The Wolf Man explores a disturbingly realistic vision of what it would take to turn a man into a werewolf. Does this horror movie have any basis in science fact? Do werewolves and wolf men even obey their own story rules?

“Even a man who is pure of heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.”

The Wolf Man (1941)

Werewolves, wolf men (and women), and really werebeasts of all shapes and sizes have been a part of our collective unconscious for about as long as we’ve been able to tell stories. There’s something universal (no pun intended) about the concept of a human being shape-shifting back into a more primal state. And if these tales were terrifying around a campfire, they’re even more effective on screen, where all of the brilliant special effects Hollywood has to offer have long been brought to the table to transform ordinary actors into bloodthirsty werebeasts.

But just where (“where oh, werewolf…”) does this story come from? Is there any chance at all that humans can devolve into a more animalistic state? Is there any reason to believe that werewolves could be real, even if they aren’t exactly as depicted on film?

Check out the latest episode of Does it Fly? for the answers to these questions and more!

SUGGESTED VIEWING

This episode is based primarily on the version of the werewolf legend told in 2010’s The Wolfman, directed by Joe Johnston (we took a look at another of Johnston’s films in our episode on The Rocketeer). It’s a tremendously underrated film that starred Benicio del Toro, Emily Blunt, Anthony Hopkins, and Hugo Weaving. If you haven’t seen it, we rate it pretty highly.

But that film was an updating of perhaps the most iconic werewolf movie of all time, 1941’s The Wolf Man starring Lon Chaney, Jr. A key piece of the classic Universal Monsters cycle of films, The Wolf Man is the source of many of pop culture’s most enduring pieces of werewolf lore.

However, if you’re looking for the greatest werewolf movie of all time, the one that is the best blend of old and new, then look no further than 1981’s An American Werewolf in London. While something of a horror-comedy, it won the first ever Academy Award for Best Makeup thanks to Rick Baker’s incredible werewolf makeup and what is the undisputed champion of amazingly realistic on-screen man-to-wolf transformations ever put on film. It’s not for the faint of heart, but you can’t call yourself a true wolf-fan until you’ve seen this one.

For more on the origins of horror stories, Tamara also recommends Monstrum, which is exceptionally cool.