There’s something bewitching about werewolves. They’re not the most beloved or prolific of horror-themed characters in film or television, but only vampires really hold our fascination more. That’s mostly down to the enduring popularity of Dracula, and the recent success of the ‘Twilight’ movies, which have left a whole new generation of horror enthusiasts fearing a nip in the neck.
Perhaps the appeal we find in both vampires and werewolves is that there's an element of tragedy about them. Neither of them asked to be as they are, they often express remorse or regret, and in the case of werewolves, they're barely even in control of their situation. They don't kill out of evil or malice; they're either driven to it by nature, or have to do so in order to survive.
Wolves can sometimes be savage, but they’re also noble creatures. A wolf would struggle with containing a human element as much as a human does with containing a wolf. When we think of wolves, we tend to imagine them as they appear in the Wolf gold slot; solitary predators roaming the canyons, and howling at the moon. The wolf-theme of the online slot saw it pick up a number of ‘game of the year’ awards when it was released, with the atmospheric nature of the game’s wolf theme being partially responsible for those victories. What does that tell us about how we feel about wolves? And would players love the slot so much if the wolf suddenly turned and ran at them; no longer lupine but half-human? Is it the wolf we fear, or the human inside it?
These are existential questions, and ones which some of the best werewolf movies of all time have attempted to deal with. Here’s our all-time top five.
Perhaps the appeal we find in both vampires and werewolves is that there's an element of tragedy about them. Neither of them asked to be as they are, they often express remorse or regret, and in the case of werewolves, they're barely even in control of their situation. They don't kill out of evil or malice; they're either driven to it by nature, or have to do so in order to survive.
Wolves can sometimes be savage, but they’re also noble creatures. A wolf would struggle with containing a human element as much as a human does with containing a wolf. When we think of wolves, we tend to imagine them as they appear in the Wolf gold slot; solitary predators roaming the canyons, and howling at the moon. The wolf-theme of the online slot saw it pick up a number of ‘game of the year’ awards when it was released, with the atmospheric nature of the game’s wolf theme being partially responsible for those victories. What does that tell us about how we feel about wolves? And would players love the slot so much if the wolf suddenly turned and ran at them; no longer lupine but half-human? Is it the wolf we fear, or the human inside it?
These are existential questions, and ones which some of the best werewolf movies of all time have attempted to deal with. Here’s our all-time top five.
5. Werewolf of London (1935)
We couldn’t create a top five list without mentioning this film, because this is the one that started it all; the first Hollywood movie to contain a werewolf. There was one earlier movie outing for the beasts; a 1913 silent picture called simply ‘The Werewolf,' but that was a short film that was released without a major studio backing it.
Werewolves arrived in Hollywood a little later than other traditional horror movie staples; both Dracula and Frankenstein had made silver-screen appearances by the time director Stuart Walker brought us ‘Werewolf of London' in the mid-1930s. 1941's ‘Wolf Man' gets a lot more praise from most quarters, but ‘Werewolf of London' is the better and more influential film in our eyes. The body horror and use of prosthetics in the movie are years ahead of their time, and set the tone for many werewolf films that came later.
Werewolves arrived in Hollywood a little later than other traditional horror movie staples; both Dracula and Frankenstein had made silver-screen appearances by the time director Stuart Walker brought us ‘Werewolf of London' in the mid-1930s. 1941's ‘Wolf Man' gets a lot more praise from most quarters, but ‘Werewolf of London' is the better and more influential film in our eyes. The body horror and use of prosthetics in the movie are years ahead of their time, and set the tone for many werewolf films that came later.
4. The Company Of Wolves (1984)
Plenty of the greatest movies of all time have used a classic story as the basis of their plot. There are films which are loose adaptations of Shakespeare plays, and folk stories. ‘The Company of Wolves’ is one of them. This is the story of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ as you’ve never seen it done before.
Director Neil Jordan wasn't entirely responsible for making the fairy tale darker and more horror-worthy; short-story author Angela Carter had already done that for him, and he just added to it to flesh out the story. ‘Flesh' is the operative word here; when the transformation scenes occur it rips, tears and goes everywhere. Ten years later, Jordan would go on to make ‘Interview With The Vampire' and secure his reputation as a capable horror helmsman.
