--- title: "An American Werewolf in London" year: 1981 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/an-american-werewolf-in-london" fi1m_id: "an-american-werewolf-in-london" imdb_id: "tt0082010" tmdb_id: 814 wikidata_id: "Q467290" fi1m_score: 80 critics_score: 74 critics_reviews: 7 published: "2026-09-15" updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:55.756306+00:00" region: "CZ" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # An American Werewolf in London (1981) Directed by John Landis · 1h 37m · Comedy, Horror, Fantasy ## Identity An American Werewolf in London - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/an-american-werewolf-in-london - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** an-american-werewolf-in-london - **IMDb ID:** tt0082010 - **TMDB ID:** 814 - **Wikidata ID:** Q467290 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082010/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/814, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q467290 **Fi1m score: 80** · Critics 74 from 7 reviews *In a sentence:* A werewolf curse is a difficult thing to explain politely, especially in Britain > John Landis makes the werewolf curse hurt, then finds room for dry jokes about being an American in Britain. The effects remain hard to watch; the romance could use some of the attention spent on the monster. ## Synopsis David Kessler (David Naughton) is an American backpacker in Britain who finds himself facing a werewolf curse. His friend Jack Goodman (Griffin Dunne) haunts him as a ghost, adding another problem to a trip already overtaken by the supernatural. Nurse Alex Price (Jenny Agutter) and Dr. J.S. Hirsch (John Woodvine) are among the people drawn into David’s predicament. Far from home, he has to reckon with changes to his body and with a country whose habits are unfamiliar. John Landis writes and directs a story that brings romance and comedy into its account of a traveller becoming a monster. ## Review John Landis wants *An American Werewolf in London* to make us laugh without making its monster harmless, and he mostly succeeds. This is a funny, distressing horror film with one substantial weakness: it gives the people less attention than the predicament it has devised for them. The American abroad is a useful starting point, because misunderstanding a country already puts someone at a disadvantage. Landis lets that everyday discomfort persist after the supernatural arrives. David Naughton’s David Kessler is an appealing centre for this mess, chiefly because he does not play bewilderment as stupidity. Griffin Dunne’s Jack Goodman gives the supernatural business a conversational ease that makes it more disturbing. There is something particularly uncomfortable about a ghost who still sounds like somebody’s travelling companion. Landis’s screenplay gets useful humour from the continued sense of two people who know each other, even when ordinary conversation has become impossible. The practical transformation effects are the main reason the horror survives all this joking, and Robert Paynter’s cinematography gives their physical detail the attention it needs. We were horrified by the bodily distortion: the process looks painful, and recognising the workmanship offers little comfort. Landis gives us time to register what is happening, instead of hurrying towards the finished creature. That makes the process of changing frightening in itself. Elmer Bernstein’s music helps the horror retain its seriousness amid the comedy. The moon-themed songs make a more conspicuous joke, and their persistence could have become irritating; the selections are sufficiently good to get away with it. Malcolm Campbell’s editing keeps individual passages brisk, with enough room for the humour to land. The joins are less secure, and there are moments when the film seems impatient to move from a human encounter to another attraction. That impatience matters most to Jenny Agutter’s Nurse Alex Price, because the romance needs more space than Landis’s screenplay gives it. Agutter brings warmth and a welcome lack of fuss, making the attachment credible for longer than the writing quite deserves. Naughton can carry bewilderment and fear, but David does not acquire much depth once the central problem has been established. A little more time with the people would have helped, even in a film that benefits from moving quickly. In a genre that often uses jokes to soften the frightening parts, Landis is willing to let the unpleasantness last. Naughton’s likeability helps here: we have enough affection for David to care about his suffering, despite the gaps in the writing. At 97 minutes, the film rarely gives either the humour or the horror time to wear out its welcome. Choose it for the physical horror and the awkward comedy, with fair warning that the laughter does nothing to make the blood less disagreeable. *Fi1m score 80, published 15 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics respond warmly to An American Werewolf in London, praising its ability to make comedy and horror work together without softening the scares. Praise clusters around Rick Baker’s practical effects, particularly the transformation scene, while the soundtrack, dry humour and characterisation also draw approval. Several reviews find something affecting beneath the gore and jokes, reading the American outsider’s experience in Britain as a source of cultural unease, romance and tragedy. The spread is wide, however, and the balance of tones that pleases most critics is precisely what troubles the dissenters. The New York Times admires the early restraint and lead casting but finds that comic detachment prevents a deeper emotional response. RogerEbert.com is more firmly opposed: its review acknowledges the effects but finds weak transitions, thin character development and an uneasy combination of comedy and horror that the individual set pieces cannot repair. ## Straight answers **Is An American Werewolf in London worth watching?** *An American Werewolf in London* is worth watching for anyone who wants horror that stays frightening while it makes jokes, and we scored it 80. John Landis lets the werewolf curse hurt, and the practical transformation effects remain hard to look at. The romance between David Naughton and Jenny Agutter is given less room than it deserves, which is the film's main weakness. **How long is An American Werewolf in London, and what is it rated?** *An American Werewolf in London* runs 1h 37m. It is a comedy and horror film. **Where can I watch An American Werewolf in London in Czechia?** *An American Werewolf in London* is available to rent from Apple TV from Kč 59.00. