The 8 Best Werewolf Transformations In Horror History
There aren’t many monsters more legendary than the werewolf. A creature who transforms with the full moon, the werewolf can represent so many things, from addiction and rage to puberty and sexuality. But in the case of Steven C. Miller’s new film Werewolves, these monsters are purely here to rip apart flesh and cause unmitigated chaos.
In Werewolves:
A supermoon event has triggered a latent gene in every human on the planet, turning anyone who entered the moonlight into a werewolf for that one night. Chaos ensued and close to a billion people died. Now, a year later, the Supermoon is back….
In honor of Werewolves hitting theaters, we’re sharing the eight best werewolf transformations in horror history!
An American Werewolf In London
This wouldn’t be a werewolf transformations list without An American Werewolf In London, which boasts perhaps THE most effective man-to-lycanthrope sequence ever committed to celluloid. Everything is done practically, so it truly feels like David is becoming a creature of the night. Paired with his screams, sweat, and writhing, everything about this sequence is uncomfortable as bones stretch, flesh rips, and teeth sharpen. What Rick Baker accomplished was so frightening that the film was honored with the first Academy Award for Best Make-up.
Ginger Snaps
All hail Ginger Snaps, an iconic piece of monstrous teenage girl cinema that also boasts one of the few female werewolves seen in the genre. The titular Ginger, played by Katharine Isabelle, is bitten by a werewolf and feels herself changing. She embraces her sexuality and uses it to her advantage, luring in unsuspecting boys with her newfound confidence. But as the full moon approaches, her transformation culminates in a nightmarish sequence in the back of a van. Blood flows from her mouth as her fingers elongate and her feminine face is rendered unrecognizable.
This sequence, done almost entirely practically, required Isabelle to sit in make-up for seven hours and also required two hours just for removal.
The Howling
Joe Dante’s The Howling is a harrowing werewolf film that boasts a transformation sequence on par with what’s accomplished in An American Werewolf In London. Journalist Karen White (played by horror icon Dee Wallace) watches as a man with a devilish grin reveals his true form, that of a bloodthirsty lycanthrope ready to feast on her flesh. Unlike many cinematic werewolf transformations where we see a character’s terror in becoming the creature, this is a moment where a character is actually excited to change. Even as his teeth grow and hair sprouts from every limb, that devilish grin never leaves his lips. There is pain but also pure excitement here, which perfectly juxtaposes Wallace’s terror.
The Howling marks Rob Bottin’s first solo job as a special effects make-up artist and there’s no doubt he delivered something uniquely terrifying, fascinating, and grotesque. Rick Baker was initially set to work on the film but left to work on An American Werewolf In London instead.
WolfCop
Lowell Dean’s WolfCop is beautiful madness. Simply put, it’s a horror comedy about an alcoholic cop who becomes a werewolf and then uses his newfound powers to fight crime. Ridiculous? Absolutely! But who among us doesn’t love a gory, disgusting, yet deeply funny film where the werewolf transformation starts at the penis and works its way up? Yes, you read that correctly, the transformation here starts with the cop’s penis growing into a hairy monstrosity while he stands at a dive bar urinal. From there, his flesh rips apart to reveal a massive beast covered in thick hair. If this sequence doesn’t sell you on the film, then WolfCop may not be for you. But it’s really an incredible (and weird) ride perfect for horror lovers with a twisted sense of humor.
Trick ‘r Treat
Girls just wanna have fun! And fun in the case of Trick ‘r Treat is literally shedding your skin and eating terrible men! While I mentioned in the Ginger Snaps entry that women aren’t often shown as lycanthropes, this film is a beautiful exception to the rule. Here, a coven of werewolves disguise themselves as women in stereotypically revealing costumes meant to attract male attention. But the men who follow them into the woods are in for a nightmare as the women tear apart their victims in front of a roaring fire. It’s, to me, one of the most iconic moments in contemporary horror history. Who needs clothes when you can be a flesh-starved werewolf?
The Company of Wolves
Neil Jordan’s 1984 film The Company Of Wolves is stacked with underrated werewolf transformations, but one of them above all is the standout. It takes place during a story Granny tells main character Rosaleen (Sarah Patterson) about a man, who after mysteriously disappearing for several years, returns to find his betrothed married to another man. She’s even had two of his children. In his rage, he begins to transform, showing her why he’s been gone for so long.
The transformation here shows a man becoming literal muscle and bone before his wolf form appears. It’s a harrowing and unique take on the transformation, a glimpse into what happens to the body as bones and muscles must shift into an entirely new form. The pain is visceral and the effects are stunningly repulsive.
Fright Night
Ok so yes, Fright Night is technically a vampire movie. But how could I not include Evil Ed’s tragic wolf transformation? His story alone is tragic, but to meet his death so violently while his body is in mid-transformation? It’s the stuff of nightmares crafted beautifully by Richard Edlund and his team, who had previously worked on Ghostbusters. According to a 2012 panel discussion, Evil Ed actor Stephen Geoffreys had to endure 18 hours of sitting in the makeup chair for the sequence.
Van Helsing
I am a Van Helsing stan and I will not feel shame for it. It may not be a perfect movie, but this Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale vehicle from 2004 shaped my young brain, including its werewolf transformation early in the film. Yes, it is all done with CGI, but the fact that he’s on the wall, ripping off his flesh like it’s burning him while he screams in agony is still terrifying to watch.
Werewolves is in theaters now.
Categorized:Editorials
