sign in
register
Watch
Amazon Video
The Howling
The Howling
JustWatch
Your probable score
?
The Howling

The Howling

1981
Suspense/Thriller, Horror
1h 31m
After a bizarre and near fatal encounter with a serial killer, a newswoman is sent to a rehabilitation center whose inhabitants may not be what they seem. (imdb)

Directed by:

Joe Dante

Screenwriter:

John Sayles, Gary Brandner

Starring:

Patrick Macnee, Slim Pickens, John Carradine, Kevin McCarthy, Dick Miller, Christopher Stone, Dennis Dugan, Belinda Balaski, Robert Picardo, Dee Wallace

Franchise:

Howling

Genres:

Suspense/Thriller, Horror

Country:

USA

Languages:

English, Spanish
imdb IMDb
Update history
Suggest edit

The Howling

1981
Suspense/Thriller, Horror
1h 31m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 46.47% from 811 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

(819)
Compact view
clear
Compact view
Show
Sort
paxtonPaxton
Rated 01 Oct 2021
80
77th
Is this the first "werewolves would live in packs" movie? Either way it helped establish almost all of the lycanTROPES. Of all the special effects on display, the acid burned face of Eddie was my personal highlight. The split second animated werewolf coitus was pretty amusing but remember that eleven years later Alien 3 would be nominated for an Academy Award in VISUAL EFFECTS! The Howling is a clever enough story that had no right to spawn such a fruitful series (as in the amount, not quality)
Rated 01 Oct 2021
jasongirl67Jasongirl67
Rated 25 Oct 2019
60
39th
Plot is kinda dumb....But after all it is about werewolves I liked the fact that it was an adult cast and not a bunch of teens running around and really cool special effects
Rated 25 Oct 2019
chemical404chemical404
Rated 14 Apr 2011
56
49th
This movie was a huge step for Joe Dante after reasonably fun but campy Piranha flick, and it opened many doors for him. Movie geekery oozing through numerous references and inside jokes. What I didn't expect is that this movie is so serious. Special effects are great. Characters could have been better, and Dee Wallace's acting is... well, noticeable. One of the better lycanthropy films.
Rated 14 Apr 2011
terrymacterrymac
Rated 09 Oct 2020
65
46th
I quite enjoyed this, even though it seemed to proceed without much of a sense of urgency or focus. I liked the premise, and Dante does handle this sort of thing very well. Chuck in a couple of nice practical special effects and Slim Pickens and we're on to a winner. It just lacks an ingredient X (were the leads too bland?), but this is definitely worth a look.
Rated 09 Oct 2020
twincinematwincinema
Rated 03 Mar 2021
60
35th
Whatever happened to werewolf movies? We need a werewolf boom again. However, it comes with the caveat that the films must use practical effects. Like, in this film, yes it's a low-budget werewolf transformation, but it still looks cool.
Rated 03 Mar 2021
mentaculusMentaculus
Rated 27 Nov 2018
54
27th
Narratively speaking, The Howling is a steaming, hot pile of man-wolf doo. In between things not making a helluva lot of sense, it does some gorgeous things - from the rightly celebrated transformation effects, to the ecstatic opening sequence, brilliantly folding multiple perspectives and fresh plotlines on themselves before releasing them in a bloody climax of trauma. Nothing else in the film approaches it.
Rated 27 Nov 2018
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 22 Oct 2015
78
54th
A creative take on werewolf mythos, at least as far as movies are concerned. The transformation effects and the costumes are top notch, making the dread vert effective. The performances aren't anything special and all the plot turns are easy to foresee, but neither of those things bothered me much.
Rated 22 Oct 2015
backwardsuitbackwardsuit
Rated 12 Nov 2014
72
56th
Decently written, well directed and tightly paced. The special effects are fantastic as advertised. Overall a fun and effective horror romp.
