According to werewolf lore, the full moon is the time for transformation, where those afflicted with lycanthropy become hungry beasts ready to hunt. These metamorphoses from human to werewolf are often depicted with violent detail in horror movies. Over the decades, certain werewolf transformation scenes have risen above the rest — some even winning major awards.
Instead of relying on computer-generated effects, the best werewolf transformation scenes use practical effects to showcase how their monstrous characters literally strip their flesh to become hairy, dangerous creatures. From subtle and artistic to gruesome and painful, these scenes are revered by genre fans around the world.
The Curse Of The Werewolf (1961)
This classic British creature feature released by Hammer Productions is the first werewolf flick shot in color. Oliver Reed plays a Spanish fellow in the 18th century cursed since birth with lycanthropy — and only the love of the right woman can save him.
In this romantic and heartbreaking take on the werewolf narrative, the transformations are sweaty, subtle, and evolve through delicate camera work. Reed's werewolf, when converted, looks like a ragged, hairy Lothario bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The Monster Squad (1987)
"Wolfman's got nards!" Fred Dekker's cult classic about a gang of Universal Monsters coerced by Count Dracula into taking over the world includes two very '80s transformation scenes starring the Wolfman: one in an ambulance and the other in a phone booth.
From claws popping through sneakers to painful howls, the Wolfman's metamorphoses in The Monster Squad undercut the film's humor with their serious tone. A team of special effects artists helmed by Stan Winston is responsible for these emotional scenes, which display Wolfie's sadness and hatred over his unnatural status.
Trick 'R Treat (2007)
Clothes and flesh go flying in the "Surprise Party" segment of the Halloween-themed horror anthology film Trick 'R Treat. A group of young women lures a serial killer into the woods where they reveal their true wolfen forms before devouring him.
In this bloody sequence, the girls literally rip patches of skin from their bodies, revealing their inner beasts underneath all the carnage. It's a unique and stunning reimagining of the gruesome art of transformation.
The Company Of Wolves (1984)
The Company of Wolves makes high art out of werewolf lore. Neil Jordan's gothic fantasy is loosely based on "Little Red Riding Hood," and it includes connected tales of sexual awakening, hunters and their prey, and stylistic werewolf transformations.
Using practical effects, one transformation scene entails a character scraping flesh from his face until a canine nuzzle extends from his sinewy muscles. In another, a fully-formed (and real) wolf's mouth bursts forth from a huntsman's mouth.
Ginger Snaps (2000)
Another horror movie that uses lycanthropy as a metaphor for blossoming sexuality, Ginger Snaps focuses on two outcast sisters who are attacked by a werewolf. This Canadian horror feature consists of both sudden and slow-moving transformations.
The most shocking transformation scene involves one sister, Ginger, turning into a werewolf while trapped in the back of a moving van. Without relying on CGI, director John Fawcett lets the scene unfold through shadowy glimpses, fleshy contortions, and believable prosthetics.
Late Phases (2014)
An independent American-Mexican film, Late Phases tops the list of best werewolf films from the 2010s. After the human identity of the creature brutally murdering residents of a senior living community is revealed, the narrative jumps right into the man's transformation from a shy and asthmatic fellow named James into a terrifying monster.
The werewolf within bursts forth from James' flesh, which ruptures and shakes until he becomes a large, gray-haired werewolf with humanoid features. The pain James expresses as he loses his human skin demonstrates just how doomed he is to live a tortured life.
The Wolf Man (1941)
The Wolf Man is the first to star the titular Universal Monster, played by Lon Chaney Jr.. In the film, Chaney plays a Welshman named Larry Talbot who is bitten by a wolf while hiking through his family's ancestral estate.
Instead of showing a full body transformation, The Wolf Man relies on fragmented body shots to get around the lack of practical effects available to horror movie makers at the time. What results is a main transformation scene that hints at the monster to come by focusing on Talbot's feet, which is simple but effective.
Fright Night (1985)
In Tom Holland's Fright Night, Roddy McDowall plays a late-night horror TV star named Peter Vincent who is recruited to fight real-life monsters. One of the best scenes follows Vincent after he stakes a werewolf played by Stephen Geoffreys.
While other film showcase the human-to-werewolf transformation, the staking scene in Fright Night sees Geoffreys' character emotionally return to his human form in his final few moments of life. His flesh boils over his wolfen body as Vincent watches on in horror.
The Howling (1981)
The major transformation sequence in Joe Dante's werewolf film is a slow tour de force that revels in special effects. Rob Bottin is responsible for the scene where a serial-killing wolfman named Eddie Quist shows off his superpower to a TV journalist named Karen White.
Bottin used air bladders underneath latex to demonstrate Quist's evolution into a furry, ferocious beast. This montage persists as the highlight of The Howling.
An American Werewolf In London (1981)
There's no denying the influence of John Landis' An American Werewolf in London on practical special effects in horror. Although it's considered a comedic horror film, the movie contains the most brutal and heart-stopping transformation scene in cinematic history.
Protagonist David Kessler's agonizing transition from human to werewolf won special effects maverick Rick Baker an Oscar for his efforts. David Naughton's acting takes the whole ordeal to the next level.