---
title: "Teen Wolf"
year: 1985
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/teen-wolf"
fi1m_id: "teen-wolf"
imdb_id: "tt0090142"
tmdb_id: 11824
wikidata_id: "Q1067125"
fi1m_score: 55
critics_score: 46
critics_reviews: 4
published: "2026-10-04T19:01:06.382083+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-04T19:01:06.853871+00:00"
region: "US"
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."
---

# Teen Wolf (1985)

Directed by Rod Daniel · 1h 32m · MPA PG · Comedy, Fantasy, Romance

## Identity

Teen Wolf

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/teen-wolf
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** teen-wolf
- **IMDb ID:** tt0090142
- **TMDB ID:** 11824
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1067125
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090142/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/11824, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1067125

**Fi1m score: 55** · Critics 46 (early) from 4 reviews

*In a sentence:* The leading man does the charming while the extra body hair is left to do most of the comedy

> Michael J. Fox is likeable in a werewolf comedy that runs short of good jokes. The puberty premise promises mischief, but the script settles too readily for familiar teenage worries.

## Synopsis

In a small town, Scott Howard (Michael J. Fox) wants to be special. Puberty brings a change he has not expected: he is becoming a werewolf. Harold Howard (James Hampton), Boof (Susan Ursitti) and Stiles (Jerry Levine) share Scott’s story as he faces a problem beyond the ordinary discomforts of growing up. His wish to be different now comes with a secret to keep. Teenage romance, embarrassment and a changing body complicate the prospect of standing out for the right reasons.

## Review

Rod Daniel’s *Teen Wolf* has a promising explanation for the indignities of puberty: perhaps the extra hair really does mean something. Scott Howard wants to be special, and Michael J. Fox makes that wish seem understandable without making it especially noble. There is a pleasant comedy in that combination, though this one finds too few jokes to sustain it. At 92 minutes, it still has stretches where we wait for the writing to catch up with its leading man.

We were fond of Scott sooner than we expected. Michael J. Fox gives his dissatisfaction enough awkwardness to make it recognisable, so his longing to be different does not simply look like ingratitude. That matters in a comedy about wanting attention, which can become tiresome company if the central performance demands too much sympathy. His charm keeps the embarrassment tolerable, but it cannot supply the sharper comic consequences that Matthew Weisman and Jeph Loeb’s screenplay needs.

The writers have chosen an effective physical joke: a teenager’s changing body becomes harder to overlook. The trouble is how quickly the possibilities begin to narrow. We wanted more awkwardness, more surprise and a clearer sense of why Scott’s wish to stand out is so urgent; too often, merely recognising an adolescent worry is treated as enough. The romance adds another familiar concern without giving the comedy much more to work with.

James Hampton, Susan Ursitti and Jerry Levine have less room to make an impression around Michael J. Fox. The supporting performances are not objectionable, and there is some comfort in the film’s lack of cruelty towards its characters. But the imbalance matters: a teenage comedy needs other people to be funny, awkward or surprising on their own terms. Here we keep waiting for the attention to return to Scott.

Tim Suhrstedt’s cinematography gives the small-town setting a plainness that suits Scott’s dissatisfaction. Chester Kaczenski’s production design reinforces that ordinariness, giving the fantasy recognisable surroundings without adding much comic interest of its own. That is a sensible approach for an amiable comedy, but the familiarity gives the film little help when the jokes weaken. Rod Daniel keeps the tone approachable, although we wished he would risk making it stranger.

Lois Freeman-Fox’s editing makes the comedy easy to follow, although it cannot disguise how little some of it develops. Miles Goodman’s music fits the film’s genial manner without doing much to distinguish it. Neither contribution is a serious obstacle to enjoying the film; the shortage is in the comic writing. Once the novelty of a teenager becoming a werewolf has registered, the film needs something beyond another reason for him to feel conspicuous.

As a fantasy, *Teen Wolf* does not need to be frightening, and judging it for failing to be a horror film would miss the point. As a teenage comedy, it does need to make the familiar business of wanting attention feel freshly observed. Michael J. Fox supplies enough warmth to keep it watchable, but the laughs remain too scattered for a recommendation. Choose it only if his company matters more tonight than a reliable supply of jokes.

