As Leigh Whannel’s Wolf Man, opening this Friday, quietly rebuilds what Tom Cruise left of Universal’s now-defunct Dark Universe, we must appreciate what came before it. And by that I mean other werewolf movies that are must-watch for genre fans. Aficionados have probably already seen the films below, but newbies might need a 101, so we have created a syllabus of lycanthropic cinematic classics as a primer.
Whannel’s upcoming film isn’t re-inventing the “werewolf movie” but he is taking an interesting approach. He has said he drew heavily from David Cronenberg’s The Fly, where the main character’s transformation is treated more like an insidious disease, than a gypsy curse.
As for the creature effects, Whanell didn’t want to take the digital route; everything is handmade. He told SFX Magazine, he’s worried about how fans will react to his practical creation.
“Maybe there are some people that won’t like it because they love the traditional wolf too much, but that was the approach I wanted,” the director said.
That is in stark contrast to his last Universal Monster film The Invisible Man which relied heavily on green screen and tennis balls. But that film was so incredibly well-made and suspenseful that no one really noticed the CGI.
If you’re hyped about Wolf Man this week, take some time to check out the films below; some are good, some campy, but all of them are worth a watch. If you are interested you can use JustWatch to find out where to find them.
The Wolf Man (1941)
For every remake, there is an original with varying degrees of quality. But Universal’s top-tier The Wolf Man starring Lon Chaney Jr. is considered a masterpiece and is one of the films that kicked off their Dark Universe filmic collective. Chaney’s transformation into his werewolf form was regarded as cutting-edge at the time and remains indelible in the minds of those who have seen it.
Silver Bullet (1985)
Yawn, another Stephen King adaptation from the 80s. But hold on, Silver Bullet was more than a cash-grab, it’s actually a very good werewolf movie. Its protagonist is in a wheelchair and the villain — well, we aren’t going to spoil for you. This has great action sequences, a good twist, and one of the best performances by Gary Busey on celluloid. The transformation(s) are okay (it might hold the record for the most onscreen transformations in a single scene), but the monster is truly terrifying.
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
David Naughton was mostly known for his Dr. Pepper commercial before he made John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London. But, that all changed when the movie became one of the biggest hits of 1981. Special effects master Rick Baker worked on the film and even won an Oscar for his efforts. He not only created one of the greatest werewolf transformations of all time, but he also had to work on various stages of an undead Griffin Dunne.
Cursed (2005)
Okay, this one is divisive. You either love this camp classic or you hate it. For those who love it, they are probably forgiving of its weird plot devices and questionable acting. The film is a slick action picture disguised as a slasher. It’s no wonder; the screenplay was written by Kevin Williamson and the movie was directed by Wes Craven; the two collaborated on the Scream films.
This isn’t for everyone, but it holds a special place in my heart.
Howling (1981)
just a skosh before An American Werewolf in London, there was The Howling. Although the two films are from the same year, The Howling came out four months before Werewolf in London, and it got a great reception. This is a dark comedy in which a serial killer named Eddie played by Robert Picardo torments our heroine Karen White played by Dee Wallace.
What is interesting is that this film was directed by Joe Dante (Gremlins, The Burbs) who much like his colleague John Landis (An American Werewolf in London) loved to use dark humor in his horror. Rob Bottin, the other SFX mastermind of the 80s, did the make-up effects. Of course, he went on to do the effects for The Thing and Se7en.
Dog Soldiers (2002)
This has become a cult classic and deservedly so. Another werewolf film where comedy is the flourish amid the horror. Director Neil Marshall (The Descent, Hellboy) created this action-heavy horror movie which has been compared to The Evil Dead with werewolves. It didn’t get a theatrical release in America, but it became popular on DVD. “There is no spoon.”
Howl (2015)
It’s a stretch to call this Train to Busan with werewolves, but here we are. The setting is a train and there is a werewolf stalking the passengers, so it…tracks. However, in this film the train isn’t moving. It hit a deer and the engineer dies while trying to remove it from beneath the wheels. The passengers are then hunted by a bipedal wolf creature that is trying to get inside. This is a fun movie with lots of suspense. It didn’t get a lot of play in America since it is a British film, but if you missed it, it’s worth a watch.