25 Best Werewolf Horror Movies

This fun tale of a teen who suspects that his new stepfather might be a werewolf makes up for its budgetary limitations with humor and over-the-top gore.

1981 was a great year for werewolf movies, with Wolfen the first of three from that year on this list. The most unique of the three, Wolfen is methodically paced and unusually introspective, featuring commentary on modernism, urban sprawl, race and class struggles. (Technically, the creatures aren't werewolves, but rather reeeaaally smart wolves.)

A mild-mannered book publisher (Jack Nicholson) who's down on his luck finds his life changed -- for better and worse -- when he's bitten by a werewolf. Stellar performances by Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer and James Spader and engrossing character interaction propel the relatively run-of-the-mill werewolf portion (although it does differ from most of its ilk in that the werewolf turns nightly until the full moon, at which point he turns completely and permanently into a wolf).

The third and final entry in the Ginger Snaps franchise steps out of the established storyline by transporting sisters Brigitte and Ginger back in time to 1815, where they take refuge in a frontier fort that's being besieged by werewolves. The re-teaming of the sisters is a refreshing change of pace from Ginger Snaps 2, in which Ginger had only a small role.

This surreal, werewolf-centric British fairy tale from Neil Jordan (Interview with the Vampire) features stories within stories, including a twisted take on Little Red Riding Hood. Dreamy direction is buoyed by a strong cast, including Stephen Rea, Angela Landsbury and Terence Stamp, while gruesome transformation scenes provide edge to the softly lit tales.

Also known as Wolf Girl, this odd but endearing TV movie, complete with musical numbers and more than its share of full-frontal male nudity, follows a traveling freak show "wolf girl" who begins taking an experimental medicine to rid her of her head-to-toe hair, but it has the unexpected side effect of making her increasingly animalistic.

This iconic film set the standard for werewolf movies, introducing the concepts that werewolves are vulnerable to silver and are marked with a pentagram. The story of an American visiting his ancestral home in Wales helped star Lon Chaney, Jr. escape from the shadow of his father, who'd famously portrayed The Phantom of the Opera and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

A stylish and inventive mix of action and horror, Underworld is, unexpectedly, a Romeo and Juliet tale set amidst a war between werewolves and vampires, featuring great special effects (without thankfully not relying too much on CGI) and one of the most intimidating werewolf designs of all time.

Although it came from Universal, this first major Hollywood werewolf production is overshadowed by the studio's monster movie stable of Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy and even the later Wolf Man. However, it's arguably superior to the more well-known Lon Chaney, Jr. film -- an excellent blend of horror, drama and even a bit of comedy, with smart, crisp dialogue, strong performances and an engaging mystery about a British scientists who's bitten by a werewolf in Tibet while researching a plant rumored to be an antidote to lycanthropy (Cruel irony!).

Director John Landis (Animal House, The Blues Brothers) brought his comedic roots to this tale of an American tourist who's bitten by a werewolf and is then haunted by violent nightmares and ghosts urging him to kill himself to end the curse. Despite the humor, it's the groundbreaking, grisly special effects of the transformation scenes that most identify this fan favorite.