viewed these creatures by showing them as more wolf-like and less man-like.

This trend continued with An American Werewolf in London and Silver Bullet during this decade.

In recent years, we have seen a shift back towards man-wolves rather than wolf-men, starting with Dog Soldiers in 2002 and continuing with Underworld in 2003 and Van Helsing in 2004.

It seems that Hollywood is divided on whether they prefer man-wolf or wolf-man when it comes to this creature.

Some even choose to show both versions side by side, such as the Underworld franchise.

Best Werewolf Movies

The best werewolf movies are those that make you question what is real and what is not. These films can be a mix of horror, action, and comedy. What do you think?

Comment below to let me know your thoughts!

In the past few decades, there have been a number of great werewolf movies on the market, and choosing just one can be difficult.

This guide will highlight some of the best werewolf films in recent years for your consideration.

An American Werewolf In London (1981)

An American Werewolf in London is the 1981 cult classic horror film directed by John Landis.

The movie follows two young Americans, David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne), who are attacked by a werewolf on their way back to London from Scotland.

The movie is notable for its gory special effects that have scared audiences since its release in 1981, but also for its witty script and perfect casting.

The film follows two friends, David Kessler and Jack Goodman (played by David Naughton and Griffin Dunne), who are attacked by an escaped werewolf on the moors of Yorkshire in England.

After being bitten, David transforms into a werewolf at the next full moon.

An American Werewolf In London was ranked number 14 on Bravo’s “100 Scariest Movie Moments” for its transformation scene, which has been cited as

one of Hollywood’s most iconic moments due to its use of practical effects rather than CGI or other animatronics technology that would become more prevalent later in the decade.

The Wolf Man (1941)

The Wolf Man is a 1941 werewolf film directed by George Waggner. The screenplay was written by Curt Siodmak and stars Lon Chaney Jr., Evelyn Ankers, Ralph Bellamy, Patric Knowles, John Carradine, and Maria Ouspenskaya.

It tells the story of Lawrence Talbot (Chaney), who inherits his family’s curse and turns into a werewolf whenever there is a full moon.

After several encounters with his monstrous counterpart, he seeks out a local gypsy woman to lift the curse.

The 1941 film, “The Wolf Man,” is a classic horror movie starring Lon Chaney Jr. as Larry Talbot who transforms into the werewolf at night due to a family curse passed down from generation to generation.

The Monster Squad (1987)

The Monster Squad is a movie about kids who are working together to take down the evil werewolf,

Frankenstein’s monster, and Dracula. The film was directed by Fred Dekker and released in 1987.

The kids all have code names like Phoebe (who is also known as “Wolf Girl”), Horace (“Dracula”), Ben (“Frankenstein”), and Eugene (“The Mummy”).

They meet up at an abandoned house that they are using as their clubhouse.

Filled with monsters from classic horror movies, this movie has been loved by many generations of people for its humor, wit, creativity, and adventure.

The Monster Squad is a cult classic, and for good reason. It has action, comedy, horror, suspenseful moments, and even some drama.

Wolfen (1981)

Wolfen is a 1981 film about two FBI agents that are investigating the death of several wolf hunters, and they must find out who or what killed them before more lives are lost.

This classic horror film has been praised for its suspenseful plot, eerie atmosphere, and sophisticated transformation effects.

This movie will keep you on the edge of your seat as it reveals shocking events one after another.

A group of friends, on the way to a concert, get lost in the woods and are terrorized by a pack of wolves. They must try to find their way out before they are picked off one by one.

The film stars Albert Finney as Jim Haller, an environmental engineer who investigates strange animal behavior in rural Pennsylvania and uncovers a pack of intelligent werewolves bent on global domination.

Wolfen is one of those movies that will make you want to sleep with all the lights on for weeks afterward!

Werewolf Of London (1935)

Werewolf Of London (1935) film. Werewolf of London is a 1935 American horror film, directed by Stuart Walker and starring Henry Hull as Dr. Wilfred Glendon and Warner Oland as Dr. Yogami.

The film is about a botanist who travels to Tibet in search of a rare flower, the mariphasa, so that he can use its oil to transform into an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature at night, who then hunts the criminals of London.