Rated 12 Nov 2014
nilkynarfynilkynarfy
Rated 25 May 2012
75
68th
Better FX than that other werewolf movie from 1981, and a lot scarier too. Not as intentionally funny. I said intentionally. As far as horror films go, it's an almost classic. Thankfully, werewolf movies are pretty much shit, so it'll always have a place in history as one of the few werewolf movies that--- I lost interest in this review while typing that last sentence. It's above average for a horror film, fantastic for a werewolf film, awful for a real film.
Rated 25 May 2012
roigroigroigroigroigroig
Rated 25 Sep 2008
40
18th
Why the fuck does everybody like this movie? American werewolf in London kicks it's ass to kingdom come. This film was cheesy and almost unwatchable, sure the make up was cool for the 80s but that doesn't make up for a ridiculous and mind numbing script.
Rated 25 Sep 2008
boobjuiceBoobjuice
Rated 28 May 2008
68
63rd
"Take it easy Pal, not all of us have got enough money for a Mazda! Some of us have to work for a living!" Fucking Mazdas, man.
Rated 28 May 2008
luna6ixLuna6ix
Rated 17 May 2008
84
86th
The second best warewolf movie ever made. Just all around well made, with some good warewolf action.
Rated 17 May 2008
iconogassediconogassed
Rated 04 Jun 2021
70
54th
Outstanding effects and kind of interesting as a satirical take on the ersatz cannibalism of est and other pseudo-therapies of the time, as well as TV's effect on perception of and interaction with reality. Dick Miller doing his usual thing but as an antiquarian book dealer is a treat. "You believe in them?" / "What, I'm an idiot? I'm makin' a buck here. You want books, I got books, I got dog embryos, I got black candles, chicken blood, silver bullets some clown ordered and never picked up."
Rated 04 Jun 2021
lonewolf2003Lonewolf2003
Rated 31 Dec 2020
70
43rd
Dante brings an original take on the werewolf movie. It builds suspense well. Might work better not knowing what is about, although with such a title it's difficult not to guess it. This being a Dante film it's full of plenty of references f.e. some characters are named after famous werewolf movie directors.
Rated 31 Dec 2020
sopachuco13sopachuco13
Rated 24 Oct 2019
70
36th
The Howling was a good horror movie. It takes a long time for the reveal that this isn't a slasher horror movie but instead it's a werewolf horror movie. The special effects were really good in this movie. Some of the moments where the people turn into werewolves were really gross and scary. The acting in the movie was good but nothing too special. I'm not sure if I will make this a yearly Halloween movie but I am glad that I watched it this one time.
Rated 24 Oct 2019
troothTrooth
Rated 12 Oct 2019
67
43rd
I was surprised to learn that this came out the same year as American Werewolf in London, but I hear so much less about this movie. '81 was a great year for werewolves. I would probably give American Werewolf the slight edge when it comes to transformation effects, but this one's effects are nothing to shrug off, by any means. They're both phenomenal in that department.
Rated 12 Oct 2019
pianosamaPianoSama
Rated 09 Oct 2019
65
45th
A strong start that sets up some intriguing stuff & lays the groundwork for a classic werewolf story builds to a fine second act, but unfortunately by the finale everything's gotten pretty muddled & the plot rapidly starts to make very little sense. It does have clever dialogue here & there along with an okay cast of characters & fine performances, plus great effects, but it's still hampered by the cluttered mess of a third act as well as a few very obvious twists. Overall, it's worth a watch.
Rated 09 Oct 2019
hellboy76hellboy76
Rated 19 Jan 2019
65
45th
A kind of mess, but you come here for the top notch effects.
Rated 19 Jan 2019
bofbof
Rated 17 Aug 2018
72
64th
