Why This Stephen King Adaptation Reigns as One of the Best Werewolf Movies Ever Made

There are several other subgenres within the horror genre, such as found footage, zombies, vampires, and sharks, in addition to possessions and slashers. The werewolf horror subgenre, however, is one that frequently goes unnoticed. There have been some outstanding entries throughout the years, like ‘An American Werewolf in London,’ ‘The Howling,’ and ‘Dog Soldiers,’ along with some not-so-good ones (don’t make any more ‘The Howling’ sequels).

One particularly noteworthy one comes from horror mastermind Stephen King. The creature feature horror of the 1980s is perfectly captured in the 1985 movie ‘Silver Bullet,’ which is based on his novella ‘Cycle of the Werewolf,’ published in 1983. 

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It is based in small-town America and centres on young Marty (Corey Haim) and his uncle (Gary Busey) as they navigate danger together in the face of terrifying werewolf attacks. In addition to being one of the best werewolf movies in movie history, ‘Silver Bullet’ is also one of the best adaptations of Stephen King’s works.

Hollywood has a long history with werewolf mythology, spanning from the groundbreaking short ‘The Werewolf’ in 1913 to the legendary Lon Chaney, Jr. in ‘The Wolf Man’ (1941).

Two timeless classics about werewolves were released in the 1980s, but they have never quite attained the same level of popularity as other horror monsters. While John Landis’ ‘An American Werewolf in London’ is praised as a masterpiece, in part because of Rick Baker’s ground-breaking practical effects, Joe Dante’s ‘The Howling’ combines strange comedy with dread.

Werewolf-themed movies have frequently remained cult favourites rather than box-office successes despite their peaks. That might all change, though, with Leigh Whannell’s next film, ‘Wolf Man.’ Despite this, ‘Silver Bullet’ manages to enthral horror fans of all ages by providing a gripping combination of terrifying horror and a story about coming-of-age.

Not because it’s a better book, but rather because it’s shorter, Stephen King’s ‘Cycle of the Werewolf’ is frequently overlooked in his bibliography. Nevertheless, its simple storyline demonstrates its efficacy—each chapter symbolising a month of the year and a lunar cycle. The journey Marty takes and the werewolf’s identity being revealed have a powerful emotional impact, especially in the movie version.

Written by King himself, ‘Silver Bullet’ was director Dan Attias’s first feature picture, starring Gary Busey and a young Corey Haim. The central theme of the film is their friendship, which exemplifies Marty’s fortitude in the face of hardship. Reverend Lowe is portrayed by Everett McGill, who gives dimension to the story by capturing the agony of a man attempting to reconcile his terrible metamorphosis.

Despite not being a box office hit when it was first released, ‘Silver Bullet’ has remained popular because of its ability to combine horror and humanism. Its portrayal of characters overcoming panic with humour and fortitude guarantees its lasting significance in the canon of horror films, despite the opinions of critics being varied.

– Farheen Ali