The werewolf subgenre would not be popularized until the release of Universal’s The Wolf Man in 1941, which starred Lon Chaney Jr.

In 1999, Werewolf of London was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant”.

Wolf (1994)

The movie Wolf is a 1994 horror film about a man who has been bitten by the titular creature and must track down the wolf in order to kill it.

The film stars Jack Nicholson as the protagonist, Jim. It follows his journey from normal person to werewolf and back again.

Wolf was directed by Mike Nichols with screenplay written by Wesley Strick and James Salter.

Wolf is a 1994 American romantic horror film directed by Mike Nichols and starring Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, James Spader, Kate Nelligan, Richard Jenkins, Christopher Plummer, Eileen Atkins, David Hyde Pierce, and Om Puri.

The screenplay by Jim Harrison and Wesley Strick is an adaptation of the 1983 novel The Wolfen by Whitley Strieber.

The film follows Will Randall (Nicholson), the aging editor-in-chief of a publishing house as he is transformed into a werewolf following a bite from a wolf he encounters in the New York City Central Park Zoo.

Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man (1943)

Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man (1943) was the first of Universal’s Monster films to be produced without Bela Lugosi as Dracula.

Lon Chaney Jr. played the role instead and it became one of his best known performances, as he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. This is a classic horror film that will keep you on your toes!

In the 1943 film Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man, Dr. Frankenstein and his assistant Fritz create a monster to help them in their work.

It is not long before they realize that they need a second creature for balance and so they use one of Dr.

Frankenstein’s old lab experiments to try and create what he calls “the perfect being.” Unfortunately, this experiment backfires as the wolf man forgets about his human side when he encounters a woman who smells like prey, leading him to forget all about love with Elsa, the beautiful daughter of Baron Von Leppeinsterstein.

The Curse Of The Werewolf (1961)

The Curse Of The Werewolf (1961) is a British horror film directed by Terence Fisher.

It was written by Jimmy Sangster and stars Oliver Reed as the werewolf, with supporting actors Andrée Melly, Yvonne Monlaur, David Peel, and Fred Johnson.

This movie is about a man who turns into a werewolf and goes on a killing spree in an old English village before he himself becomes prey to another werewolf determined to wipe out the curse of lycanthropy for good.

The Curse of the Werewolf (1961) is a Hammer Horror production and one of the most iconic movies in that genre.

The film was directed by Terence Fisher with a screenplay written by John Elder, based on his own novel

It stars Oliver Reed as Larry Talbot/the Wolf Man who undergoes an experimental treatment to cure him but it only manages to put him into a state where he turns at will without being under the influence of the full moon.

Stephen King’s ‘Silver Bullet’ (1985)

Stephen King’s “Silver Bullet” (1985) is a story about a small town in Maine and the only way to kill the evil werewolf that has been terrorizing it.

Silver Bullet is a 1985 American horror film based on the Stephen King novella Cycle of the Werewolf.

The film was directed by Dan Attias, and stars Gary Busey, Everett McGill, Corey Haim, Megan Follows, and Terry O’Quinn. It is set in Tarker’s Mills, a small town in Maine that is being terrorized by a werewolf.

It was filmed primarily in Newcastle and St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada; the film has been cited as one of the best werewolf movies ever made. The story is set in 1975 and follows a werewolf as it terrorizes a small town in Maine.

A young paraplegic boy named Marty Coslaw (Corey Haim) discovers the killer is his uncle Red (Bill Smitrovich), who is possessed by an unearthly entity. Uncle Red tells Marty that he cannot kill him because he loves him too much.

He asks Marty to join him and fulfill their destiny together for eternity but Marty refuses. With his last breath, Red says “I love you” as Marty shoots him with a silver bullet from his toy gun which kills him.

Teen Wolf (1985)

The 1985 film Teen Wolf is the story of a high school student who has to balance his love for athletics with the dual responsibilities of being both a

teenager and werewolf. The film was written by Jeph Loeb and Matthew Weisman and stars Michael J. Fox as Scott Howard, a high school student struggling to find himself while balancing his love for athletics with the dual responsibilities of being both a teenager and werewolf.

