Top 5 Werewolf Movies You Probably Haven’t Seen
It’s WEREWOLF WEEK on Horror Bound! Why? Because WHY NOT?! Werewolves never get as much love as Zombies or Vampires and we’re here to bring them more attention. All of this week we’ll be pumping out werewolf themed content. Join us all over social media as we celebrate!
Before I get into my recommendations for top 5 Werewolf movies you probably haven’t seen, let me just take a moment to discuss the Wolfman in general. In a much longer post that I am currently working on, I break down how the original Universal Monsters Movies (Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, Creature from the Black Lagoon and The Invisible Man) are the basis for every horror movie and subgenre to come after it. In it, I suggest that the monster is the Creature and not the Wolfman. To me, the Wolfman movie is more about the beast within than the actual monster you see on screen and the best of the Werewolf movies focus on this aspect and not so much on the actual monster. To me, this is how movies like George Romero’s Martin, the 80’s classic Maniac and even American Psycho are more like a werewolf movie than anything else. But more on that later.
Without further ado, here are the Top 5 Werewolf Movies You Probably Haven’t Seen….with focus on the beast within.
Bad Moon
Bad Moon is one of those under the radar horror movies. Often you will see reviews or comments about the execution, but overall, I enjoyed it. Especially because it embodies my favorite part of the Werewolf sub-genre, the battle with the beast within. Bad Moon is currently available for streaming on Amazon and Tubi
Werewolf Woman
Sometimes you have to take the Good, the Bad and The Ugly all in one movie. Werewolf Woman from 1976 is one of those flicks. Basically a lost movie, the only place to find this online is on YouTube under its Italian name, La Lupa Mannara, to which the quality is less than HD to say the least. The movie itself is borderline a porn for the first 10-15 minutes including a rape scene towards the end. (For the queasy among us I will say its more tame than Last House on the Left or I Spit on Your Grave.) The good is that it is an excellent take on the Werewolf genre. Part psychological horror, part revenge film, all werewolf glory! Check it out for an interesting take, a female werewolf movie 30 years before Ginger Snaps.
Wolf
What can I say about Jack Nicholson as a werewolf pissing on people’s shoes? This is the movie that really opened my eyes on the Werewolf films being about the monster within and not the actual beast. The main character is frustrated, losing stability in his life and he starts to lash out, giving into his animal nature. Top notch movie! Wolf is available to stream on Crackle…which I didn’t know was still a thing.
Wolfen
This is a really unique one, it’s an interesting take on the werewolf genre. It’s the same concept, the evil of man, the beast within vs the actual monster but it kind of reverses that with a really interesting story. Definitely a unique story and in an attempt not to spoil a 38-year-old movie, I’ll keep this brief. Wolfen is streaming for free on Vudu.
The Curse of the Werewolf
Oh, Hammer Horror, how I love thee so! Hammer Horror is awesome, period. Just about every movie they made starred Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, the music synonymous with old timey horror, what’s not to love? Hammer brought back to life all the classic Universal Horror monsters, well most of them, Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy and of course the Wolfman. Their Frankenstein, Dracula and Mummy movies had tons of sequels but the Wolfman did not. Why only one? There are really two takes on this and it will depend on your interpretation when you watch it. Either this is the greatest Werewolf movie of all time or this is the worst. I can see both sides. On one hand its extremely cheesy, the original wolfman isn’t a wolfman it’s some falsely imprisoned homeless guy? Who falls in love with the mute and extremely busty daughter of the jailer? Who has a baby that is born on Christmas day which apparently is a bad omen and means the child will be a werewolf?
But on the other hand, it has one of the most beautiful and emotional climaxes in horror movie history, an excerpt from the Wikipedia:
“Shocked and disgusted by his appearance, the local people summon his scholarly stepfather, who has obtained a silver bullet made from a crucifix blessed by an archbishop. Though torn with grief, Alfredo (the father) shoots Leon (the son) dead and tearfully covers his body with a cloak.”
To which my youngest daughter with tears in her eyes exclaimed, “Oh No Daddy! Him killed his son!”
The Curse of the Werewolf is the best werewolf movie you probably haven’t seen, but you should and is available for rent on your favorite platform.
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