HORROR MOVIE REVIEWS: The Wolfman (1941)

We’re doing a few extra bonus movie reviews this week, so make sure you check out last night’s review of Homicidal! Today, we’re going way back, and can you believe we’ve almost made it to Halloween without a single Universal Monster or Hammer Horror film on here?

Today, though, we’re spotlighting one of my all-time favorite Universal Monsters—the true KING OF THE MONSTERS! No, not the giant green lizard, but the son of the Man of 1,000 Faces, Lon Chaney Jr., and his iconic role in The Wolfman.

The Wolfman has become my favorite Universal Monster movie, thanks to the eerie atmosphere of the sets and Lon Chaney Jr.’s incredible performance as Lawrence Talbot. I think I also have a soft spot for werewolves!

So, without further ado, let’s dive into the review:

Rankings:

Monsters/Villains: 🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖 (8.4)
Jack Pierce's talent truly shines through in this one, delivering one of the best werewolves in cinematic history. His makeup work on Lon Chaney Jr. is nothing short of phenomenal, and those transformation scenes? Absolutely incredible!

Actors/Characters: 🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖 (8.2)
Lon Chaney Jr. is fantastic as both the Wolfman and Larry Talbot. The reason he’s the King of Monsters? He’s the only actor to have played the Big Four: Wolfman, Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Mummy! The film also features legends like Bela Lugosi and Claude Rains, with Maria Ouspenskaya delivering a memorable performance as the wise old gypsy woman.

Story: 🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖 (7.1)
The story is solid but nothing groundbreaking. It follows a fairly basic narrative with straightforward dialogue. However, you come for the Jack Pierce makeup and stay for the amazing sets!

Joe's Score: 🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖 (8.2)

This film has moved up in my book through the years and is one of my favorite universal Monsters certainly a must watch every year!

Overall Score: (7.12)

Updated List:

1. The Exorcist (9.25)

2. Psycho (9.22)

3. The Omen (1976) (8.45)

4. Salem’s Lot (8.4)

5. Rosemary’s Baby (8.28)

6. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) (8.07)

7. The Wolfman (1931) (7.98)

8. Homicidal (7.12)

9. Halloween (1978) (6.65)

10. Ernest Scared Stupid (5.35)

11. Monster Squad (5.22)