15 Best Werewolf Movies Of All Time, Ranked

Werewolf films have been a fairly ubiquitous presence in the horror genre for decades, but only a handful have really broken through to mainstream audiences. There are several reasons for that lack of popularity, but quality isn't necessarily one of them, as our list below will attest.

Like most horror subgenres, there isn't a single element that needs to go right for a werewolf film to work, but the transformation sequence and creature design are certainly up there. Even then, though, a big budget and Academy Award-winning makeup by the legendary Rick Baker couldn't save Joe Johnston's "The Wolfman" or earn it a spot below. Instead, it's a combination of factors that make a werewolf movie succeed, from nailing the tropes to displaying originality, and all the titles below find that right balance in one way or another.

When talking werewolf movies, it's worth pointing out that we're not considering films where the werewolf isn't the primary focus, so no "Trick 'r Treat" or "Monster Squad," and we're not interested in faux werewolves either. So don't go expecting to see otherwise great films like "Brotherhood of the Wolf" or "Wolfen" below. Now keep reading for our look at the 15 best werewolf movies ever made!

A teen brings several friends to his stepfather's remote cabin in the woods for a weekend party, but he discovers too late that a predator stalks the area. With most of his friends slaughtered, the teen sets out to identify and kill the creature.

Lance W. Dreesen's "Big Bad Wolf" is one of those lesser-known but highly entertaining werewolf movies deserving of more brave eyeballs. Reviled by some, beloved by others, the film is a low budget blast of monstrous mayhem that leans more and more inappropriate. It's werewolf exploitation that knows the creature is a monster — and it lets him behave like one.

So what does that mean, exactly? Well, in addition to tearing people apart, the werewolf gets frisky with some of them before putting them out of their misery and delivers verbal abuse and mockery toward his victims. It's guaranteed to put off some viewers, understandably, but it's also highly entertaining as Richard Tyson has a grand time acting very, very naughty.

Akira was once part of a powerful clan of werewolves, but the years have left him the only one of his kind. He roams the landscape investigating crimes and righting wrongs before ultimately coming face to face with the clan responsible for wiping out his werewolf bloodline.

Kazuhiko Yamaguchi's manga adaptation probably wouldn't make this list if it were judged solely on its transformation effects, as our title character never actually transforms. The full moon does give him extra strength, wolf powers (?), and a bushier unibrow, though, and that's enough for our purposes here. "Wolf Guy" crams a lot into its short running time, meaning it's easy to get lost in the narrative, so it's best approached as an 86-minute episodic adventure.

The great Sonny Chiba headlines, and he's a strong physical presence snarling and growling his way through the air as he leaps onto enemies, and the bloodletting that follows is creative, colorful carnage. The film also gives viewers yakuza violence, an invisible tiger tearing people open, and sexual antics that would see Sigmund Freud spinning in his grave.

Tom Newcliffe (Calvin Lockhart) is a rich man who's built his life around big game hunting, but he's hoping to kill his deadliest prey closer to home. He's invited a group of people to his country estate only to reveal that one of them is a werewolf — and he's planning to kill it.

"The Beast Must Die" is unapologetically a high-concept film mixing werewolf horror with an Agatha Christie mystery, and you'd be hard-pressed to call that a bad thing. We get an eccentric group of characters and a wonderfully over-the-top performance by Lockhart in an ensemble horror film from the U.K.'s Amicus Productions (think Hammer on a budget).

The werewolf is little more than a dog with a hairpiece, but that silliness only enhances the goofy seriousness of it all. Peter Cushing and Michael Gambon co-star, each bringing legitimacy to the genre outing, and the film's embrace of its core mystery plays out in fun ways, including a "werewolf break" that sees the movie pause while a voiceover asks if you've identified the killer yet.

A teenager named Rosaleen (Sarah Patterson) dreams of simpler times, small villages, and a grandmother's house in the woods. The old woman warns her to beware of hairy men, but some lessons must be learned the hard way.

The classic tale of "Little Red Riding Hood" gets a psychologically skewed feature adaptation from director Neil Jordan, who walks a fine line between fairy tale and Gothic, arthouse horror. "The Company of Wolves" is an anthology film, of sorts, that nests small tales within its overarching narrative, and all of them work to enforce the same central theme — ladies, beware men with hungry intentions.

The cautionary thread about young women blossoming and attracting the lascivious attention of men runs throughout the film, but just as present is the idea that girls can grow into powerful women. It works well, and it's paired with some fun, creative werewolf visuals, including some truly fantastic transformation sequences. Rather than shift from human to beast, the werewolves here shed their human skin in graphic fashion, giving the sequences a unique look and effect.

Kate Moore (A.J. Cook) is a defense attorney working to clear her client of a violent murder, but the deeper she immerses herself into the case, the more she comes to doubt the man. She even starts to doubt that he is a man ...

