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When Gary Brandner finally cast the monster from his mind, and then onto paper, he gave it a familiar form. By that time, werewolves weren’t uncommon to see in Brandner’s industry, however, the late fiction author wanted to break the monotony. So rather than having a single werewolf pop up in a small town, 1977’s The Howling featured a whole community of werewolves. This small twist on the growing genre helped make Brandner’s first horror novel a success as well as attract the attention of Hollywood. Now, sure enough, creative license is part of the deal in these page-to-screen adaptations, yet Joe Dante’s ‘81 rendering is so distinct from its basis that it’s practically a different beast.

The Howling is a far cry from 1933’s The Werewolf of Paris, the Guy Endore-penned novel that many consider to be the Dracula of werewolf literature. Brandner’s...

For over a century of cinema, monsters like werewolves and vampires have given audiences a non-stop slew of classic films, from Dracula and The Lost Boys to recent hits like Nosferatu. With Blumhouse producing their own take on The Wolf Man, audiences have been given a unique adaptation of a beloved monster. However, it's far from the only werewolf movie out there, with audiences being spoiled for choice when it comes to the iconic legend.

Werewolves have been at the forefront of horror and dark fantasy alike since the 1980s but can be difficult to pull off on the big screen -- especially in live-action. When the monster is done well, it can be the most terrifying thing on screen, and some movies have captured the sheer horror of its transformation and violent nature. After experiencing 2025's Wolf Man, audiences should look to these classics for a good follow-up.

Harry...

The allure of the werewolf has persisted for centuries, rooted in mythology that speaks to our darkest fears and primal instincts. Representing a loss of control and a descent into savagery, werewolves embody the tension between humanity and beast. In cinema, these themes have been explored in a variety of ways, from tragic tales to gory thrill rides.

With the release of Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man (2025) today, the werewolf genre has received a modern update that honors its roots while exploring the emotional depths of family, sacrifice, and monstrous transformation. To celebrate, we’ve compiled the ultimate list of the best werewolf films ever made, ranked by acclaim and legacy.

10 Great Werewolf movies 1. An American Werewolf in London (1981)

Dir. John Landis

This groundbreaking horror-comedy follows two American backpackers, David and Jack, as a werewolf attack in the Yorkshire moors leaves one dead and the other cursed. David’s...

The 1980s were a decade full of big hair, punk rock, video games, political drama, and leg-warmers. It was also full of werewolves. In 1981 alone, there were four werewolf flicks in the theaters, those being Wolfen, An American Werewolf in London, Full Moon High, and the subject of this very article, The Howling. The rest of the decade saw many more lycanthropes lighting up the silver screen, including The Beast Within, The Company of Wolves, Silver Bullet, The Monster Squad, Monster Dog, and a plethora of Howling sequels. With so many werewolf movies coming out in a stretch of just ten years, only the truly unique ones that could stand apart from the rest would be remembered as classics. One such classic that innovated upon the typical werewolf mythology is The Howling.

As previously mentioned, Joe Dante’s The Howling has had stiff competition since its release, with the film...

Clockwise from top left: Basket Case (Screenshot: Arrow Video/YouTube), Hellraiser (Screenshot: Arrow Video/YouTube), The Thing (Screenshot: Universal Pictures/YouTube), The Shining (Screenshot: Warner Bros./YouTube)Graphic: AVClub

The 1930s and 1940s are frequently recognized as the golden age of horror. And while Universal Studios deserves much credit for...

One of the great things about this time of year is that there are a handful of films that straddle the holiday divide between Halloween and Christmas. Family favorites like "The Nightmare Before Christmas" or nasty slashers like "Silent Night, Deadly Night" really lean into the holiday cheer (or fear) and have become year's end viewing staples for movie buffs everywhere. Perhaps one of the most beloved films that fits nicely into the frightfully festive category is the 1984 horror comedy "Gremlins," about a seemingly adorable Christmas present that goes horribly awry.

Directed by Joe Dante, "Gremlins" was a hit amongst moviegoers and critics alike, and it's easy to see why. The film expertly blends elements of horror and playfulness with its reliance on the sickeningly sweet cuteness of Gizmo the mogwai and the crass antics of the evil gremlins. What also makes the movie great is its dark humor (I'm...

Easily my favorite movie reference in "Scream" is the line, "What's that werewolf movie with E.T.'s mom in it?" That would be Joe Dante's gloriously seedy "The Howling," one of three lycanthrope flicks that hit theaters in 1981. Unabashedly sticking to its B-movie roots, the film outperformed Albert Finney vs. Real Wolves in "Wolfen," but got left a little in the dust by "An American Werewolf in London." Perhaps that was no surprise because John Landis was on a hot streak after "Animal House" and "The Blues Brothers," and his first foray into horror was slicker, more expensive, and, despite its fair share of shocks, generally more respectable than Dante's low-budget shocker.

More's the pity. Despite the cult appeal of his earlier movies, Landis was more of a commercial crowdpleaser in the '80s and I always got the sense that he was a little ashamed of the...