The Howling (1981)

Film details

View on IMDb ↗
DirectorJoe Dante
Year1981
CountryUSA
TypeMovie
Runtime91m
CastDee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan, Christopher Stone, Belinda Balaski, Kevin McCarthy, John Carradine, Slim Pickens, Elisabeth Brooks, Robert Picardo

Review

"The Howling is a cracking good horror film, anchored by strong performances. Rather than being a stereotypical female victim, Karen is smart, fierce, and formidable, even when she's vulnerable in the face of hairy beasts. The movie is also aided by groundbreaking special effects, which still look phenomenal today. Makeup wizard Rob Bottin developed a smoother, more convincing way to do werewolf transitions than had ever been seen before. Without a doubt, the showstopping moment comes when we spend several minutes watching a character morph into a wolf. This has to be one of the seminal moments in '80s horror." - Mike McGranaghan, Aisle Seat

Ranking history

The 1,000 Greatest Horror Films

EDITIONS IN TOP 1,00011
HIGHEST#802025
LOWEST#912023
Top 1,000Outside Top 1,000Missing ranking data

Dashed lines indicate missing ranking data. Select a point to view that year's published list. The 1,000 Greatest Horror Films list was not updated in 2022.

Lists featuring this film 167 lists

100 Years of Terror's 13 Werwolf-Filme, die ihr gesehen haben solltet [Werewolf movies you should have seen]2019Ranked#3
100 Years of Terror's Top 139 Die besten Horrorfilme aller Zeiten [Best Horror Films of All Time]2020Ranked#67
411Mania's Jeremy Thomas' The 8 Ball - Top 8 Werewolf Horror Films2014Ranked#4
50 Classic Horror Films from Wheeler Winston Dixon's A History of Horror2010Unranked—
80shorror.net's Derek Schweigert's The Top 200 Best Horror Movies of the 1980s2018Ranked#31
A. V. Club's Matt Mills' They're Here! The Greatest Horror Movies of the 1980s2023Ranked#15
Aaron Christensen's Horror 101 - The A-List of Horror Films and Monster Movies2007Unranked—
Addicted to Horror Movies' The 100 Scariest Horror Films of All Time2015Ranked#47
Alex Vorkov's Top 15 Horror Films of 19812017Ranked#2
Allocine's 200 films pour Halloween2011Unranked—
AltFilmFan's 100 horror films from the 80s2012Ranked#44
AMC Filmsite's Greatest Horror FilmsUnranked—
Andrés Muschietti's Top 102015Ranked#5
Antti Alanen and Asko Alanen's Musta Peili - horror film filmography1985Unranked—
AXS' Marilisa Sachteleben's Scariest. movies. ever.2015Unranked—
BFI's James Rose's 10 great werewolf films2023Unranked—
Bloody Disgusting's Best Horror Movies of All Time - 1980s2017Unranked—
Bloody Disgusting's Trace Thurman's The 100 Best Horror Movies Ever Made2018Ranked#69
BoardGameGeek's Top 100 Horror Movies2009Ranked#51
CBS Baltimore's 100 Scariest Horror Movies2013Ranked#74
Chicago Film Critics Association's 100 Scariest Movies of All Time2006Ranked#68
Chris Duck's The Horror. . . The Horror2012Unranked—
Cine.gr's The Most Scary-Movies Ever2010Ranked#70
Cinemanía's 100 mejores películas de terror de todos los tiempos2016Ranked#69
Cinevistaramascope's Top 100 - '80s Horror!2013Ranked#44
Collider's 50 Best Horror Films of the 1980s2017Ranked#23
Collider's Aubrey Page's The 10 Best Horror Films Steeped in Social Commentary2017Ranked#5
