For much of History, the Werewolf was a staple Horror fiction. While this creature has never gone away, the Werewolf has been stuck in the New Moon of the lunar cycle. Horror fans who love the genre can indeed watch a werewolf movie every night of the week if they are undiscerning. But if I ask you to name the last Great werewolf film, a film that transcends genre, you will get one answer. . .
While I personally think The Howling is equally brilliant and had more impact on how Werewolves have since been portrayed (at least in terms of design), American Werewolf looms over the genre. Not that other films haven’t been made, there have been many after all. A Directing and writing team which resurrected a genre attempted the subject, numerous others have tried to bring Werewolves back and give them the bite that they deserve. But the last Werewolf anyone knows by name appeared not as an unstoppable representation of the animal that lives in the hearts of men and women, but as a lovesick puppy competing for the affection of a woman named Bella.
Silver Bullet
Adapted from Stephen Kings Cycle of the Werewolf a Visual Novel (I know, I’m confused as well), King enlisted Bernie Wrightson to depict the werewolf in his story (It’s peak Wrightson, worth checking out). The films stars Gary Busey and Corey Haim most notably. Silver Bullet is mostly a very well done film, the performances are good and among a long list of King Adaptations, Silver Bullet manages to be effectively tense and thrilling. The main character played by Haim being wheelchair bound is a particularly effective element that adds to the tension.
The problem is Silver Bullet, in the long run, has been mostly forgotten. Gary Busey is perfectly cast as the loser drunk uncle who loves Haim and his silver screen sister that steps up to the plate to help stop the beast that is terrorizing their small town. Silver Bullet is ultimately forgettable to the average viewer.
Wolf
Directed by EGOT ( someone who has won at least one Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award) winner Mick Nichols, starring Jack Nicholson, Michele Pfeifer, and a young James Spader Wolf is a pseudo-remake of 1941s The Wolf-man about a businessman who gets bitten by what he thinks is just your everyday Wolf when stopped on the road to move what he thinks is roadkill. Nicholsons sleepwalks through a movie about a man falling in love with Pfeifer while competing with the younger more competitive version of himself played by Woods. The entire Werewolf aspect is put into the background, Wolf is almost a romantic comedy where a plot about viagra or some other stimulate was replaced with Lycanthropy.
Nicholson gets a couple of scenes where he grits his teeth and growls like Jack Torrance after another month at the overlook. There are even a few good gags and spoilers for a movie you may never see – James Spader after getting on Jacks Bad side gets bit turning him into a werewolf. The film ends with a PG version of the final sequence in 2010s The Wolfman (more on that later). Ultimately it’s an uninspired movie that might remind you of good things from other Werewolf movies you like but Wolf remains a forgotten entry within the genre.
Cursed
Directed by Wes Craven and Written by Kevin Williamson the same exact team that resurrected the Slasher genre in 1996 with Scream tried their hand with Cursed. Tonally and visually Cursed might as well be a sequel to Scream. While the Casting of Christina Ricci, Joshua Jackson, and a very young Jesse Eisenberg ultimately helps Cursed work comedically – with additional help by Judie Greer – Cursed with a select few exceptions fails to be scary.
Cursed is does a good job of establishing distinct Werewolf lore that doesn’t undermine the few scares that exist but that’s a hollow compliment. Nothing about Cursed should point towards the disappointment that it is as a film. While Cursed is not a waste of time it shows potential which makes it all the more disappointing.
The Wolfman
The Wolfman released in 2010 is a gorgeous film with some of the most unachieved potential of any film on this list. Anthony Hopkins, Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt and Hugo Weaving round out a cast full of character actors who I’ve never seen since that actually do a convincing job of playing victorian townies. The main cast pulls more than their collective weights and director Joe Johnston and the modern Master of make up that is Rick Baker perfectly update the classic Universal Wolfman design. Every moment it’s a man in make up on the screen can be described as breathtaking. There is a chemistry among the main cast that lifts the film.
Johnston can’t seem to make the film Scary, however, while the unrated cut of his film gory in a way most werewolf fans only dream of the scares are in short supply. The only reason the movie doesn’t fade for me personally is the final confrontation of the film.
Spoilers: Johnston’s film ends with a final clash between Del Toro and Hopkins as father and son Werewolves who fight to the death in perhaps the best onscreen battle between two men in rubber suits that I have ever seen. The gruesome nature by which two nightmares tear each other apart is spellbinding.
Werewolves aren’t all gone from pop culture, of course, plenty of indies and smaller studio productions have gained followings and good word of mouth. Gingersnaps, Dog Soldiers, and Late Phases are just a few that have gained decent regard. There are gems out there but you need to dig through plenty bad Howling sequels and other movies of the like. Werewolves live in the underground and on TV shows like Being Human where the concepts are explored and used to deal with modern themes and social problems. It seems that Werewolves all on their own will have to survive in the New Moon.
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