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An American Werewolf in London

Play trailer 1:35 Poster for An American Werewolf in London R Released Apr 21, 1981 1h 37m Horror Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
89% Tomatometer 64 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne), two American college students, are backpacking through Britain when a large wolf attacks them. David survives with a bite, but Jack is brutally killed. As David heals in the hospital, he's plagued by violent nightmares of his mutilated friend, who warns David that he is becoming a werewolf. When David discovers the horrible truth, he contemplates committing suicide before the next full moon causes him to transform from man to murderous beast.
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An American Werewolf in London

An American Werewolf in London

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Critics Consensus

Terrifying and funny in almost equal measure, John Landis' horror-comedy crosses genres while introducing Rick Baker's astounding make-up effects.

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Critics Reviews

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Anton Bitel Little White Lies David's writhing discomfort in his own skin marks not just the monstrous metamorphosis in and of genre, but also that deep sense of estrangement experienced by any well-meaning if gauche tourist tripping up on local lore and mores. Oct 29, 2019 Full Review Gary Arnold Washington Post I suspect Landis hoped to keep moviegoers eerily disarmed with an unpredictable mixture of wacky and terrifying touches. Unfortunately, his own touch... is so slack and uncertain that the movie ends up dramatically shapeless. May 9, 2018 Full Review Tom Huddleston Time Out Not just gory but actually frightening, not just funny but clever, 'American Werewolf...' has its flaws, but these are outweighed by the film's many, mighty strengths. Rated: 4/5 Oct 30, 2009 Full Review Trace Thurman Horror Queers Podcast A near perfect blend of horror and comedy. Rated: 4.5/5 Apr 15, 2024 Full Review Joe Lipsett Horror Queers Podcast A classic for more than its outstanding visual effects, John Landis' film deftly explores queer and anti-semitic elements via its lead character David in ways that are both coded and explicit. Also: these set pieces go HARD. Rated: 4.5/5 Apr 10, 2024 Full Review John Brosnan Starburst This is a revolutionary movie... It pull's off the difficult trick of revitalizing the genre while parodying at the same time. Jul 27, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Spencer Nielsen While I don’t find An American Werewolf in London as viscerally terrifying as others, I find its use of genre as satire to be regularly chilling. Landis’s use of monster-as-metaphor is brilliant his werewolf is simultaneously a universal stand-in for the other, as well as a personal stand-in for the anxieties of a Jewish-American. And of course, the transformation scene is iconic for a reason. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/14/24 Full Review Kalissa H I liked it more than I thought I would. Fun story. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/11/25 Full Review Abdel K An absolute timeless classic of a movie. Simply stunning and superb. Jenny Agutter is a national treasure Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/25/25 Full Review tim s This is, quite simply, the best werewolf movie ever made. It strikes a perfect balance between being scary and funny, the lead character is remarkably likable, and the effects are mesmerizing. The makeup and visuals were groundbreaking in 1981, and they continue to look more realistic than much of today's CGI. The first lycanthropic transformation is absolutely gut-wrenching. My only criticism of the film is the ending, which feels abrupt. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 04/24/25 Full Review alan g One of the best combination.of comedy and horror ever made. Very gory and terrifying but strangely comedic at the same time. Great acting. Terrific plot and direction. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/13/25 Full Review Leprechaun K Movie is perfectly executed with masterful practical effects and make-up by Rick Baker. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/02/25 Full Review Read all reviews
An American Werewolf in London

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Cast & Crew

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John Landis

Director

David Naughton

David Kessler

Jenny Agutter

Nurse Alex Price

Griffin Dunne

Jack Goodman

John Woodvine

Dr. Hirsch

Brian Glover

Chess Player

Movie Clips

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An American Werewolf in London

An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Jack's Warning An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Jack's Warning 2:54 An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Undead Jack An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Undead Jack 2:29 An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Werewolf Attack An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Werewolf Attack 2:37 An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Let Me Help You An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Let Me Help You 1:37 An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Mutant Nazi Nightmare An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Mutant Nazi Nightmare 1:25 An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - The Slaughtered Lamb An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - The Slaughtered Lamb 2:57 An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - David's Undead Victims An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - David's Undead Victims 2:59 An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Subway Chase An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Subway Chase 2:11 An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - London Massacre An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - London Massacre 1:38 An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Naked at the Zoo An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Naked at the Zoo 1:12 View more videos

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An American Werewolf in London

An American Werewolf in London: An American Werewolf in London's Best Scenes An American Werewolf in London: An American Werewolf in London's Best Scenes 9:51 An American Werewolf in London: Trailer 1 An American Werewolf in London: Trailer 1 1:35 View more videos
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An American Werewolf in London

Poster Art An American Werewolf in London (1981) An American Werewolf in London (1981) An American Werewolf in London (1981) An American Werewolf in London (1981) An American Werewolf in London (1981) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne), two American college students, are backpacking through Britain when a large wolf attacks them. David survives with a bite, but Jack is brutally killed. As David heals in the hospital, he's plagued by violent nightmares of his mutilated friend, who warns David that he is becoming a werewolf. When David discovers the horrible truth, he contemplates committing suicide before the next full moon causes him to transform from man to murderous beast.
Director
John Landis
Producer
George Folsey Jr.
Screenwriter
John Landis
Distributor
MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Vestron Video, Polygram, Universal Pictures, Live Video
Production Co
Guber-Peters Company, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Rating
R
Genre
Horror, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 21, 1981, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 13, 2015
Runtime
1h 37m
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