Werewolf movies always get short shrift, goes the saying (or at least the opinion) among horror fans.
They’re simply like that. Werewolves are never given the glitter or romanticization of the other famous cinematic monsters, which were effectively canonized in the public imagination by the Universal monster pictures of the 1930s and 1940s. They aren’t as common as ghosts. They don’t quite capture the zeitgeist as well as zombies. They aren’t nearly as sexualized (and exploited) as vampires are. Even a classic of the genre, George Waggner’s 1941 The Wolf Man, starring Lon Chaney Jr., never got his own direct sequel; instead, the Wolf Man was mixed in with other monsters in later films like Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. For whatever reason, werewolves are rarely viewed as important enough to carry a franchise on their own.
Then there’s the costuming issue—it’s a lot more expensive to make full-body werewolf outfits than it is to slap a few wounds on an extra, call him a zombie, and call it a day. Werewolf movies are more costume-dependent by nature, and as a result, their effects are analyzed more closely. “The outfit looks cheap!” is the Achilles’ heel of almost every indie werewolf movie. Horror enthusiasts can be picky and difficult to please.
That is to say, there are far fewer werewolf movies than there are for the other great monsters. They’re still made, but they’re eclipsed by zombie and vampire films. Despite this, we still enjoy good werewolf stories, and the genre has produced a number of cinematic classics. We’ve compiled a list of the top 25 werewolf movies of all time, which span an 80-year period of hairy and lupine adventures. You can also look at our other major horror lists, such as the 100 best vampire movies of all time, the 50 best zombie movies of all time, and the overall 100 best horror movies of all time.
Please bear in mind that we’re limiting this list to films that primarily concentrate on werewolves rather than merely featuring them as part of an ensemble cast. As a result, despite the legendary “Wolf Man’s got nards!” sequence, you won’t find The Monster Squad here. You won’t find anything from the Underworld franchise, either—not because there aren’t enough werewolves, but because those movies are all flops.
Let’s get down to business, shall we?
Top 20 Werewolf Movies You Absolutely To Watch in 2022
Here is the list of some top 20 best werewolf movies that you need to watch in 2022
1. An American Werewolf in London
Regardless of technological advancements, An American Werewolf in London will undoubtedly remain the apex predator of werewolf movies, from its deadpan wit to its absolutely innovative visual effects work, which created (and won) its own Academy Award category.
2. The Howling
The Howling, Joe Dante’s horror-thriller about a news reporter’s concern that her vacation retreat may be home to a lycanthropic colony, is one of the most well-known and captivating werewolf films ever made.
3. The Wolf Man
In The Wolf Man, Lon Chaney Jr. brought to life an instantly legendary creature picture that was hugely successful and produced four sequels, one of which Chaney Jr. proudly reprised the titular role.
4. Ginger Snaps
Ginger Snaps, one of the most well-known independent horror films of all time, injects dark comedy and a feminist viewpoint into the werewolf picture for something unique while still delivering the heart-pounding horror and gore that fans of the subgenre have come to anticipate.
5. Brotherhood of the Wolf
Brotherhood of the Wolf is a sumptuous yet terrifying horror film directed by Christophe Gans. It follows the twisting and gruesome story of a couple of mercenaries entrusted with tracking down a werewolf that preys on the French countryside in the late 1700s.
6. Werewolves Within
This hysterical horror-comedy weaves an outlandish and expertly crafted “whodunit” out of a solid werewolf thriller. You may recognize the name from the 2016 video game from Red Storm Entertainment and Ubisoft, but it remains a highlight among 2021’s cinematic output as it weaves an outlandish and expertly crafted “whodunit” out of a solid werewolf thriller.
7. Dog Soldiers
Before diving into The Descent, charging into Westeros with Game of Thrones, and resurrecting Hellboy in 2019, filmmaker Neil Marshall first showcased his passion for mauling monsters and hard-hitting action in Dog Soldiers, which pits an English military squadron on a training exercise against a pack of bloodthirsty lycanthropes.
8. The Curse of the Werewolf
The Curse of the Werewolf was the first werewolf picture to be shot in color, and it was Hammer Film Productions’ defining feature in the subgenre, with a powerful performance from the inimitable Oliver Reed.
9. The Company of Wolves
In this Gothic fantasy-horror mix, visionary filmmaker Neil Jordan pulls no punches, with multiple short stories focusing on werewolves that are noticeably closer to the Grimm Brothers’ style of macabre fairy tales.
10. Silver Bullet
This werewolf picture from 1985 may not be the best Stephen King adaptation of its time, but it is intriguing and engaging in the way King’s material frequently is, bolstered by moments of brilliance and a devoted cast that goes above and beyond what’s on the page.
11. November (2017)
This art-house favorite is an Estonian blend of fantasy and horror based on Andrus Kivirähk’s 2000 novel Old Barny. It may be too sluggish and confusing for some, but it is fascinating and unique in practically every element.
12. The Wolf of Snow Hollow
The Wolf of Snow Hollow may be a debatable addition to this list for reasons that are too spoilery to discuss here, but the film effortlessly transitions between hilariously dry comedy, heartbreaking drama about grief and pain, and tense horror about a series of murders with signs pointing to a lycanthropic suspect.
13. Wolfcop
Wolfcop is a very humorous picture that embraces werewolf clichés and legends while giving copious amounts of over-the-top violence and superb practical special effects work, despite its inclination toward the Teen Wolf side of campy werewolf ventures.
14. Ginger Snaps II: Unleashed
This renowned sequel, which won the FANGORIA Chainsaw Award for Best Limited-Release/Direct-to-Video Film in 2005, stands well in its own regard for continuing the allegories postulated by the first Ginger Snaps while also providing a really fascinating mystery and one hell of a nihilistic conclusion.
15. Late Phases
Late Phases is a great slow-burn horror film about the indignity of growing old, paired with a story about a blind man who takes it upon himself to defend his retirement community from a werewolf, directed by an acclaimed filmmaker Adrián Garca Bogliano and produced by indie horror maestro Larry Fessenden.
16. Bad Moon
Bad Moon is a very cruel story whose brilliance is also its fault since it mostly relies on a dog attempting to warn its owners that their just-moved-in uncle may be a murderous werewolf.
17. Howl (2015)
While the main concept of Howl is fantastic, involving a stopped train full of strangers being attacked by a werewolf, the film misses out on mystery and tension by focusing on unveiling the enormous, furry creature at the center of it all.
18. Teen Wolf
Teen Wolf may not be a classic werewolf film, but the world would be damned if it didn’t love a teenage werewolf surfing on a school bus or slam dunking on a basketball court.
19. Wolf
Legendary filmmakers Mike Nichols and Jack Nicholson pair up for this entertaining but ultimately empty drama about a down-and-out editor who regains control of his career life while his newfound lycanthropy upends his personal connections.
20. An American Werewolf in Paris
An American Werewolf in Paris is a surprisingly watchable horror-comedy that is anchored by a stellar performance by the endlessly charismatic Tom Everett Scott. While the film has a bad reputation due to its poor CGI and questionable decision to ape many aspects of its predecessor, it is a surprisingly watchable horror-comedy.