By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
If you’re a horror fan, you know that certain genres are very played out…for example, werewolf movies are cool on paper, but modern entries like the 2025 Wolf Man are all beast and no bite. However, we can’t fault filmmakers for trying to bring these hairy tales to life, especially considering that some of the best horror films ever made have featured full moon frights. Perhaps the greatest example of this is An American Werewolf in London, the John Landis classic you can now stream for free on Tubi.
For those who’ve never watched this legendary lycanthropy film, here’s a brief rundown: An American Werewolf in London is about two graduate students who travel from New York City to travel throughout England. They drop into a local pub for some drinks, and after they leave, they are both attacked by a mysterious creature. Afterward, one of the grad students experiences a transformation that ensures his life will never be the same.
The cast of An American Werewolf in London is genuinely charming, starting with titular werewolf David Naughton (best known for this film and Disney’s Midnight Madness). It also stars Griffin Dunne, best known for this film and After Hours, for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination. Rounding out the core cast is Jenny Agutter, best known outside of Werewolf for Logan’s Run and Walkabout.
An American Werewolf in London scared up a frighteningly good box office back in the day. Against a budget of $5.8 million, the film went on to earn $62 million. Despite these profits, this 1981 movie didn’t receive a sequel until 1997, but An American Werewolf In Paris ended up being a critical and commercial flop (but hey, we can’t exactly hate any movie that made Bush’s “Mouth” such a popular song).
Fortunately, An American Werewolf in London was a critical hit as well as a commercial one. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a critical rating of 89 percent. In general, critics praised the movie for its expert blend of horror and comedy and Stan Winston’s killer creature effects, ones which have held up remarkably well for over four decades.
To this day, part of what makes An American Werewolf in London so charming is the script by director John Landis. The movie consistently zigs when you expect it to zag, delivering both unexpected frights and unexpected laughs. Simply put, it completely transformed what audiences thought a werewolf movie could be like, and it’s not surprising that other directors have spent decades trying to recreate Landis’ lycanthropic lightning in a bottle.
Will you enjoy An American Werewolf In London as much as we did when you watch it on Tubi, or would you rather get attacked by a creepy creature rather than watch through to the credits? The only way to find out is to experience this unforgettably weird little film for yourself. Afterward, you might just have sympathy for those overseas werewolves…having looked at British cuisine, we can understand why these guys decided to eat humans rather than pretend beans on bread is a tasty meal.
