Top 10 Iconic Werewolf Transformations That Shocked Audiences

This 1980s gothic fantasy film is a retelling of the story of Little Red Riding Hood. In this version, the wolf that eats Grandma and the huntsman who saves Red are the same person, and he happens to be pretty hot. Red, now named Rosaleen[a], finds herself simultaneously drawn to and frightened of him. When she shoots him in the shoulder, it sparks his transformation, which the movie depicts pretty brutally. It’s an early example of the wolf actually bursting through the skin, rather than the body itself transforming. The movie has mostly faded into obscurity today, but it’s well worth a watch for fans of the genre.

Technically, the victim in question here is a vampire, but he’s in the form of a wolf, so we say it counts. Most movies really indulge in the conversion into a wolf and ignore the change back into a human, but “Fright Night” does the opposite. We don’t see the original transformation at all – we only see the creature convert back into human form after he’s stabbed through the heart. It’s gruesome. The monster writhes in pain, changing slowly as he dies. The use of practical effects and chilling sound design make this scene a heart-wrenching and memorable one.

This Canadian-American production flew under the radar when it was released and bombed pretty hard at the box office. But it’s still fun to watch and features a great transformation scene. Ted is bitten by a werewolf while working in Nepal. When he gets home, he begins terrorizing and murdering people around town. The CGI in this scene isn’t amazing, but it’s pretty good for the mid-90s. We see the creature go through several horrifying intermediate stages before he reaches his final form. Once the transformation is complete, the movie switches to practical effects. The werewolf itself is a classic design with a mostly humanoid body and a snarling, salivating wolf’s head. It’s scarier than you might expect for this low-budget horror flick.

This 1985 movie is based on a novella by Stephen King called “Cycle of the Werewolf,” and King himself wrote the screenplay. When a small town is terrorized by a mysterious monster, a young boy discovers that a local preacher is to blame. The transformation scene is short and quick, and we don’t get a good look at the monster until later. However, it uses some unique practical effects to give the creature’s face an impressive degree of movement. We also get a rare instance of a werewolf using a weapon to kill someone. Perhaps even better than this scene is an earlier dream sequence in which the reverend’s entire congregation transforms and attacks him. It’s easily the most shocking moment in the movie.

This movie’s unique take on lycanthropy and its feminist themes have turned it into a cult favorite. After a teenage girl named Ginger becomes a werewolf, her sister does everything she can to save her. At one point, Ginger transforms in the back of a van in one of the most grotesque scenes on our list. We don’t see much of the change, but what we do see is terrifying. The film really leans into the body horror, making the transformation seem agonizing. The werewolf’s design is also unusual. In her monster form, Ginger has little hair, and her skin stays basically the same color. Somehow, this makes her even more freakish and frightening.

We could have picked any number of scenes from this franchise for our list. “Underworld: Evolution” features a super intense opening scene where a whole village full of victims turn into Lycans[b] at once. And the scene in “Underworld: Awakening” where a man turns into a genetically modified super-Lycan is extremely cool. But our top pick is the climactic scene in the original “Underworld,” in which Michael Corvin becomes the first vampire-Lycan hybrid. Michael is already infected with the Lycan virus, though he never gets a chance to transform into a regular werewolf. When the vampire Selene bites him, he turns into a completely new type of creature. In his final form, he’s more human-looking than most werewolves, but still incredibly powerful.

We barely see any of this transformation, and that’s part of what makes it so brilliant. “Werewolf by Night” is an homage to classic monster movies, which often had extremely low budgets and couldn’t rely on a lot of special effects. Instead of showing the change in excruciating detail, we only see it in shadow. The sound effects and Laura Donnelly[c]’s acting as Elsa Bloodstone do all the heavy lifting. As Jack mutates from a kind, gentle man into a bloodthirsty monster, Elsa’s terrified reaction tells us everything we need to know.

Not everyone loved this remake of the 1941 classic, but it does have an all-time great transformation scene. Lawrence Talbot[d] is infected with lycanthropy, but the police think he’s just crazy. He’s locked up in a sanitorium where a doctor intends to make an example of him. Lawrence is brought into a lecture hall packed with people during the full moon, and you can guess what happens next. As he changes, the intense score builds, along with the horrified reactions of the people watching. It’s one of the few all-CGI transformations that really works. The original “Wolf Man” had to use more primitive effects to turn Lon Chaney Jr. into a monster, but it still scared the pants off audiences of the time.

Special effects artist Rob Bottin[e] is responsible for a ton of famous on-screen looks, from RoboCop’s suit to the crime scenes in “Se7en.” But before all of that, he got his big break creating this transformation in “The Howling.” Serial killer Eddie Quist is supposed to be dead, so you can imagine how surprised reporter Karen White is when he shows up to confront her and changes into a terrifying monster. The scene takes its time indulging in Bottin’s incredible practical effects and the gruesome sound design that goes with them. It’s also one of the few films where the werewolf actually seems to enjoy the transformation. If we were in Karen’s shoes, we would not just be standing there while all this goes down.


Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.


“Dog Soldiers” (2002)
Like the Shark in “Jaws,” This Scene Is All About What You Don’t See

“Game of Werewolves” [aka “Lobos de Arga[f]”] (2012)
What’s Scarier Than One Werewolf? How About a Whole Town Full of Them


“An American Werewolf in Paris” (1997)
Watching Beautiful Julie Delpy Change into a Monster Is Beyond Horrifying


“Late Phases” (2014)
A Man Tears off His Own Skin to Reveal the Creature Underneath


“Trick 'r Treat” (2007)
We Wouldn’t Want to Run into These Girls on Halloween – Or Any Other Night

It’s one of the most well-known and beloved werewolf movies of all time. Everything about this transformation scene is iconic, from the soundtrack to David Naughton[g]’s performance to Rick Baker’s incredible practical effects. Lots of werewolf movies depict the mutation as painful, but none more so than this one. David writhes and screams in agony as his limbs stretch, his face elongates, and hair sprouts all over his body. The effects were so impressive, they inspired Michael Jackson to recruit Baker and director John Landis to create the music video for “Thriller.” Nearly every werewolf movie that’s followed in the years since has in some way been influenced by “An American Werewolf in London.”


Which werewolf transformation do you think deserved the top spot? Let us know in the comments.