--- title: "An American Werewolf in London: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/an-american-werewolf-in-london/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/an-american-werewolf-in-london" critics_score: 74 critics_reviews: 7 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): what the critics said Critics' score 74 from 7 reviews: 5 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative. 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. ## Empire — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/american-werewolf-london-review/) ## Little White Lies — Anton Bitel Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 28 October 2019. 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 the review](https://lwlies.com/home-ents/an-american-werewolf-in-london-blu-ray-review-john-landis) ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Rating 4/5. 27 October 2009. 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 the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/an-american-werewolf-in-london-re-release) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 21 August 1981. 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 the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/21/movies/american-werewolf-horror-plus-laughs.html) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 1981. 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 the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/an-american-werewolf-in-london) ## Variety — Variety Staff 31 December 1980. 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 the review](https://variety.com/1980/film/reviews/an-american-werewolf-in-london-1200425033/) ## Den of Geek — Robert Mclaughlin Rating 5/5. 27 September 2009. 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 the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/an-american-werewolf-in-london-blu-ray-review/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 11 June 2012. 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 the review](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/an-american-werewolf-in-london-1981-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/an-american-werewolf-in-london.md