William Brent Bell is best known for "The Boy" franchise and the surprisingly fun "Orphan: First Kill," but his least popular film — and easily the least known on this list — is the darkly thrilling "Wer." The film takes an atypical approach to the werewolf mythology and actually works to create its own using slightly more grounded theories and explanations, and while that means we don't get a proper transformation or werewolf makeup, the animalistic fury and horror remain.

Musician Brian Scott O'Connor stars in his sole acting credit as the large, hairy man accused of horrible things, and his shift from calmly sedate to truly menacing both impresses and terrifies. The film moves similarly, from investigative procedural to full-blown action/horror, and it's a thrilling ride despite the relatively low budget.

A small town on the edge of a forest sees its community divided by plans to run a pipeline nearby, but a bigger conflict arises when bodies start turning up in mutilated states. A new park ranger is forced to step up, take charge, and put an end to the carnage.

Like most horror/comedies, "Werewolves Within" leans far heavier towards the latter, but that's far from a bad thing when the result is this darn funny. Director Josh Ruben and writer Mishna Wolff deliver a loose adaptation of the video game of the same name that revels in the laughs and mystery while still managing small doses of monstrous mayhem, so it's no surprise that "Arachnophobia" was an inspiration. Just as key to its comedic success is a cast featuring Sam Richardson, Milana Vayntrub, Michael Chernus, and Harvey Guillen.

You'll get no spoilers here, but the film gets fantastic mileage out of wondering if there's even a werewolf at all or if the culprit is only pretending to be a monster. To that end, the "werewolf" action and end reveal are great fun that continue to entertain on repeat viewings.

Ambrose McKinley (Nick Damici) is an old man who prefers the company of his dog, Shadow, over any human interactions in his retirement community. He's blind and more than a little bitter, but he finds a new reason for living when a werewolf comes to town and starts killing.

There really aren't enough action-forward werewolf movies, but sitting somewhere between the likes of Neil Marshall's "Dog Soldiers" and Steven C. Miller's "Werewolves" is a little gem called "Late Phases" (aka "Night of the Wolf"). Damici plays a prickly protagonist who challenges viewer acceptance, but when the blood starts flying, he earns respect and attention through resilience, strength, and ingenuity.

Director Adrian Garcia Bogliano teases smaller beats before delivering an exciting and thrilling third act confrontation as our angry war veteran puts his skills and anger to good use in his fight against a big, hairy beast. There's a mystery element as the blind man whittles down his list of suspects, a family drama as his son tries to bond, and a terrific werewolf transformation giving way to a cool-looking creature.

Marty (Corey Haim) misses out on fun with friends when his wheelchair gets in the way, but he's just as happy playing by himself or hanging with his older sister, Jane (Megan Follows). The fun turns to terror, though, when he comes to suspect that a recent string of killings is due to a werewolf.

Stephen King's novella, "Cycle of the Werewolf," was adapted for the screen two years after its release, and while "Silver Bullet" was a modest success in theaters, it has had to settle for being something of a cult favorite in the decades since. (See where it lands on our ranking of King's numerous adaptations.) It remains a fun werewolf movie that works as a gateway horror film for young fans, given its young protagonists, strong sense of familial themes, and fairly tame R-rating.

Gary Busey plays Marty's fun-loving uncle and the only adult worth a damn in this small town, and his interactions with the kids lend the film a silly, affectionate vibe. The werewolf action itself is solid enough, and director Daniel Attias delivers some standout moments, including a dream sequence that sees churchgoers transforming into werewolves during a sermon.

A man returns to his family's estate only to be bitten by a werewolf and cursed to become one himself. Guilt courses through his veins, but his monthly thirst for blood runs stronger.

The Universal Pictures monster films of the 1930s and 1940s remain a major part of the horror genre's history, and many of the films are damn good as well. George Waggner's "The Wolf Man" is one of the greats — see where it ranks on our list of the best Universal Monster Movies — as much for its impact on the genre as for the film's merits itself. It's horror with a tragic character at its heart, and Lon Chaney Jr.'s angst-filled performance has kept it relevant all these years.

The transformation effects, like the werewolf makeup itself, no longer impress, but there's still some affecting and effective (for the time) horror unfolding here. Larry (Chaney Jr.) didn't choose to be a monster, and he hates himself for it. There's a pathos in knowing the creature is acting beyond its control, and his pain becomes our own. The sequels dampen that somewhat, but they're still worth exploring.

A man returns home to visit his sister and nephew, and they soon learn that he's brought a werewolf curse with him. Bloody carnage follows, and as the family fights for their life, it's their German Shepherd named Thor who might just save the day.

"Bad Moon" is based on Wayne Smith's novel, "Thor," which is told almost entirely from the dog's point of view. Eric Red's adaptation doesn't go that far, but it does find a legitimate protagonist in the dog thanks to script time and the animal's performance. It's also part of the film's dichotomy as a coming-of-age tale with the boy and his dog having to step up to protect his mom, and a horror story about a killer werewolf terrorizing a small community.

