The werewolf genre is a favorable subset of monster films and is definitive in the horror genre. With Universal’sThe Wolf Manbeing the most memorable kickstart of the genre, it has spawned a long, love affair between cinema and exploring the mysticism of lycanthropy. The beauty of this monster is not only the films that are gory and violent but also the ones that are campy and comedic.
In the 1980s, more werewolf films were produced than perhaps any other decade. The reason for this could beattributed to the Reagan era politics, where the lycanthropic trope symbolizes sexual awakening and the decade’s break away from traditional values. Here are the best 80s werewolf films and how they are remembered now.
5Teen Wolf
WhileTeen Wolfdoesn’t correspond with some of the fellow entries, it is beloved for everything it is. The comical, coming-of-age fantasy film follows Scott McCall, an awkward teenager who achieves popularity when he realizes he can transform into a werewolf. Filled with fun basketball scenes, werewolf transformations, and the lessons of an after-school special, the film is now favored as a cult classic.
In its day,Teen Wolfwas commercially successful though it received many negative reviews. Michael J. Fox was often praised for his charismatic performance, though Scott McCall may arguably behis most underrated roleto date. Nevertheless,Teen Wolfspawned theSaturday morning cartoonof the same name and even inspired a 2011 teen drama on MTV.
Related:Why The Teen Wolf Movie Can Succeed (Even Without Stiles)
4Silver Bullet
Silver Bulletis based on the 1983 novella,Cycle of the Werewolfby Stephen King. It is a horror thriller movie that focuses on a small town plagued by the murders of a lurking werewolf. When a young, handicapped oy named Marty starts uncovering the identity of the creature, it attracts trouble for his family.
Silver Bulletis one of many Stephen King moviesthat were adapted from his booksand was panned by critics fromThe New York Times,The Chicago Tribune,The Los Angeles Times, andThe Washington Post. All things considered,the late Corey Haimis beloved for his performance in this role and the film’s“multi-faceted horror”earns its place as a cult classic. Moreover, it seems many Stephen King fans regard it as a great werewolf film andwould like to see it remadealong with other classics.
The crime horror film,Wolfen, is a little unique to some of the other werewolf genre films. Rather than explicitly center on a ravaging werewolf,Wolfenis centered on a city cop who is attempting to uncover a string of murders that lead him to an indigenous legend of wolf spirits located in South Bronx.
2The Howling
Based on the 1977 novel by Gary Brandner,The Howlingis one of the three major werewolf movies alongsideWolfenandAn American Werewolf in London. The story follows television journalist, Karen, who is sent to a psychiatric retreat after witnessing a traumatizing arrest. However, her therapy goes awry when the supernatural, horrific presence of werewolves is made known.
The film has been praised for its visual effects and made it on Bravo’s “100 Scariest Movie Moments” for the transformation sequence.The Howlinghas since been praised for revitalizing, as Kim Newman put it, the “prowling-through-misty-forests genre” and for exceptional work on the werewolf makeup. Furthermore, it is celebrated forkicking off an era that modernized gore and sexuality, ushering in films such asThe Lost Boys,Cat People, andNear Dark.
Related:American Werewolf in London vs. The Howling: Which Movie Wins the Werewolf Battle of 1981?
1An American Werewolf in London
An American Werewolf in Londonis perhaps one of the most iconic werewolf movies in a long line of horror films. Premiering in 1981, the film is set in England, where two American backpackers, David and Jack, are attacked by a werewolf. With Jack dead and being bit, David begins to question if he will undergo the werewolf transformation come the next full moon.
Landis’ script for the film wasoriginally shelved in 1969but eventually garnered the attention it needed, becoming commercially and critically successful. Moreover,An American Werewolf in Londonhas been heralded from its premiere to this very day, withTom Huddleston ofTime Outsaying: “Not just gory but actually frightening, not just funny but clever, ‘American Werewolf…’ has its flaws, but these are outweighed by the film’s many, mighty strengths[.]” The film also won the first-ever Academy Award for Best Makeup and is recognized inEntertainment Weekly’s 1996 list, “Greatest Movies Ever Made.”