Better than I remembered. Some pacing issues, but a very solid piece of pre-VHS horror, that may feel more like the last gasp of 70s cult society paranoia than the first glimpse of what the 80s would become, as shown by AAWIL. Oh, and the transformations are fucking awesome.
Rated 17 Aug 2018
yiannosYiannos
Rated 11 Jan 2018
68
66th
Werewolf films are generally quite bad, but T.H is a decent, if slightly dated, Dante horror that unfortunately suffers from serious pacing problems in its first act that dilute much of its tension. It takes far too long for Wallace to arrive at the rehabilitation center, which she discovers is a bizarre cult like retreat for lycanthropes.The transformation effects show their age but are nonetheless impressive, and the werewolves are suitably menacing in appearance. The finale is also memorable.
Rated 11 Jan 2018
wwallce4prezWWallce4prez
Rated 24 Oct 2017
74
56th
Watching The Howling makes me nostalgic for the Joe Dante of old. Beautiful (horrifying) creature design, the perfect amount of gore and a wacky plot highlight "that other werewolf film of 1981." The odd pacing in the first act eventually pays off as werewolf film meets cult antics.
Rated 24 Oct 2017
indyatmnINDYATMN
Rated 26 Dec 2015
81
62nd
Kids, there was a time in the 80's where make-up & efx created what was at the time, groundbreaking werewolf transformations, & perhaps that's 1 reason this is overrated. To be fair, it actually has a theme & a subtext & Dante - famously - has a sense of humor, but that last trait sometimes makes things eye-rollingly silly & tonally inconsistent. The performances are good except for, bizarrely, Dee Wallace who sometimes barely manages to look curious when she should look terrified
Rated 26 Dec 2015
nuotionuotio
Rated 08 Sep 2015
54
44th
I've given this a couple of chances, but I still feel that it's vastly overrated. Maybe that's because the sub-genre of werewolf-films just doesn't contain that many contenders. Dante's direction is effective, and the FX work is still impressive, so I think the main problem lies with the script by Sayles & Brandner, which contains too many ingredients and loses the focus. Donaggio's score also sounds better suited for a De Palma film.
Rated 08 Sep 2015
the_pirateThe Pirate
Rated 23 Aug 2015
70
31st
Despite most of the production values being really cheap, the actual transformation scenes are incredible! (I wouldn't expect anything less from the guy who worked on The Thing.) While there's some pretty bad acting, pacing that just feels off, and not a lot going on as far as plot, there is an overall eeriness and a few genuine frights.
Rated 23 Aug 2015
zipsterZipster
Rated 11 Aug 2014
80
50th
The Pulp Fiction/Kill Bill of horror movies, playing its own creative variations on a classic old-hat plot device, engulfing us with reminiscences of other movies and media like it and at the same time giving it a real-world edge. And there is always something about that self-aware quality that frees us from taking it seriously and we have so much more fun with it.
Rated 11 Aug 2014
crayonCRAYON
Rated 14 Jul 2013
65
24th
A lot of great ideas and cool effects that ultimately get hurt by a few really terrible scenes. The one that got me the most was.. well I dont want to ruin it, but I would probably run away.
Rated 14 Jul 2013
carpetgiantCarpetgiant
Rated 01 Jun 2011
83
53rd
Excellent make-up and special effects. The story and suspense were fairly decent too. I was a little confused by the cameo appearance of Chewbacca at the end though.
Rated 01 Jun 2011
spleenspleen
Rated 12 Apr 2011
79
65th
Let's not kid ourselves. Skip the credits, the character development, the dialogue and just fast forward to the werewolf transformation scenes. Gotta be some of the best werewolf effects ever filmed.
Rated 12 Apr 2011
melvin_smifMelvin Smif
Rated 04 Jun 2009
40
43rd