The movie’s plot follows Scott Howard (Michael J. Fox) in his senior year at Beacon Hills High School, where he plays on the varsity basketball team alongside best friend Stiles (James Hampton).

He starts dating one of the cheerleaders, Lydia (Brianna Brown), but when she becomes aware of what

I’m just going to say it, Teen Wolf is one of the best teen movies ever. I can’t believe some people think this movie is “cheesy”.

The acting was good, and there are so many quotable lines from the movie that we all know by heart! So if you’re looking for a classic 80s film to watch with your friends, get out your popcorn and enjoy Teen Wolf.

Van Helsing (2004)

Van Helsing is a 2004 American action-adventure horror film directed and co-written by Stephen Sommers.

The film stars Hugh Jackman as the eponymous lead character, with Kate Beckinsale, Richard Roxburgh, David Wenham, Shuler Hensley, and Kevin J. O’Connor in supporting roles.

It tells the story of Count Dracula’s attempt to move from Transylvania to England so that he may find new blood and spread the undead curse while Van Helsing attempts to stop him. Along the way they battle

Dr. Frankenstein’s monster (also played by Jackman), werewolves led by Lord Lycanthropus (Wenham), and other vampires like Valek (O’Connor).

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)

The Twilight Saga: New Moon is a 2009 American romantic fantasy film based on the second book in Stephenie Meyer’s four-part series of the same name.

The story is about Bella Swan, played by Kristen Stewart, who moves to live with her father after her mother dies and meets a vampire named Edward Cullen played by Robert Pattinson.

In this movie, Bella falls in love with Edward and they start dating but then she has to choose between him or Jacob Black played by Taylor Lautner whom she had previously been friends with for years.

The Wolf Of Snow Hollow (2020)

The Wolf of Snow Hollow is a 2020 thriller based on the classic fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood.

The story follows a young girl who must use her intelligence to uncover the truth about her missing grandmother.

Along with her friends and their trusty dog, they embark down a forested path to find out what happened to their beloved family member.

They soon discover that there’s more than meets the eye in this small town and it might just be up to them to save themselves and everyone else from an impending disaster.

The year is 2020, and the wolves of Snow Hollow are at war with each other. The rift between two rival packs has been growing ever since a new alpha rose to power in one of the packs.

Rumors have circulated that he’s not a wolf at all… but rather some kind of abomination from beyond Snow Hollow borders.

Underworld (2003)

Underworld is a 2003 American action horror film directed by Len Wiseman. Wiseman, along with Danny McBride and Kevin Grevioux, wrote the screenplay for the film, which is based on the novel of the same name by Grevioux.

The film stars Kate Beckinsale as Selene, a vampire who works as a Death Dealer, or vampire assassin.

Underworld tells the story of an eternal conflict between the aristocratic vampires and their onetime slaves: the Lycans (werewolves).

Selene’s former lover is killed by vampires and she becomes a Death Dealer to seek revenge on his killers and find out the truth behind their motives.

Tobias Menzies plays Selene’s ally David. Kreator performs “Pleasure to Kill” during the opening credits, which is also featured in one scene in the film; this song was originally recorded by German thrash metal band Kreator for their 1985 album Pleasure to Kill.

The film received generally negative reviews from critics; however, it achieved success at the box office grossing over $50 million in US ticket sales and more than $82 million worldwide.

Another Wolfcop (2017)

A sequel to the cult hit Wolfcop (2014), Another Wolfcop is a 2017 Canadian comedy horror movie that was written and directed by Lowell Dean.

The original film, which was very popular in Canada and generated positive reviews from critics, centered on a police officer who transforms into a werewolf but keeps his job.

Set in the fictional town of Woodhaven, the series follows Lou Garou as he attempts to keep order in a world where one-third of the population is made up of lycanthropes.

Travis Wong stars as Lou Garou in Another Wolfcop, which also features Jonathan Cherry, Amy Matysio, Jonathan Cherry, and Rich Collins.

The movie received negative reviews from critics and currently holds a 44% “rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 15 reviews with an average rating of 4.5 out of 10.

On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 33 out of 100 based on 3 reviews indicating “generally unfavorable reviews”. The sequel received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics.

