The Top 10 Best Werewolf Movies

These Werewolf Movies are Enough to Make Anyone Howl with Delight.

*Updated January 2021*

I’ve been a fan of werewolf movies ever since I was a little kid. Out of all the classic movie monsters, lycanthropes have always been my favorite. There’s just something appealing about letting your inner animal run wild (often with bloody consequences). They’re terrifying predators that won’t stop until they’ve ripped their prey asunder. Since I’ve done a list of the 10 best vampire movies before, it felt appropriate that I finally tackle my favorite movie monsters in a top 10 list of their own. There are a lot of awesome werewolf movies out there, as well as a lot of terrible ones. After hours of research, I managed to put together a well-rounded list with some of the best interpretations of lycanthropes to appear on the silver screen. I went with movies that featured werewolves in a major role, either as a hero or a villain rather than those that put them in a group ensemble (sorry, Monster Squad). The end result is a collection of movies that any lycanthrope fan would love. Now start loading those silver bullets, because this list of werewolf movies is ready to let the beast run wild!

10. Wer

I’m kicking off this list of werewolf movies with one of the more unique takes on lycanthrope I’ve seen over the years. Wer follows the story of a defense attorney defending a man named Talan accused of brutally murdering a family. At first, it seems like he’s being persecuted because of a genetic condition that makes him look like a lumbering mountain man (beard and all) in an attempt to wrap up the case as quickly as possible. As the movie goes on, it becomes clear that her client might not be so innocent. I enjoyed Wer because it toned down the transformation aspect and made Talan more of a berserker with incredible strength, speed, and durability. While he might have a more toned-down appearance compared to the other’s on this list, Talan is still a terrifying sight when he lets the beast out of the cage.

9. Teenwolf 

Being a teen can be hard, especially with all the changes that your body is going through. Of course, Scott (Michael J. Fox) is going through bigger changes than most when he suddenly discovers that he’s a werewolf. While most werewolves are monsters that rip apart every living thing that crosses their path, Scott uses his powers for personal gain instead. He quickly becomes the most popular kid in school when it turns out that werewolves are pretty good at basketball. This turns out to be both a curse and a blessing as he soon begins to wonder if people love him for who he is or just for the wolf. Teenwolf have one of my least favorite depiction of lycanthropes out of all the werewolf movies on this list (he looks like he has a big old beard for a face), but it’s definitely one of the more family-friendly ones. 

8. Wolfcop

One of the strangest werewolf movies I’ve seen is Wolfcop. In case you couldn’t tell from the title, it’s about a cop who also happens to be a werewolf. Lou Garou (a pun based on the French loup-garou, which means werewolf), is a loser alcoholic cop who ends up being transformed into a werewolf by a secret cult in his small town. With his newfound powers, he sets out to stop the evil cult from completing their nefarious plans. The film is a full-blown over the top horror-comedy that fully embraces the absurdity of its premise. Lou is a dumpster fire of a human being and his transformation only turns him into a super-strong, very hairy dumpster fire… Of justice! Wolfcop is a crazy ride and fans of werewolves will definitely want to check it out.

7. Howl 

I stumbled across Howl while playing movie roulette on Amazon Prime (which is usually more miss than hit). I was pleasantly surprised to see that this was probably one of the best werewolf movies I’d never heard of before. The film follows a group of British commuters on a train that find themselves stranded in the country after being forced to make an emergency stop. In typical horror fashion, they also happen to be in a communication dead zone and can’t call for help. As if being stuck without social media wasn’t bad enough, the group is attacked by a bloodthirsty beast. It turns out that werewolves and small spaces don’t mix well, and Howl is filled with plenty of blood and gore. It’s a simple premise that’s executed surprisingly well, earning it a solid spot on this list.  

6. Underworld

Werewolves versus vampires is a battle as old as time. While a lot of people tend to be fans of blood-suckers, I’ve always been team werewolf (never team Jacob though). So, when Underworld hit theaters, I was happy to see some vampires get what they deserve at the hands of lycans. While the movie might not technically be a “werewolf” movie, it does have my favorite portrayal of them. These werewolves are unstoppable killing machines, that point themselves in a direction and let their inner animal take care of the rest. Not only that, but they’re brutal juggernauts with jaws and claws that would make any self-respecting vampire wet themselves in terror. While the vampires might get all the cool costumes and sweet moves, they need them if they want to have any hope of surviving these ferocious monsters.