*Fi1m score 55, published 4 October 2026.*

## Straight answers

**Is Teen Wolf worth watching?**

*Teen Wolf* is watchable for Michael J. Fox’s charm, but we score it 55 because the jokes are too scattered to recommend it. His awkward, likeable performance gives the teenage werewolf premise some warmth; choose it only if his company matters more than a reliably funny comedy.

**How long is Teen Wolf, and what is it rated?**

*Teen Wolf* runs 1h 32m and is rated PG by the MPA in the US. It is a comedy and fantasy film.

**Where can I watch Teen Wolf in the US?**

*Teen Wolf* is streaming on Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel and Tubi in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. It leaves The Roku Channel on 1 November. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does Teen Wolf compare to Wolf Children?**

*Teen Wolf* offers amiable teenage embarrassment, but we recommend [*Wolf Children*](https://film.one/film/wolf-children) as the better, gentler transformation story. Where *Teen Wolf* relies on Michael J. Fox to compensate for thin jokes, *Wolf Children* gives its growing children and their mother more patient attention, though we wish it asked more about what the mother wants for herself.

### Reviews we read (4)

- **Empire**, Adam Smith (65/100, inferred): Smith finds the comedy less charming than Fox’s later films but still diverting. He singles out its amusing premise of puberty arriving with werewolfism. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/teen-wolf-review/)
- **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (63/100, inferred): The page does not reveal the critic’s verdict or specific observations. The URL identifies a New York Times review of the 1985 film, but the article text is inaccessible. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1985/08/23/movies/screen-teen-wold-with-michael-j-fox.html)
- **Time Out**, DO (30/100, inferred): The available text suggests a dismissive verdict, contrasting the film unfavorably with Blue Velvet. It singles out the small-town setting and dark-secret premise, but the rest of the review is unavailable. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/teen-wolf)
- **Variety**, Variety Staff (25/100, inferred): The review finds the film well-intentioned but terribly feeble. It singles out Michael J. Fox as likeable, contrasting him with the lackluster supporting cast. [Read](https://variety.com/1984/film/reviews/teen-wolf-2-1200426452/)

## Details

- **Director:** Rod Daniel
- **Director:** Rod Daniel
- **Screenplay:** Jeph Loeb, Matthew Weisman
- **Cinematography:** Tim Suhrstedt
- **Editor:** Lois Freeman-Fox
- **Music:** Miles Goodman
- **Production design:** Chester Kaczenski
- **Costume design:** Nancy G. Fox
- **Producer:** Mark Levinson, Scott M. Rosenfelt
- **Cast:** Michael J. Fox as Scott Howard; James Hampton as Harold Howard; Susan Ursitti as Boof; Jerry Levine as Stiles; Matt Adler as Lewis; Lorie Griffin as Pamela; Jim McKrell as Mr. Thorne; Mark Arnold as Mick
- **Runtime:** 1h 32m
- **Certificate (MPA):** PG
- **Release (the US):** 23 August 1985
- **Genres:** Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
- **Budget:** $1 million
- **Box office:** $80 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Sao1dXr9qI

## Where to watch in the US

- Amazon Prime Video: streaming
- The Roku Channel: free, hd, leaving 2026-11-01
- Tubi: free, hd, leaving 2026-10-01
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, hd

*Checked 2026-10-04.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Gregory's Girl* (1981): Teenage embarrassment and misplaced confidence, handled with more patience and better jokes.
- *Turning Red* (2022): Another adolescent transformation, with family embarrassment given considerably more comic attention.
- *Ginger Snaps* (2000): For a harsher, bloodier account of puberty arriving with unwelcome extra hair.
- *Wolf Children* (2012), Fi1m 81: A gentler transformation story, with time for both growing children and their mother. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/wolf-children.md)
- *The Nutty Professor* (1963): A comic transformation that also asks who gets liked, and for what.

---
© 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/teen-wolf