Combustible Celluloid's Essential Horror Movies2024Unranked—
Confessions of a Pop Culture Addict's House of 100 Horrors2010Unranked—
Cool Top Tens' Top 50 Best Horror Movies of the 80sRanked#23
Creepy Catalog's Holly Riordan's 30+ Best Werewolf Movies Ever Made2023Unranked—
Cricket's top 100 horror movies2014Ranked#23
Cult Labs Forum's Best Horror Films Year by YearUnranked—
Cult Labs' Community Top 100 Horror Films of All Time2014Ranked#204
Damnationdoormat's Top 100 Horror Films2006Ranked#57
Darrell Moore's The Best, Worst, And Most Unusual Horror Films1983Unranked—
Den of Geek's Mike Cecchini's 13 Essential Werewolf Movies2013Ranked#3
Dennis Alink's Top 25 Best '80s Horror Films2015Ranked#12
DigitalDreamDoor's 250 Greatest Horror Movies2022Ranked#118
Don Sumner's Horror Movie Freak2010Unranked—
Dr-Faustus' GREATEST HORROR MOVIES OF ALL TIME2018Unranked—
Dr. Nocturna's 2006 Horror Movie Census!2006Ranked#65
Dreadit's Top 20 Were (or Therianthropy) Films2021Ranked#7
EcranLarge's Laurent Pecha's Les 31 meilleurs films d'horreur du monde2012Ranked#31
Edgar Wright's 100 Favorite Horror Movies2017Unranked—
Eighties Kids' 12 [and 12 more] Of The Best Horror Films Of The 1980s2018Unranked—
El antepenultimo mohicano's Las 100 mejores películas de terror2016Ranked#52
EMP Museum's 100 Horror Films to See Before You DieUnranked—
Empire's The Greatest Horror Movies Ever Guide2000Unranked—
Empire's Top 400 Horrors Results2012Ranked#139
Eric Ian Steele's The Best Horror Movies of the Past 50 years! Part 3! The Eighties!2014Unranked—
Esquire's Nick Schager & Bria McNeal's The 60 Best Horror Films from the 1980s2024Ranked#33
Essential Horror Movies - Matinee Monsters to Cult Classics by Michael Mallory2015Unranked—
EW's Horror Quintessentials - The 5 best werewolf movies2014Ranked#3
FANGORIA's 300 Best Horror Movies2011Unranked—
Film School Reject's Rob Hunter's The 50 Best Horror Movies of the 1980s2020Ranked#32
Final Girl Shocktoberfest Poll2017Ranked#141
Finn's Wake's My Top 5 Favorite Werewolf Movies2013Ranked#3
Fluxkompensator's Stefan_F's Die besten Horrorfilme der 80er Jahre [Best Horror Films of the 80s]2019Ranked#12
Forbes' Mark Hughes' The Top 10 Best Horror Movies Of The 80s2022Unranked—
GamesRadar+'s Will Salmon's 30 Scariest '80s Horror Movies2016Ranked#11
Gary Gerani's Top 100 Horror Movies2010Ranked#83
Goomba Stomp's Ricky da Conceição's 150 Greatest Horror Films of the 20th Century2021Ranked#83
Goregirl's Favourite Horror Films of the 1980s2013Ranked#81
GreenGoblin's My top 200 horror movies2007Ranked#79
groo-8's Top 200 Horror films Ever2012Unranked—
HitFix's Top 100 Horror Movies of All Time2015Ranked#40
Hollie Horror's 1980-19892021Ranked#53
Horror Film Trailer's Top 50 Horror Movies of All Time2011Ranked#9
Horror Freak News' Don Sumner's The Top 100 Best Horror Movies Ever2016Ranked#13
Horror Freak News' Matt Molgaard's 20 Greatest Werewolf Movies2016Ranked#2
Horror Society's Monsterman's Top 5 Greatest Werewolf films of all-time!2013Ranked#1
Horror.com's The Official HDC Selection from 100+ Years of Horror Cinema2013Unranked—
Horror.com's The Sub-genres of Horror - A Top 100 HDC Compilation2008Unranked—