The film nails the look of the werewolf and manages some solid gore sequences, but it's worth pointing out that the transformation sequence is pretty much laughable as it's a mix of CG and time-lapse footage. It's clear this was a budgetary issue, and it's something Red fixed with his director's cut by removing the transformation completely.

An assault leads to childbirth, and the resulting baby boy is raised with love and affection. Once a man, though, he heads out to start his own life and discovers something monstrous within that's been waiting to transform him into a nightmare.

The U.K.'s Hammer Studios made all kinds of horror films, but its sole werewolf film is "The Curse of the Werewolf." It's a shame, as Terence Fisher, who also made some of the studio's best Dracula films, delivers a marvelous entry into the werewolf subgenre that ties the monster's presence to emotional suffering. Like Universal's "The Wolf Man" before it, this film's main character didn't choose this life as it was instead thrust upon him through tragedy. That pain makes the horror hit harder.

The darkness is balanced out, though, through beautiful production design, thrilling sequences, and fine performances. On that last count, a young Oliver Reed headlines in his first starring role, and he's a spectacular mix of intensity, pathos, and swaggering sexuality. You buy his suffering as easily as you do his animalistic rage, and both lead to an ending that closes the circle with one last tragedy.

Soldiers head into the woods for war games, pitting them in training exercises against another squad, but their opponents have already met a violent end at the claws and teeth of something savage. It's werewolves, obviously, and the time for games is over.

Neil Marshall's horror masterpiece would come three years later with "The Descent," but his debut feature is every bit as memorable thanks to its high-concept premise and some very slick-looking werewolves. (It also almost starred Jason Statham.) While most werewolf films pit the beast against people woefully unprepared for such an encounter, there's a welcome challenge in seeing armed, trained men face off against the creatures.

Guns are no match against monsters, of course, and the film finds plenty of suspense and thrills as characters are forced to rethink and re-strategize against an enemy they could have never expected to meet. The werewolf design is unique as the beasts stand tall on their hind legs and are quite hairless below the neckline. It's a unique look, and paired with their fast, brutal movements, they make for some frighteningly effective monsters.

Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) and Brigitte (Emily Perkins) are sisters living dull lives in a dull Canadian town, but things liven up one night when Ginger gets her period — and they're attacked by a werewolf. Ginger begins experiencing a hairier ride through puberty than she was expecting, and her slow transformation leaves a trail of bodies in her wake.

Most werewolf movies, both on this list and in general, see male characters changing into werewolves, but "Ginger Snaps" goes against the grain with its female lycanthrope. That choice is key as it gives the film room to explore the idea of transformation through a girl's growth into a woman and a woman into a monster. The makeup effects start small but soon embody full transformations, gore, and more.

While serious themes are at play here, John Fawcett's direction, Karen Walton's script, and the performances by the two leads all move with a humorous grace, infusing the horror with small doses of satirical wit. Teen comedy, coming of age film, werewolf horror — it's an unforgettable and atypical concoction that earned two sequels and an attempted television series.

A newscaster heads to a weekend retreat to wind down after a near-death experience, but she soon sniffs out an even more unbelievable and harrowing story. It seems the retreat is actually home to a group of werewolves, and they're hoping that she'll either join the pack or die.

1981 was a spectacular year for fans of lupine cinema as three films — "Wolfen," our No. 1 pick below, and Joe Dante's "The Howling" — all hit the big screen. Dante's film, based on the novel by Gary Brandner, offers up a subtle, dreamy blend of blackly comic horror, poking fun at self-help quackery and our zombie-like addiction to TV. It's also fairly frightening early on, thanks to Dante's desire to craft it like a slasher.

There's a lot to appreciate here from the atmosphere and ensemble to Dee Wallace's lead performance, but the standout element is Rob Bottin's practical werewolf makeup effects. One year before going bigger and bolder with John Carpenter's "The Thing," Bottin made his mark with a gnarly transformation sequence and a cool-looking werewolf design, and the results continue to speak for themselves.

Two American friends head to jolly ol' England for a backpacking adventure, but their fun is interrupted when they're attacked by a werewolf on the moors. Jack (Griffin Dunne) dies, but David (David Naughton) has it worse as he's now a werewolf too.

Few things in life are as guaranteed as "An American Werewolf in London" landing the top spot on a list of the best werewolf movies. Happily, it's well-deserved as the film is as fresh, funny, and thrilling today as it was when it was released. The film blends comedy and horror with equal care and affection for both halves, sometimes within the same scene, as an increasingly rotted Jack keeps returning to warn David about what's coming.

Naughton and Dunne have great chemistry as best friends before and after death interrupts their hike, and a sharp script sees the calm violently interrupted by nightmares and werewolf carnage. Rick Baker's makeup effects remain a gold standard, with both the transformation and the final beast showcasing spectacular practical details. It's the rare film that's fun and tragic, and it remains a masterpiece.