The Top 5 Greatest Werewolf Movies

Ash Walker • 15 Jan 2025 Features

Films to have you howling at the moon.

Beware the moon!

Werewolves have long been one of the great cinematic monsters, snarling and stalking their victims across the silver screen from the very beginning.

In celebration of Leigh Whannell’s brand new version of the Wolf Man, now clawing its way into cinemas, we’re picking out the greatest, hairiest, howlingest werewolf movies of all time.

5 - The Wolf Man (1941)

Credit: The Wolf Man Official Trailer #1 (Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers, YouTube)

It might seem a little hokey these days, but Universal’s 1941 horror classic is undeniably influential.

Taking inspiration from real folk legends - and earlier films like 1935’s Werewolf of London - writer Curt Siodmak essentially invented the modern, sympathetic werewolf. It’s all present and correct: the fast-healing bite, the aversion to silver, the tragic ending.

There’s also a groundbreaking transformation sequence, masterminded by monster maestro Jack Pierce, that set the standard for years to come - even if the creature itself is a bit more cute than scary, with its perfectly coiffed fur and black button nose…

Regardless, The Wolf Man is good enough to stand the test of time. An absolute classic.

The Wolf Man is available to rent on Prime Video and Sky Store.

4 - The Howling (1981)

Credit: Joe Dante's The Howling (1981) with Dee Wallace | Trailer (StudiocanalUK, YouTube)

There were three major werewolf movies released in 1981: An American Werewolf in London (more on that later), Wolfen, a weird, gritty police procedural with shapeshifting Native American gods, and Joe Dante’s gleefully, unrepentantly schlocky horror hit, The Howling.

Loosely based on the novel by Gary Brandner, the film follows a news anchor (scream queen Dee Wallace) who retreats to a private resort after a traumatic experience with a serial killer, only to discover that said resort is populated entirely by werewolves.

It’s a bonkers concept, and director Joe Dante (who also brought us Gremlins) leans heavily into the silliness, resulting in a film that’s gnarly, scary, hilarious and just plain fun.

It’s also bolstered by some pretty iconic creature designs and a standout transformation sequence, courtesy of special effects wizard Rob Bottin, who was also responsible for the gloriously gooshy nightmares of The Thing.

A ridiculously good time.

The Howling is available to rent on Prime Video and Sky Store.

3 - Dog Soldiers (2002)

Credit: Dog Soldiers Remastered - Exclusive UK Trailer (Vertigo Releasing, YouTube)

Speaking of good times, it doesn’t get much more fun than Neil Marshall’s ferociously funny action horror debut, Dog Soldiers.

Pitting sweary squaddies against a family of vicious werewolves in the Scottish Highlands, the film is a fast-paced rollercoaster ride, full of witty one-liners, gruesome gore and gun-toting action sequences.

Crucially, there are some spectacular werewolves, too. While Dog Soldiers may be pretty low budget, it spends its money where it counts - in some pretty impressive practical creature effects. 

It’s also unapologetically British. There’s even a running joke about the outcome of an England vs Germany football match, which is something you don’t often see in a mainstream horror movie.

A fast and furious antidote to the kind of ‘sympathetic werewolf’ movies you see a lot of the time.

Dog Soldiers is available to watch on Prime Video.

2 - Ginger Snaps (2000)

Credit: Ginger Snaps (2000) - Official Trailer (ScreamFactoryTV, YouTube)

In retrospect, it seems pretty obvious to equate lycanthropy with puberty - changing bodies, growing hair, new and confusing impulses - but that’s exactly the stroke of genius that Ginger Snaps pulls off.

A cool, snarky high school horror in the tradition of The Craft and Buffy the Vampire Slayer - but with a bit more bite - the film follows oddball sisters Brigitte and Ginger as they navigate the twin terrors of werewolfism and being teenage girls in suburban Canada.

At times it has more in common with body horror classics like The Fly, as Ginger’s body and mind slowly start to transform with the coming of the full moon, culminating in a bloody, brilliant finale where she goes full monster.

A cult classic that deserves more love.

Ginger Snaps is available to rent on Prime Video and Sky Store.

1 - An American Werewolf in London (1981)

Credit: An American Werewolf in London (1981) Trailer #1 (Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers, YouTube)

If there’s one thing a werewolf film has to get right it’s the transformation scene, and the one in John Landis’ 1981 comedy horror classic is just about as good as it gets. To this day it’s never been bettered.

Audaciously taking place in a bright, well-lit room, the sequence is astonishing. Grotesque, shocking and bone-crunchingly unpleasant, the effects - supplied by legend Rick Baker - combined with David Naughton’s agonised screams, really sell the pain of your body changing shape. 

The rest of the film is great too, perfectly balancing horror and comedy, and it even manages to add some interesting wrinkles to the classic mythology, such as the werewolf being haunted by the spectres of his victims.

Forty-odd years later, this is still the best werewolf film ever made.

An American Werewolf in London is available to rent on Prime Video and Sky Store.

Honourable Mentions

There are a lot of werewolf films out there, and not all of them are good, but there are a few undeniable gems that didn’t quite make our Top 5. Check them out if you need more carnivorous lunar activities in your life.

• The Company of Wolves (1984) - A dreamlike gothic fairytale, like Little Red Riding Hood for grown-ups.
• Silver Bullet (1985) - A wheelchair-bound kid faces off against a nefarious werewolf hiding within his small town community.
• Teen Wolf (1985) - Michael J Fox turns into a hairy beast, which inexplicably makes him popular and good at basketball.
• Wolf (1994) - Jack Nicholson turns into a hairy beast, which inexplicably makes him confident, sexy and better at his job.
• Late Phases (2014) - A blind war veteran protects his retirement community against a savage werewolf attack.
• The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020) - A small town cop investigates a string of brutal full moon murders, constantly having to remind himself that werewolves don’t exist. Right?
• Werewolves Within (2021) - An Agatha Christie-style murder mystery, where the killer is a bloodthirsty beast.