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An American Werewolf in London

Play trailer 1:35 Poster for An American Werewolf in London R 1981 1h 37m Horror Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
80% Tomatometer 152 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

A remarkable blend of horror and comedy, An American Werewolf in London goes for the jugular with frenetic direction, macabre wit, and astounding creature effects from Rick Baker.

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Critics Reviews

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Will Jones Minneapolis Star Tribune Aug 14, 2026
Quite a jolly and even witty werewolf movie, and by far the best werewolf flick of my moviegoing experience. Go to Full Review Kevin Thomas Los Angeles Times Aug 14, 2026
"An American Werewolf in London" is the work of confident and daring film maker who knows exactly what he's doing, who goes right smack up to the edge but never falls off it. Go to Full Review Edward J. Fay New York Daily News Aug 14, 2026
2/4
The film lacks continuity -- jumping from light comedy to sheer horror to black humor -- and succeeds at irritation. Go to Full Review Roland Smith Birmingham Mail Aug 18, 2026
Its secret, quite simply, is that it never becomes too self-indulgent or takes itself too seriously. Go to Full Review Mike Studley Liverpool Echo Aug 18, 2026
Enjoyable monster movie that works both as as traditional terror tale and a tongue-in-cheek spoof. Go to Full Review Noah Berlatsky Everything is Horrible (Substack) Aug 16, 2026
American Werewolf, refreshingly, refuses to align itself with Job’s comforters. It portrays David’s suffering, but it doesn’t condemn him for it. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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MDShane Sep 26, 2026 John Landis is a dick who recklessly got an actor and children killed on the set of The Twilight Zone The Movie, and all his characters that he writes are just shallow stand ins for himself, but damn that transformation rocks, thank you Rick Baker. See more Richard Harrison Oct 10, 2025 this is one of the Best movies of all time See more Julia Oct 10, 2025 This is one of my all time favorite movies EVER and I was so thrilled to see it was playing in theaters. Loving all the classic horror movies that have been playing, keep it up! See more Jeffrey W Oct 10, 2025 An absolute classic! Great music, humor and one of the best werewolf transformation scenes in cinema history. See more Spencer Nielsen Sep 14, 2024 The monster-as-metaphor is brilliant. The werewolf here is simultaneously a universal stand-in for the Other, as well as a personal stand-in for the anxieties of a Jewish-American. David Kessler is rendered as secular an American as you could expect, yet wherever he goes, he seems to be marked by his blood. It seems inevitable that the only way out is for him to spill it—either by his own hand, or the horde of fascists just waiting at the door. See more Jerod S @jeroduptown Sep 11, 2026 Becoming a werewolf on a european trip would suck. Points for an original storyline - but the humor and effects don't hold up too well. See more 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 Now Playing An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Undead Jack An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Undead Jack 2:29 Now Playing An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Werewolf Attack An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Werewolf Attack 2:37 Now Playing An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Let Me Help You An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Let Me Help You 1:37 Now Playing An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Mutant Nazi Nightmare An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Mutant Nazi Nightmare 1:25 Now Playing An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - The Slaughtered Lamb An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - The Slaughtered Lamb 2:57 Now Playing An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - David's Undead Victims An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - David's Undead Victims 2:59 Now Playing An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Subway Chase An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Subway Chase 2:11 Now Playing An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - London Massacre An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - London Massacre 1:38 Now Playing An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Naked at the Zoo An American Werewolf in London: Official Clip - Naked at the Zoo 1:12 Now Playing 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 Now Playing An American Werewolf in London: Trailer 1 An American Werewolf in London: Trailer 1 1:35 Now Playing View more videos
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An American Werewolf in London

Poster Art 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
Vestron Video, Live Video, Universal Pictures, MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Polygram
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
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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