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is An American Werewolf in London, and is it suitable for children?** *An American Werewolf in London* carries an 18 certificate in the UK, and it earns it: the transformation scenes are graphic, the bodily distortion looks painful, and the blood is not softened by the comedy. It is not suitable for children. Teenagers who can take practical gore may manage it, but the squeamish should expect to look away more than once. **How does An American Werewolf in London compare to The Fly?** *An American Werewolf in London* and [*The Fly*](https://film.one/film/the-fly) both make a bodily change look painful, but Cronenberg's film gives its couple far more attention, and the romance is what makes its horror land. Landis's film is the funnier and the faster of the two, with dry jokes about being an American in Britain. Choose *The Fly* if you want to care about the people; choose *An American Werewolf in London* for horror that keeps making you laugh. **What should I watch after An American Werewolf in London?** After *An American Werewolf in London*, try [*The Fly*](https://film.one/film/the-fly) (1986, Fi1m 88): For another painful bodily change, with the romance given more room. Then [*Shaun of the Dead*](https://film.one/film/shaun-of-the-dead) (2004, Fi1m 85): Ordinary British embarrassment proves remarkably durable when the dead start walking. ### Reviews we read (8) - **Empire**, Kim Newman (85/100, inferred): The critic calls it a marvellous, pop tragic, serio-comic monster movie in which the backpacker protagonist is haunted by his dead friend's ghost while coping with the werewolf curse. They single out the still-amazing practical transformation effects along with Landis's observations on British strangeness and a witty moon-themed soundtrack. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/american-werewolf-london-review/) - **Little White Lies**, Anton Bitel (80/100, inferred): The critic sees the film as a potent mix of romance, tragedy and horror that explores cultural alienation through an American outsider in Britain. He singles out the extraordinary make-up effects, killer soundtrack and the tragicomic portrayal of a stranger in a strange land for praise. [Read](https://lwlies.com/home-ents/an-american-werewolf-in-london-blu-ray-review-john-landis) - **Time Out**, Tom Huddleston (4/5): The critic calls the film a hysterical gore-spattered masterpiece whose horror-comedy blend remains impressive despite modern familiarity with the genre. He singles out the astounding soundtrack, marvellous characterisation and endlessly memorable one-liners for praise. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/an-american-werewolf-in-london-re-release) - **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (60/100, inferred): The film begins with a fine balance of comedy and horror and restraint, showing promise as one of Landis's better works. It maintains comic detachment even when deeper response is needed, which eventually feels callow, though the casting of the leads is a strong point. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/21/movies/american-werewolf-horror-plus-laughs.html) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (40/100, inferred): The film seems unfinished, with spectacular set pieces but weak transitions, character development, and an arbitrary ending. Special effects by Rick Baker are impressive but cannot compensate for the uneasy mix of comedy and horror or the lack of believable characters and places. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/an-american-werewolf-in-london) - **Variety**, Variety Staff: A clever mixture of comedy and horror that succeeds in being both funny and scary, with an eagerness to please that keeps it from becoming off-putting. Special effects freaks get more than their money's worth, highlighted by the on-camera werewolf transformation. [Read](https://variety.com/1980/film/reviews/an-american-werewolf-in-london-1200425033/) - **Den of Geek**, Robert Mclaughlin (5/5): The critic praises the film's enduring appeal as a horror-comedy, highlighting its fast-paced script, terrific pacing, and groundbreaking special effects, especially the transformation scene. The review notes how it remains the benchmark for werewolf movies and benefits greatly from the high-definition transfer. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/an-american-werewolf-in-london-blu-ray-review/) - **Eye for Film**, Jennie Kermode (80/100, inferred): The film condenses horror tropes effectively and adds overt humour that gives it a joyous atmosphere still influential today. Landis keeps the humour dry and naturalistic while delivering strong acting, impressive practical effects from Rick Baker, and a gleefully destructive final sequence. [Read](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/an-american-werewolf-in-london-1981-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## Details - **Director:** John Landis - **Director:** John Landis - **Screenplay:** John Landis - **Cinematography:** Robert Paynter - **Editor:** Malcolm Campbell - **Music:** Elmer Bernstein - **Costume design:** Deborah Nadoolman Landis - **Producer:** George Folsey Jr. - **Cast:** David Naughton as David Kessler; Griffin Dunne as Jack Goodman; Jenny Agutter as Nurse Alex Price; John Woodvine as Dr. J.S. Hirsch; Don McKillop as Inspector Villiers; Brian Glover as Chess Player; David Schofield as Dart Player; Lila Kaye as Barmaid - **Runtime:** 1h 37m - **First release (the UK):** 21 August 1981 - **Genres:** Comedy, Horror, Fantasy - **Budget:** $10 million - **Box office:** $32 million ## Where to watch in Czechia - Apple TV: rent Kč 59.00, hd *Checked 2026-09-15.* Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, SE, SG, TH, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 1982: Best Makeup and Hairstyling (won) ## If you liked this - *The Fly* (1986), Fi1m 88: For another painful bodily change, with the romance given more room — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-fly.md) - *Ginger Snaps* (2000): Teenage estrangement gives the werewolf curse a sharper, more intimate purpose - *The Host* (2006): A family faces a monster, with humour surviving some distinctly unpleasant encounters - *House* (1977): A haunted house turns increasingly ridiculous without becoming a comfortable place - *Shaun of the Dead* (2004), Fi1m 85: Ordinary British embarrassment proves remarkably durable when the dead start walking — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/shaun-of-the-dead.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/an-american-werewolf-in-london