Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

Legends about werewolves go back to ancient times. They probably originated from our ancestors’ fear of wolves. Folks used to take the existence of these monsters extremely seriously. In Medieval Europe, people accused of being werewolves faced severe consequences, including execution.

In the early 20th century, werewolves began to appear in motion pictures. The first major werewolf franchise emerged in the 1940s, with Lon Chaney starring as the title character in The Wolfman (1941). Chaney went on to appear in several more movies that featured him encountering other famous Universal monster characters, including Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (1943), House of Frankenstein (1944), and House of Dracula (1945).

In 1981, werewolves were featured in two unrelated major movies. In an example of the twin films phenomenon, The Howling and An American Werewolf in London both premiered that year. Both became box office hits and were praised for their shockingly realistic transformation scenes. Personally, I think The Howling is overrated (and don’t even get me started on its sequels) but I am a big fan of American Werewolf in London. It has a great sense of humor and a rockin’ soundtrack. 

Later on, Ginger Snaps (2000) developed a cult following after initially being overlooked and Van Helsing (2004), starring Hugh Jackman as the title character, raked in cash at the box office despite receiving terrible reviews.

Werewolves have only mustered sporadic popularity as horror movie villains. Remember the Walking Dead-inspired zombie craze from the 2010s, or the Twilight-triggered vampire fad in the 2000s? Werewolves have never had a comparable era where they were the alpha predator on the genre villain food chain. Who knows? Maybe their best days are still ahead.

Nevertheless, there are some great werewolf movies out there. Some of them haven’t gotten the recognition that they deserve. Here are four underrated werewolf movies from the past quarter century.

Dog Soldiers (2002)

A squad of British soldiers battle a pack of ferocious werewolves in the Scottish highlands in this gloriously gory thriller. The soldiers have come to Scotland for what is supposed to be a routine training exercise. It’s lycanthropes vs. assault weapons in a beautiful bloodbath!

The main characters include Private Cooper (Kevin McKidd) and Megan (Emma Cleasby). As shocking revelations emerge about the true nature of their mission, the surviving soldiers must figure out who they can trust in a frantic quest to survive.

Dog Soldiers is directed by Neil Marshall, who went on to helm The Descent (2005) and Hellboy (2019). The concept of a military squadron taking on a gang of lycanthropes is loaded with potential, and this movie executes it entertainingly well. It’s a bustling mix of genres with  elements of horror, action, and comedy.

Stream Dog Soldiers on Peacock

Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed (2004)

After her sister’s demise, Brigitte Fitzgerald (Emily Perkins) is pursued by a werewolf while injecting monkshood in order to stop her own transformation. She ends up trapped in a rehab center, where she encounters a well meaning but misguided counselor, a creepy orderly who exchanges drugs for sexual favors from the female inmates, and an eccentric young girl named Ghost (Tatiania Maslany).

Emily Perkins is outstanding as Brigitte. She’s lost so much, but nevertheless she keeps fighting. Perkins seamlessly transitions into being this sequels’ star. My only major complaint with this installment is that Ginger doesn’t get enough screen time. She exists only as a vision in Brigitte’s head. Her role is to repeatedly tells her sister what she already knows: that she’s gradually turning into a werewolf.

Related: The Six Scariest Halloween Horror Movie Villains

Ginger Snaps 2 is a mostly worthy sequel to one of the best werewolf movies. It’s even darker than the original. If you thought the first movie’s conclusion was depressing, wait ’til you see what this one has in store. The ending is actually quite infuriating, but an upbeat denouement wouldn’t have felt right for this bleak story.

Stream Ginger Snaps 2 on Tubi 

Werewolf By Night (2022)

I don’t usually talk about Marvel movies on here, but I’ll make an exception in this case. Overlooked amidst the ridiculously vast Marvel universe is this little one hour special. It’s about Jack Russell, a cursed monster hunter who is secretly a werewolf.

This movie is short and sweet, with beautiful black and white cinematography that recalls the early Universal Wolfman films. It has a nice retro feel to it, except for the impressive modern special effects.

The duality of the main character, who is both a monster and a monster hunter, is an interesting concept to explore. It would be nice to see Jack get a follow-up someday.

Stream Werewolf by Night on Disney Plus

Werewolves Within (2021)

The folksy and rambunctious citizens of a tiny Vermont village are trapped together inside a lodge during a snowstorm. Soon, people begin to die one by one. The townsfolk suspect that someone among them is a werewolf. Can they figure out the monster’s identity before it’s too late?

The main character of the uproarious Werewolves Within is Finn Wheeler (Sam Richardson), a forest ranger who has recently been put in charge of the town of Beaverton. He befriends another newcomer, feisty postal carrier Cecily Moore, who is played by the cute girl from the AT&T commercials (Milana Vayntrub).

Together, they attempt to investigate the mystery. Beaverton has no shortage of suspects. This movie definitely keeps us guessing. The town is loaded with creeps and weirdos, but Finn realizes that sometimes the monster is hiding in plain sight.

Werewolves Within is one of the few good movies based on a videogame. I’ve never played it, so I have no idea how it compares, but hopefully it’s as entertaining as this movie. Fun protagonists and a darkly hilarious twist ending make this one of the best werewolf movies.

Stream Werewolves Within on Amazon Prime 

Howling At The Moon

Werewolves have been iconic villains for centuries. They’re not as sexy as vampires, or as single-mindedly relentless as zombies, but these furry ferocious beasts are still a force to be reckoned with.

Werewolves look and behave like normal humans most of the time, yet they transform into deadly beasts under the eerie light of a full moon. Perhaps they represent our morbid fascination for the dark side of human nature. Hopefully there will be plenty more great werewolf movies in the years to come.