Decent effects that come across as a bit dated. Quite possibly the longest werewolf transformation I have ever seen, not a good thing actually. Only really interesting part was the hints at a werewolf society living on the outskirts of man, wish they would have delved more into that.
Rated 04 Jun 2009
battletoadBattleToad
Rated 17 Jan 2007
80
63rd
This is what monster movies are meant to be. It's genuinely suspenseful. The make-up is of high quality, but it's because you never really get a good look at the beast that it is so intense. Really good!
Rated 17 Jan 2007
moraesfelipemoraesfelipe
Rated 18 Mar 2024
90
95th
Creepy, fun as hell. Maybe my favorite werewolf film of all time. Make-up effects and puppets are beautiful and gotta love commentary on how media depicts violence -- amazing finale with the TV host reading an open letter, then revealing herself as an werewolf only to be shot by a colleague is awesome -- as the 80s were really the age of television images. Once this gets to the Colony, where the TV journalist goes to recover from her traumatic encounter with a serial killer, it's masterpiece.
Rated 18 Mar 2024
gwulingwulin
Rated 29 Jan 2024
75
60th
Really more campy splatter than horror. Makes you wonder how Patrick Macnee would look as a werewolf, with a furry bowler hat maybe? Apparently there are also cute werewolves. Best quote: How do like your steak? Rare..
Rated 29 Jan 2024
rihreyrihrey
Rated 28 Nov 2023
65
87th
I love how Karen turned into a Pekingese at the end.
Rated 28 Nov 2023
jarobmuljarobmul
Rated 06 Aug 2022
66
39th
Should have been better, but the last half was pretty uninteresting. I liked how it ended ig.
Rated 06 Aug 2022
scribScrib
Rated 11 Jun 2022
75
65th
Dante's contribution to the werewolf sub-genre seemingly starts off as a slow-burn psychological drama, playing with heavy themes of sex and the animalistic side of man. Certainly not the only film to draw this parallel, but given the assault at the start and subsequent trauma, I was expecting things to be a little more wacky and open to interpretation; but it pretty much just turns into... well... a werewolf movie. Not bad by any means, but I think it had more thematic potential.
Rated 11 Jun 2022
ytadelYtadel
Rated 28 Oct 2021
4
44th
Werewolf transformation effects are pretty lit. Everything beyond that I’m somewhat mixed on.
Rated 28 Oct 2021
feritdgnferitdgn
Rated 23 Feb 2021
76
78th
The Howling, 80'lerin bana kazandırdığı en iyi sürprizlerden. Durmadan artan heyecanım, finalde doruğa ulaştı. Kurt adamlar, evrim ve tarikat anlayışıyla ele alınırken, baskın bir psikolojik güç, başarıyla işlenmiş. Dönüşüm anları, tutkulu sahneleri, makyajlar ve efektler harika.
Rated 23 Feb 2021
gabrielpGabriel_p
Rated 31 Jul 2020
65
33rd
Considering this is a werewolf movie, it is pretty decent.
Rated 31 Jul 2020
jbynjbyn
Rated 29 Oct 2019
58
17th
I feel like there is a disconnect between the set up of this movie and where it spends most of its time. The attempt to tie the two together in the end did not feel satisfactory. However, the flashing lights from the title sequence may have caused a seizure so can this review be trusted?
Rated 29 Oct 2019
war_machineWar Machine
Rated 17 Sep 2019
10
0th
i just remember getting so bored then fast forwarding just to see the werewolves and the sex scene
Rated 17 Sep 2019
driscarpindriscarpin
Rated 04 Feb 2019
80
64th
Em honra de Dick Miller (1928 - 2019). Gente, vemos esses filmes e constatamos o quanto de genialidade havia nos efeitos especiais e maquiagem dos anos 80, aquele longa sequência do Eddie se transformando em lobisomem nos deixa embasbacados até hoje e infelizmente muito dessa arte se perdeu pelo caminho por conta do CGI. BDRip no MakingOff.
Rated 04 Feb 2019
filliganFilligan
Rated 29 Sep 2018
79
39th
This is pretty damn good. Kind of makes me wish Joe Dante had gotten better opportunities after he peaked in the 80s. From the outset, it's cleverly constructed and in the hands of talented filmmakers. The special effects are still wonderful today.