Horrorfam.com's Adam Page's 10 Great Werewolf Movies for the Next Full Moon2025Ranked#7
HorrorMovies.ca Forum's Top 300 horror films that MUST be seen before you die2012Unranked—
HorrorMovies.ca's Gwendolyn Kiste's Must See 80's Horror Movies2015Unranked—
HorrorMovies.ca's MovieMaven's Top 10 Werewolf Movies2012Ranked#1
House Of Horrors' Vault of Favourite Horror2019Unranked—
HubPages' EshanMonteath's Top 10 Werewolf Movies2010Ranked#6
HubPages' iwritegood's Top 100 Horror Movies2009Ranked#19
Hush Comics' Keriann "Anna" McNamara-McCauliffe's The 25 Horror Movies You Have To Watch THIS Weekend2014Unranked—
IMDb Horror Board Favorite 2012014Ranked#88
In Search of Darkness - A Journey into iconic eighties horror2019Unranked—
IndieWire's The 225 Best Horror Movies of All Time2022Unranked—
Inquisitr's Carter Lee's 51 Best Horror Movies of All Time2016Unranked—
James Marriott and Kim Newman's Horror! 333 Films to Scare You to Death2010Unranked—
Jamie_Shannon's Best Horror Films2016Ranked#15
Jarvis City's 50 Best Horror Movies Of The 1980s2017Ranked#22
Jarvis City's Beware The Moon - 25 Greatest Werewolf Movies Of All Time2017Ranked#3
JarvisCity's 15 Best Horror Movies Of 19812017Ranked#6
John Stell's Psychos! Sickos! Sequels! - Horror films of the 1980s1998Unranked—
Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)'s Jordan's Top 10 Werewolf Films2014Ranked#2
Josh Keown's My Top 25 Werewolf Movies of All Time2013Ranked#7
Karyn Kusama's Top 102015Ranked#6
Land Of Way's James Wayland's Top 20 Horror Movies2015Ranked#19
Latest Movies Lists' Top 100 Horror Movies2012Ranked#81
Love Horror's Top 10 Werewolf Films2018Ranked#3
Marcus Dunstan & Patrick Melton's Top 102015Ranked#8
Marginal_Crogeny's The Top 250 Horror Films of All Time2016Ranked#132
Marie Claire's Nicole Briese's The 50 Best Horror Movies From the 1980s2024Unranked—
Mark H. Harris' A Timeline of the History of Hollywood Horror Movies2017Unranked—
Mark H. Harris' The 15 Best Werewolf Horror Movies2019Ranked#4
Methods Unsound's Christopher Ratcliff's 31 best horror movies to watch on Halloween2016Unranked—
Mike Mayo's VideoHound's Horror Show - 999 Hair-Raising, Hellish, and Humorous Movies1998Unranked—
Monster Mania's The 13 Greatest Horror Films Of The 1980s2012Ranked#10
Monster Pictures' Alex Smith's Top 5 Werewolf Movies2013Ranked#3
Movie Forums' Top 100 Horror FilmsRanked#16
MovieMeter's Top 300 Horror Films2020Ranked#226
Movies & Mania's Essential Horror Films2018Unranked—
Murray Leeder's Horror Film - A Critical Introduction2018Unranked—
Neil Marshall's Top 102015Ranked#5
NewNowNext's The Backlot's The 40 Greatest Horror Movies Of The 1980s2015Ranked#28
Nightmare Nostalgia's Patti PaulterGeist's 40 Terrific Years of Terror! Top Ten Horror Films of 19812021Ranked#9
Nightmares in Red, White and Blue - Featured Movies2009Unranked—
Osservatori Esterni's I Migliori Film Horror 1981 - 19902011Ranked#9
Otto's Movies' Ultimate Top 500 Horror MoviesRanked#456
Pajiba's TK Burton's Best Werewolf Movies2009Unranked—
Parade's Jessica Sager's 31 Best Werewolf Movies2025Unranked—
Paste's Jim Vorel's A Century of Terror - The 100 Best Horror Movies of the Last 100 Years - Honorable mentions2019Unranked—
