The werewolf – alongside the vampire, perhaps the most enduring monster in the annals of classic, fantastical horror. And yet, we see comparatively few werewolf movies. There are a good many reasons for this: thematically they cover much the same ground as vampires, i.e. the animal within and its struggle to escape. And of course on a practical level, vampires are so much less messing around – all you really need is a bit of powder on the face, some false teeth and if you’re feeling extravagant some contact lenses, whereas werewolves necessitate hefty make-up jobs, and/or animatronics, and/or CGI. As the likes of Cursed have demonstrated, they’re easy to get wrong. But when they’re done right, they can be pretty damn cool. And while we wait with bated breath to see if Benico Del Toro’s long-awaited stint in the wolf suit will be a thumbs-up, what better time to look back on some of the best lycanthropy committed to film to date…

5) The Company of Wolves – Stephen Rea

He’s only one of a whole pack of wolf-people in Neil Jordan’s haunting fairy tale nightmare, but easily the most memorable. Just in case anyone thought Stephen Sommers had come up with something new by having his werewolf burst out through his human skin in Van Helsing (yeesh, I still shudder at the mere thought of that piece of shit) – that little trick had already been done here, and a damn sight better of course. And while time might not have been too kind to the practical effects, they’re still used to powerful effect. It’s a profoundly eerie sequence.

4) The Monster Squad – Jon Gries

At last, the answer to the eternal question – ‘does Wolf Man have nards…?’ Much like all the other monsters created by Stan Winston’s team for this beloved kiddie-horror classic, this werewolf evokes the feel of the classic Universal creation but is very much its own monster, and very much a product of the 80′s. Gries makes for a great Desperate Man (as he is credited in the cast list), anxious to keep the wolf within from doing harm – and, naturally, we can’t wait to see him lose that battle and get his hairy freak on. Also, since his untimely death it has come to light that Wolf Man was in fact modeled on Winston himself, lending the beast an even greater poignancy. Or  maybe that’s just me being a sentimental bastard.

3) Ginger Snaps – Katherine Isabelle

Growing pains were never so painful. Katherine Isabelle’s metamorphosis from surly teen to bloodthirsty beast makes for one of the greatest performances in one of the greatest horror movies of the last decade. In era where most adolescent-oriented horror is of the PG-13 variety, heavily watered down both in terms of content and intelligence, Ginger Snaps is a real breath of fresh air. The Beast of Bailey Downs might not be the most impressive lycanthropic creation ever to grace the screen, but that can be forgiven when everything else is done so well.

2) The Wolf Man – Lon Chaney Jr.
The one without whom none of the others would be even a glint in the eyes of their respective creators. No, it wasn’t the first werewolf movie, but it’s the one that really cemented the rules and mythology of the creature, and gave Chaney Jr. the role that finally pulled him out of his father’s shadow. And it’s still a great bit of classic spooky entertainment to this day.

1) An American Werewolf in London – David Naughton

As if there could ever have been any debate on the matter… John Landis’ groundbreaking horror/comedy remains the best werewolf movie with the best werewolf effects, in the world, ever. The transformation sequence still never fails to take the breath away, and the resulting wolf is a truly scary piece of work. A pity Landis’ subsequent forays into the genre have been nowhere near as satisfying, but that’s easy to forgive of someone whose one great horror movie happens to be one of the best horror movies of all time.