The Top 10 Best Werewolf Movies
5. Brotherhood of the Wolf
There are a ton of werewolf movies out there, but Brotherhood of the Wolf is one of the few period pieces that is actually pretty good. It’s a thriller set in 18th century France in a village being tormented by a ferocious beast. The king sends his royal naturalist and his Native American companion to help end this reign of terror. It turns out that there’s much more to this mystery than just some werewolf running wild and not all of the threats are supernatural. Brotherhood of the Wolf plays more like a mystery than a horror movie and is filled with plenty of incredible action sequences as the two hunters track their prey (Mark Dacascos is especially cool in it). It’s an interesting twist on the werewolf mythos and leaves quite an impression.
4. The Howling
Horror is a genre that refuses to let franchises die no matter how terrible the get. The Howling is proof of that as the film spawned seven sequels, each exponentially worse than the last. That being said, the first one is actually not that bad. The film follows a TV reporter sent to a mental health retreat to recover after being attacked by a serial killer. As horror fans know though, camps are the stuff of nightmares (Friday the 13th, Sleepaway Camp, etc). To no one’s surprise, the “Colony” has a dark secret. Since it’s appearing on this list of werewolf movies, I bet you can figure out what that secret might be. That’s right, it’s a camp full of them that lure patients out there in order to turn them into one of the pack. Worst of all, the Colony doesn’t accept insurance and there isn’t even a battle of the camps at the end!
3. Ginger Snaps
Turns out that lycanthrope is often used as a metaphor for the sudden changes and urges that many of us go through. One of the most blatant allegories is Ginger Snaps. It also happens to be one of the most popular werewolf movies of all time. The film follows a teenage girl that starts to go through some changes that just happen to sync up with the full moon… Which happens once a month (get the metaphor). Ginger becomes more aggressive and bloodthirsty as her humanity slowly slips away. As it does, she embarks on a vicious rampage, killing anyone who crosses her and spreading lycanthropy like an STD. Ginger Snaps earns a spot not just because of its cult following but also because lady werewolf movies are few and far between.
2. Dog Soldiers
What do you get when you cross a Special Forces team and a pack of werewolves? A blood bath. Dog Soldiers follows a team of SAS soldiers playing war games in the Scottish Highlands. They discover the team they’re training with torn to pieces and are forced to retreat to an abandoned cottage in the middle of the forest. They soon discover that the ones responsible for the attack at a pack of werewolves that aren’t interested in letting their prey getaway. Now, you might think that the soldiers would be a force to be reckoned with, but since they’re on a training mission they don’t have any live ammo with them. What ensues is the Alamo of werewolf movies as the team bands together in an attempt to survive the bloody onslaught.
1. An American Werewolf in London
When it comes to werewolf movies, few are as iconic as An American Werewolf in London. It truly embraced the idea that lycanthrope is a torturous curse that causes men to do unspeakable things under the light of the full moon and forces them to live with the guilt. Two American students are brutally attacked by a vicious beast while hiking the moors of Yorkshire. Only one of them survives but soon finds that living is a fate worse than death as he discovers that the creature that attacked them was a werewolf and now he suffers from the same curse. It features one of the most gruesome transformation scenes that focuses on lycanthropy being just as horrifying for the victim as it is for, well, their victims.
Honorable Mention: The Wolf of Snow Hollow
Writer/Director Jim Cummings stars as small-town Deputy John Marshall, holstered with the responsibility of solving a string of brutal murders, and my heart goes out to the poor guy. As the story unfolds, stress is constantly shoveled onto him and threatens to unleash his own inner monster (addiction and anger issues). The lack of empathy he receives is a constant source of rage and made me just as furious with those around him. Not only The Wolf of Snow Hollow one of the best werewolf movies I’ve ever seen, but it’s easily one of the best horror films of 2020. It’s a fantastic film with a perfect blend of comedy, horror, and mystery that will suck you in right from the beginning. So why just an honorable mention? Well, you’ll have to watch it to find out. Trust me though, you won’t regret it.
As always, I’d like to hear your thoughts on the movies that earned a spot on this list. I’d especially like to hear any suggestions for any other great suggestions for werewolf movies I should check out. I’ll be updating this list as new and improved werewolf movies hit the big screen. So, be sure to check back from time to time and see how the rankings change in the future!