Paste's Jim Vorel's The 25 Best Werewolf Movies of All Time2025Ranked#3
Paste's The 50 Best Monster Movies of All Time2025Ranked#21
Pop Culture Petri Dish's 50 Greatest Horror Movies2007Unranked—
PopMatters' Bill Gibron's 10 Timeless Werewolf Films2019Ranked#2
PopOptiq's Ricky da Conceição's 200 Greatest Horror Films2015Ranked#92
PopOptiq's Ricky da Conceição's Greatest Horror Movies Ever Made - Part 4 - Werewolves2011Ranked#2
Radio Times' 100 Greatest Horror Films Ever2010Ranked#83
Rage of Rayzor's Top 100 Horror Films2015Ranked#82
Ramsey Campbell's Stevie's Top 100 Horror Movies2013Ranked#86
Rapid City Journals' 7 best cult horror films2015Unranked—
Reel.com's Top 100 Scary Movies1999Ranked#63
Retrospace's 100 Greatest Horror Films of All Time2009Ranked#85
Robert Kurtzman's Top 102015Ranked#9
Rolling Stone's 101 Best Horror Movies of All Time2022Ranked#37
Saturn Award for Best Horror & Thriller Film2023Unranked—
Saturn Award for Best Horror & Thriller Film (All nominees)2018Unranked—
Screen Rant's Scout Tafoya's The 10 Best Horror Movies of the 1980s2015Unranked—
Shudder's The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time2022Ranked#54
Slant Magazine's 100 Greatest Horror Films of All Time2019Ranked#78
SlashFilm's Rob Hunter's 15 Best Werewolf Movies Of All Time, Ranked2025Ranked#2
Steven Jay Schneider's 101 Horror Movies You Must See Before You Die2007Unranked—
SuperAficionado.com's David Alday's Las 107 mejores películas de terror de la historia2018Unranked—
Sybil Danning's Top 102012Ranked#2
Taste of Cinema's Erol Bozkurt's 10 Underrated Horror Movies You Might Have Missed2015Unranked—
Taste of Cinema's Jeremy Sklar's 15 Of The Best Horror Films With Social-Political Subtext2014Unranked—
Terror from Beyond the Dave's 13 WEREWOLF FILMS WORTH HOWLING FOR!2013Unranked—
The Alternative's Favorite Horror Films2020Unranked—
The Backlot's Top 40 Horror Movies of the 1980s2013Ranked#29
The Bedrock Blog's The Cutting Room Floor2010Unranked—
The Black Glove's Nickolas Cook's Top 13 - All Time Best Werewolf Movies2011Unranked—
The Bloody Pit of Horror's Top 10 List For 19812009Ranked#3
The Dissolve's The 30 Best American Independent Horror Films2014Ranked#18
The FrightFest Guide to Werewolf Movies2019Unranked—
The Horror Syndicate's Seth T. Miller's Top 25 Werewolf Films2019Ranked#2
The Horror Syndicate's Top 100 Horror Movies of All-Time2017Ranked#39
The Orlok's Top 5 of 19812015Ranked#5
The Playlist's Jessica Kiang, Oliver Lyttelton and Nikola Grozdanovic's The 25 Best Horror Films Of The 1980s2016Ranked#25
The Scariest Thing's The Top 500 Horror Movies of All Time2022Ranked#356
The Wandering Image's TOP 100 HORROR MOVIES OF THE 80s2012Ranked#25
Time Out's 50 Greatest Monster Movies2010Ranked#40
Too Scary To Watch's Best 80's Horror Films2011Unranked—
Top 200 Movies' Top 50 Best Horror MoviesRanked#43
TOP 666 HORROR MOVIES (Freaky Fuckin Friday)2014Ranked#247
Total Sci-Fi's The 100 Greatest Horror Movies2009Ranked#68
Wales Arts Review's 50 Most Innovative Horror Movies of All Time2020Unranked—
Where Y'at's Landon Murray's Top 20 Creature Features2018Unranked—
You Wanna See Something Really Scary A 365 Day Guide to Must See Horror Films by W.P. Spence2013Unranked—