The WODC's Top 5 Favorite Werewolf Transformations
The werewolf's legend has been told and adapted over and over, but each time, audiences get to see a new take on the transformation. To celebrate the official beginning of the spooky season, we've curated a list of our top five favorite Werewolf transformations in film, television, and pop culture.
Michael Jackson in Michael Jackson: Thriller (1983) - IMDB
#5 Michael Jackson Thriller (1983)
Michael Jackson teamed up with iconic film director John Landis for the Thriller music video. The iconic video was an ode to classic horror and went down in pop culture history, like everything the pop star did. However, it was his transformation that stuck with us.
"Thriller depicts the first werewolf transformation I can recall, and it was the first transformation to ever scare me. This fear became a yearly tradition as my family made a habit of revisiting this movie/music video every year on Halloween for as long as I can remember." - Angela Thomas, The WODC
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009) - IMDB
#4 Underworld Series
Creators of The Underworld series wanted to tell a story that focused less on the supernatural aspect of the Lycan legend and base it more on science. This idea is easy to see in the Lycans' transformations. The pain of the change is evident, but overall it's quick and effective. The more terrifying aspects of a transformation that audiences are used to seeing are not involved; however, the Lycans' appearances are still something straight from one's nightmares.
Leo Fafard as WolfCop © 2014 - The Coup Company
#3 WolfCop (2014)
Whatever one may think about this film as a whole, once you've watched this brutal transformation on screen, it is seared into memory. Director and writer, Lowell Dean, decided to show us a change we've never seen before, and it was EFFECTIVE.
"WolfCop is one part werewolf, one part cop, and all parts badass. His initial transformation scene is simultaneously one of the most graphic and unique that I've seen in recent years, and that's why it's my favorite. It's not every day you get the chance to see an evolution begin in the nether regions of the bitten. If you're tired of the status quo werewolf film or are simply just intrigued by the prospect of a wolf dick on the big screen, give WolfCop a try." Mercedes Milner, The WODC
Landon Liboiron in Hemlock Grove (2013) - Netflix -IMDB
#2 Hemlock Grove (2013-2015)
Hemlock Grove is full of visually stunning and graphic scenes, but the werewolf transformation in season one took the entire cake. Although the change includes elements that had been done before, the many small details included in this transformation helps set it apart. We expect no less with an executive producer like Elli Roth.
"The whole scene is beautifully acted, and that definitely adds to the terror of it all, but what really won me over was the eyeballs and teeth literally popping out of Peter's head. I wasn't expecting it. Then the way the back splits open so violently and the wolf just casually shakes off the excess blood like it's water at the end. It was the most terrifying transformation I'd seen in a while, and I loved it." - Deanna Gomez, The WODC
David Naughton in An American Werewolf in London (1981) - IMDB
#1 An American Werewolf in London (1981)
The John Landis horror/comedy transformation still reigns supreme. Not as gory as its successors, and a little quirky at times, but it's still just as entertaining to watch. Unlike the classic Wolf Man films where the transformation occurs gradually via dissolves, Landis specifically wanted to show how painful the shift could be. It's the first film where audiences see a full body transformation in bright light.
Fright Night (1985) - IMDB
Honorable Mention: Fright Night (1985)
More of a reverse transformation on budget, Evil Ed's regression back to human form is our honorable mention. The full transformation into a wolf takes place off-screen, but after staking the animal, Peter Vincent watches helplessly and horrified as Ed melts and coils painfully back into a boy. The effects in this entire movie are iconic, but the melting effect of Ed's hand returning to human form was a unique take on the werewolf transformation.
About the Writer
Deanna Gomez is Editor in Chief of the WODC blog. She helms the Spooky Bitches horror column is the co-creator and showrunner for The Bad Feeling Podcast. (2020)