The Howling

R

Released Apr 3, 1981

1 hr. 31 min.

Horror

List

74%

43 Reviews

Tomatometer

60%

25,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

In Los Angeles, television journalist Karen White (Dee Wallace) is traumatized in the course of aiding the police in their arrest of a serial murderer. Her doctor recommends that she attend an isolated psychiatric retreat led by Dr. George Waggner (Patrick Macnee). But while Karen is undergoing therapy, her colleague Chris (Dennis Dugan), investigates the bizarre circumstances surrounding her shock. When his work leads him to suspect the supernatural, he begins to fear for Karen's life.

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Critics Consensus

The Howling packs enough laughs into its lycanthropic carnage to distinguish it from other werewolf entries, with impressive visual effects adding some bite.

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Michael B

The Howling is by far one of my favorite werewolf films. It's also one of my all time favorite films by director Joe Dante. The special effects by Bob Bottin is top notch. The transformation and design of the werewolves is incredible to look at. Truly terrifying. This is one of the few instances were the film outdid the source material. The Howling shows us how werewolves should look/act like. Nothing cute and cuddly about these werewolves.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/08/24

Full Review

Dan R

1981's 'The Howling' would probably have been the definitive werewolf film had it not been for the release of 'An American Werewolf in London' in the same year. SYNOPSIS: 'After a bizarre and near deadly encounter with a serial killer, a television newswoman is sent to a remote mountain resort whose residents may not be what they seem.' Director Joe Dante's film would put him very much in the minds of the big Hollywood studios. Without this film we'd have never got 'Gremlins'. As a film itself it's quite ridiculous, with a crazy story which hurtles all over the place. It's perverse in places and very sexual, whilst also asking difficult questions about America in the early 1980s. It's a great monster movie but some of the transformations look terrible now, and in comparison to AAWIL of the same year, they look even worse if not comically bad. All I'll say is 'ears'. If you know you know! However, that final scene will live with me for a long time. Forty years after its release it still shocks and amuses audiences. It's a classic werewolf movie, it's just not the best classic of the genre. 6/10

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/05/24

Full Review

GPhonse257

Top 5 best werewolf movie of all time, with the best werewolf transformation of all time. And a slow burn of suspense throughout this entire movie. My only ding on this movie was...when the 2 survivors drove away from the town, the werewolves standing in the distance looked fake. Other than that...this movie was way ahead of it's time, for horror movies that were made in the late 70s/early 80s.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/17/23

Full Review

Jens B

Imagine you try and relax in a remote mountain village and everyone there is a fucking werewolf! Typical Joe Dante flick, in the best way possible: fun monsters stuff, creepy atmosphere, likable characters, a real sense of the characters surroundings, and media satire. Great effects by Rob Bottin, although I do like Baker's effects in AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON better.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/28/23

Full Review

Alec B

Obviously Dante adds humorous bits and digressions throughout the movie but he also effectively builds tension especially in the last act.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/13/23

Full Review

Robbie T

Tongue in cheek werewolf horror. Effects are superb for 1980. Good, solid film. Well worth watching.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/08/23

Full Review

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Joe Dante

Director

Dee Wallace

Karen White

Patrick Macnee

Dr. George Waggner

Dennis Dugan

Chris

Christopher Stone

R. William (Bill) Neill

Belinda Balaski

Terry Fisher

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Nick Schager

Lessons of Darkness

A perverse, satirical contribution to the oft-maligned werewolf genre.

Rated: B

Nov 6, 2005

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Ridiculous -- yes. Comical at times -- yes.

Rated: 2/4

Oct 23, 2004

Full Review

Kristy Strouse

Wonderfully Weird and Horrifying

Well performed, with convincing effects for its time, The Howling isn’t the best werewolf feature, but it’s required viewing for any fan.

Oct 26, 2022

Full Review

Tony Crawley

Starburst

Rob Bottin's Howling man-to-werewolf sequence is like nothing you've ever seen before. It's amazing!

Jul 27, 2022

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

...still shocks and amuses in equal parts...

Rated: 4/5

Oct 27, 2021

Full Review

Robin Holabird

Robin Holabird

A clever story that deals with cults and media coverage.

Oct 15, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

In Los Angeles, television journalist Karen White (Dee Wallace) is traumatized in the course of aiding the police in their arrest of a serial murderer. Her doctor recommends that she attend an isolated psychiatric retreat led by Dr. George Waggner (Patrick Macnee). But while Karen is undergoing therapy, her colleague Chris (Dennis Dugan), investigates the bizarre circumstances surrounding her shock. When his work leads him to suspect the supernatural, he begins to fear for Karen's life.

Director: Joe Dante
Screenwriter: Gary Brandner, John Sayles, Terence H. Winkless
Distributor: AVCO Embassy Pictures, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., Image Entertainment Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp.
Production Co: AVCO Embassy Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 3, 1981, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 3, 2017

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