Ginger Snaps II: Unleashed (2004)

A sequel to the cult classic, Ginger Snaps (2000), this film follows a high school student named Brigitte Fitzgerald who is bitten by a werewolf and begins transforming into one herself.

When her sister snaps out of her coma, she must protect Brigitte from their mother’s attempts to kill them both before they are fully transformed.

The movie also stars Katharine Isabelle as Brigitte and Emily Perkins as younger sister Abby.

This film was written by Karen Walton, directed by John Fawcett, and produced by David Hartley for Alliance Atlantis in 2004.

In this second installment, one sister has been bitten and must deal with her new life as she transforms into a creature of the night.

The movie is an independent production that was shot in Canada and directed by John Fawcett.

The Howling (1981)

Director Joe Dante’s The Howling (1981) is a horror movie that relies on the shock of seeing werewolves naked and the terror of losing control of your mind and body.

Tatum O’Neal plays beauty queen Amy, who along with her brother is abducted by a cult of devil worshipers who are in love with furry little creatures called “the wolves.”

Amy and her brother escape when the cult members become too stressed out by their conspiracy trials, but she returns to the forest to look for help.

That’s where she meets Steve (Robert Picardo), a camp counselor who is also a werewolf hunter.

They team up against the cult leader, who has kidnapped another woman in order to bear him a child. The film is based on a novel by Gary Brandner, who wrote it while living in California.

It’s one of several adaptations of his work; others include The Howling II (1985) and An American Werewolf in London (1981).

The movie was shot on location in New Zealand, where it takes place, although many of the scenes are set in Los Angeles so they wouldn’t have to bother removing all the cars from the roads!

The director intentionally used bright colors to show that some of Amy’s experiences are dreams or hallucinations.

Dog Soldiers (2002)

Dog Soldiers is a 2002 British-American horror film directed by Neil Marshall. It is an adaptation of the 1993 novel of the same name by Terry Hayes and follows a group of British soldiers who are on a mission to rescue a fallen comrade in the Scottish Highlands but have to contend with a pack of werewolves.

Seeking shelter in a remote cabin, part of a training exercise in the Scottish Highlands led by Sergeant Wells, the men discover that their friend, Mac, has disappeared while scouting. They set out to find him, but soon come across signs that they are not alone.

The film stars Sean Pertwee as Wells, Kevin McKidd as Spence and John Lynch as Cooper. The film also features Liam Cunningham as Private Kelly, Mark Lewis Jones as Private Gray and Tom Hardy as Mac, who was originally played by Ian Bannen in the original novel.

The screenplay for Dog Soldiers was written by Nick Cave. The film was shot on location in Scotland during early 2000.

Although it generated some interest from critics and fans alike at various international film festivals, the movie received little attention upon its initial theatrical release in 2003 and was not widely available until its DVD release in 2004.

The Company Of Wolves (1984)

Neil Jordan’s 1984 film, The Company of Wolves is a story about the power that stories have to shape our lives.

In it, we see an adolescent girl who has been raised in isolation and ignorance.

She is escorted by her grandmother from their home for reasons unknown to her, but she soon learns that they were running from wolves – not just any wolves but those born out of human hands.”

As the film progresses we come to understand how this young woman comes into contact with these wild creatures and what it means for her life.

The movie itself can be seen as a commentary on storytelling; how through them narratives are created and change depending on who tells them.

The Company of Wolves (1984) is a dark fairy tale that deals with the idea of repression and the consequences it can bring. The film tells the story of a young girl who is struggling to come to terms with her own sexuality in Victorian England.

Ginger Snaps (2001)

Ginger Snaps is a Canadian horror-comedy about two teenage sisters who are attacked by a werewolf and one of them gets bitten.

The movie follows their story as they struggle with lycanthropy and the changes it brings to their lives.

It has been hailed for its portrayal of sisterhood – in particular, how much stronger the bond between sisters can become once they have faced challenges together.

Ginger Snaps tells the story of two sisters, Brigitte and Brigitte. The older sister, Brigette, is popular in high school while the younger sister, Ginger, is more introverted and awkward.

The movie stars Katharine Isabelle as Brigitte Fitzgerald, her twin sister Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) and their friend Brigitte’s boyfriend Mitch (Michael Riley).

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