5 Brutal Werewolf Films Streaming Now That Aren’t For The Faint Of Heart
My name is Sharai, and I love werewolves. I am painfully aware that not all werewolf films are created equal. Regardless, these movies still bring me an indescribable level of joy. Whether it’s classics like The Beast Must Die, 90s campy fare like Cursed, funny mysteries like Werewolves Within, or whatever Silver Bullet was doing, I’m usually an eager audience member who just wants to see someone get ripped to bits. The bloodier and more gruesome, the better. I can even forgive a bad movie if there’s enough brutal wolf violence and chaos to distract me. I’m a simple woman that way.
So, I figured I should make this a streaming guide problem and pull some of the most brutal werewolf movies streaming this month. After all, January is the perfect month for a transformation. More importantly, we should all do some homework before heading out to see Wolf Man on January 17, 2025.
An American Werewolf In London (dir. John Landis)
Where You Can Watch: Fandango At Home, Pluto TV, and Tubi
Two college students get attacked by a werewolf and soon discover the one who died from the incident is the lucky one. No werewolf list is complete without the banger, An American Werewolf In London. The first attack is savage, but watching David (David Naughton) transform is brutal. It honestly looks like one of the most painful wolf changes on film. This film is mean and leaves so many lasting impressions. Just thinking about his visions of dead people who have been torn apart is unsettling. Even David’s nightmares are upsetting as they build up to the carnage and destruction he causes at the finale while in beast mode. This tale is an important piece of werewolf cinema history for too many reasons to count in one streaming guide. It’s also arguably the best werewolf movie we have ever seen.
Dog Soldiers (dir. Neil Marshall)
Where You Can Watch: AMC+, Peacock, Plex, Pluto TV, Prime Video, The Roku Channel, and Shudder
A small squad of soldiers find themselves combating werewolves in the Scottish wilderness. Few werewolf titles are as brutal as Dog Soldiers. After watching a guy fist his friend’s guts back into his belly, it’s hard to think this movie is like the others. I went in with low expectations because it seemed like a bunch of men doing military stuff. However, I’m glad I stuck it out because this is lowkey one of the most vicious entries into this hairy subgenre. It’s a movie you may need to watch a couple of times because as the bodies start piling up, you sometimes forget you’re following a plot. This is Neil Marshall’s best film (so far), and I am always surprised it doesn’t get the same love as some of his other work.
Ginger Snaps (dir. John Fawcett)
Where You Can Watch: AMC+, Peacock, and Shudder
Two sisters are dealt a weird and tragic blow when one of them gets bitten by a werewolf. This feminist teen werewolf movie remains iconic over 20 years later. That’s due in part to how brutal Ginger becomes in werewolf form. You think watching her get bit is a moment, but you have not seen anything until you watch this girl play with her food. While Ginger Snaps spawned two sequels (and even managed to retain Emily Perkins and Katharine Isabelle for them), the franchise never quite lived up to the gory first entry. It’s hard to recapture the magic of a coming-of-age werewolf story that is unafraid to talk about menstruation. If you ask me, these are the kinds of stories the tweens need even more so today.
If you want to watch the entire trilogy, you’re in luck. Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed and Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning are currently available on Plex and Tubi.
The Howling (dir. Joe Dante)
Where You Can Watch: VOD
A newswoman is sent to a mountain resort after a close call with a serial killer. She soon discovers the residents might have equally sinister plans for her. As a kid, I was familiar with Joe Dante’s work in comedies and lighter horror fare like Gremlins. So, imagine my surprise when I picked up The Howling and saw what was (at that point in my youth) the sleaziest werewolf movie of my young life! The man who gave us Small Soldiers and The ‘Burbs took Dee Wallace and friends into the woods for a vicious werewolf sex cult. Is it any wonder this movie had so many sequels? Who wouldn’t want more of this brand of chaos? The Howling franchise has eight films, which feels excessive. However, I know I will finish this furry journey someday.
The Wolfman (dir. Joe Johnston)
Where You Can Watch: Peacock
A man returns to his homeland, where he gets bitten by a werewolf. I am not here to pass judgment on the movies on this list. I am merely a vessel pointing you toward brutal werewolves, and The Wolfman fits the bill! There are over 20 onscreen kills in this movie. That’s a lot of open people, body parts being ripped off, and organs strewn about. That’s before we even get into the joints being bent in unnatural ways for the werewolf transformations. Wherever you land on this adaptation of The Wolf Man, you can’t deny it’s a bloody good time. Plus, Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins are there serving as the chaotic anchors we deserve.
If you want to compare this retelling to 1941’s The Wolf Man, you can also find it streaming on Peacock this month. The newest adaptation, Wolf Man, arrives in theaters on January 17.
Are you also a weird little werewolf freak? Do you have some more brutal movies we should discuss right now? Then find me at @misssharai.
Categorized:Streaming Guides