Plenty of the greatest movies of all time have used a classic story as the basis of their plot. There are films which are loose adaptations of Shakespeare plays, and folk stories. ‘The Company of Wolves’ is one of them. This is the story of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ as you’ve never seen it done before.
Director Neil Jordan wasn't entirely responsible for making the fairy tale darker and more horror-worthy; short-story author Angela Carter had already done that for him, and he just added to it to flesh out the story. ‘Flesh' is the operative word here; when the transformation scenes occur it rips, tears and goes everywhere. Ten years later, Jordan would go on to make ‘Interview With The Vampire' and secure his reputation as a capable horror helmsman.
3. Cursed (2005)
We know we’re going to get hate mail for this, but before you start typing out, let us try to explain. If you saw Wes Craven’s ‘Cursed’ in the cinemas and hated it, we’re not surprised. The version released in the cinema wasn’t good. Craven couldn’t edit his movie in a way that met the approval of censors, and ended up cutting it into pieces to get it released. Don’t watch the cinema-release, and don’t base your opinion of it on that edit.
Instead, find yourself a home-release version of the movie (which is unrated), sit back and prepare to watch a film that looks and feels almost totally different. This is the version of the tale Craven wanted you to see. Yes, some of the metaphors are ham-fisted. It’s about sex and puberty, and it isn’t subtle about it, but in its unrated form it’s visceral and vicious. And, of course, there’s that scene of a werewolf giving someone the finger. What’s not to love?
Instead, find yourself a home-release version of the movie (which is unrated), sit back and prepare to watch a film that looks and feels almost totally different. This is the version of the tale Craven wanted you to see. Yes, some of the metaphors are ham-fisted. It’s about sex and puberty, and it isn’t subtle about it, but in its unrated form it’s visceral and vicious. And, of course, there’s that scene of a werewolf giving someone the finger. What’s not to love?
2. The Howling (1981)
Ah, ‘The Howling,' or as we like to call it, ‘Joe Dante's Werewolf Inferno.' The director took the original text from a novel by Gary Brandner and made it sharp, self-aware, ultra-cool and funny in all the right places. If you like your horror films to be serious in tone from opening to end credits, then you may not appreciate the tone, but those who like the occasional laugh in among all the gore will love it.
This film was a huge hit, and spawned sequels that were nowhere near as good, but don't let that detract from the brilliance of the original. The special effects are great for the 80s, there's a subtle message about 80s society and culture swimming along beneath the plot, but it's a werewolf movie made by people who clearly love werewolf movies, and that's why we love it, too.
This film was a huge hit, and spawned sequels that were nowhere near as good, but don't let that detract from the brilliance of the original. The special effects are great for the 80s, there's a subtle message about 80s society and culture swimming along beneath the plot, but it's a werewolf movie made by people who clearly love werewolf movies, and that's why we love it, too.
1. An American Werewolf In London (1981)
Did you really expect it to see a different entry at number one on our list? Sometimes, the obvious answer is the correct one. John Landis gave us a masterpiece in ‘An American Werewolf in London,' and for so many reasons, it remains the greatest werewolf movie ever made. The script is sharp and witty, the soundtrack is incredible, the visuals are iconic, the location is perfect… we could go on.
In any werewolf movie, what makes or breaks the story for the audience is the scene in which the antagonist becomes the wolf for the first time. If it’s done badly, the film will be terrible. If it’s done right, we’re enthralled. The transformation scene in this film is horrific and heartbreaking in equal measure, and executed so convincingly it won the Oscar for ‘best makeup’ the following year. Sweeping effortlessly between comedy and horror, this is the quintessential werewolf movie, and it’s hard to imagine it ever being beaten.
In any werewolf movie, what makes or breaks the story for the audience is the scene in which the antagonist becomes the wolf for the first time. If it’s done badly, the film will be terrible. If it’s done right, we’re enthralled. The transformation scene in this film is horrific and heartbreaking in equal measure, and executed so convincingly it won the Oscar for ‘best makeup’ the following year. Sweeping effortlessly between comedy and horror, this is the quintessential werewolf movie, and it’s hard to imagine it ever being beaten.