Rated 29 Sep 2018
wasntmeWasntMe
Rated 27 Dec 2017
55
21st
55 simply because of the costumes/make up and the transformation
Rated 27 Dec 2017
3drevelation3dRevelation
Rated 28 Oct 2017
50
13th
Keeping up a wardrobe must be a costly problem for werewolves.
Rated 28 Oct 2017
allengilliamAllenGilliam
Rated 27 Oct 2017
50
9th
A horror classic, but not very frightening or creepy. Not much of a plot. Gross FX. The ending is somewhat clever.
Rated 27 Oct 2017
ag0stomesmerAg0stoMesmer
Rated 22 Jan 2014
1
20th
[First 1/2] For every endearingly daft moment there were huge stretches of dull.
Rated 22 Jan 2014
telemecusTelemecus
Rated 19 Jan 2014
25
21st
Started interesting but got tedious.
Rated 19 Jan 2014
glm01glm01
Rated 07 Jan 2013
64
29th
63.500
Rated 07 Jan 2013
kowryKowry
Rated 05 Oct 2012
20
30th
Extremely cheesy, but enjoyable. Based on my not-so-good recollection the werewolf effects were also done well. A fun popcorn flick to watch if you're having a drinking night with friends.
Rated 05 Oct 2012
topaz024topaz024
Rated 16 Jan 2012
50
6th
Don't know why this gets such accolades. Dog Soldiers is an "old school" modern werewolf movie that's like 10 times better than this.
Rated 16 Jan 2012
spunkieSpunkie
Rated 03 Aug 2010
20
8th
So much for reminescence.
Rated 03 Aug 2010
pompousasspompousass
Rated 26 May 2009
20
44th
Slow to get going, and toward the end, if not sooner, it is drawing more off Invasion of the Body Snatchers than off werewolf legends. Numerous tangential allusions to the subject -- a mention of Wolfman Jack, a can of Wolf's chili, a book of Thomas Wolfe's, Allen Ginsberg's Howl -- add nothing except to our impression of the moviemakers as smart-alecks.
Rated 26 May 2009
janusjanus
Rated 10 May 2009
45
15th
Pleasingly trashy, but inept and dull. Watch it when you're in the mood for it, if you watch it at all. It's always nice to see Kevin McCarthy, though.
Rated 10 May 2009
moviesinhellmoviesinhell
Rated 04 May 2009
75
54th
Dante's mostly on-target lycanthrope update, crammed with vet-thesp cameos.
Rated 04 May 2009
ivytivyt
Rated 10 Apr 2009
60
51st
The story was more interesting than I thought it would be, but it got off track eventually and I just didn't really care. It can ocasionally get quite good though. Joe Dante is underrated.
Rated 10 Apr 2009
vandelay1Vandelay1
Rated 01 Mar 2009
67
71st
Good
Rated 01 Mar 2009
clawxclawx
Rated 14 Dec 2008
85
84th
i rank this below an american werewolf in london, but it's still only one of the few werewolf movies I have enjoyed in my life time.
Rated 14 Dec 2008
stainStain
Rated 18 May 2008
50
33rd
If it weren't for all the cameos and inside jokes, this movie would be as boring as hell. There's one scene near the very end that has a palpable feeling of menace. That's really all this movie has to offer
Rated 18 May 2008
stepsidewaysstepsideways
Rated 18 Nov 2007
78
22nd
The hilarious final scene has to be seen to be believed. Other than that, you get a couple long, boring scenes of the nearly unrecognizable Robert Picardo turning into a werewolf, plus the irritating Dee Wallace doing what she does best: being hysterical. Interesting last gasp for poor John Carradine here too.
Rated 18 Nov 2007
stflyst_fly
Rated 25 Aug 2007
68
64th
Good
Rated 25 Aug 2007
servantdagonServantDagon
Rated 14 Aug 2007
83
60th
Great special effects, well-used monsters, and lots of gore.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 14 Aug 2007
30
9th
Silly werewolf film with some reasonable effects.The horror fan may enjoy but not such a good film as they go.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
johnnyzombieJohnnyZombie
Rated 23 Feb 2007
87
69th
Suspenseful with freaky fuck werewolves.
Rated 23 Feb 2007

Collections

Loading ...

Similar Titles

Loading ...

Statistics

Loading ...

Trailer

Loading ...