By SERGIO PEREIRA
The best werewolf movies inspire the viewer to bark at the moon. Having said that, there are so many options in this genre that some films often get eclipsed by other high-profile counterparts. For example, most audience members know all too well about the influence of “Teen Wolf” and “An American Werewolf in London,” but how many remember the likes of “Wolf” or “The Cursed?” Maybe they might ring a bell to one or two people, but they’re howling good times in their own right and deserve more attention.
It’s time to rectify this and give the spotlight to the best werewolf movies nobody talks about anymore. In terms of selection criteria, the films chosen here all have positive scores on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer at the time of writing and rarely appear on best-of lists. Basically, they’re underrated gems of the genre.
BLACKOUT
Larry Fessenden should be a name familiar to lovers of indie horror. He possesses a highly impressive filmography as a writer, actor, director, and producer. In 2023, Fessenden wrote and directed “Blackout.”
So, what’s “Blackout” about? The protagonist in the story is artist Charley Barrett (Alex Hurt), who drinks heavily to the point of blacking out — much like the title of the film. However, Charley also has another problem: He suspects that he might be a werewolf and is murdering folks. There’s a sense of shame he feels when he wakes up every morning and comes to terms with what he’s doing to the townspeople of Talbot Falls. Thus, this becomes a tale about Charley grappling with his choices and inner turmoil.
“Blackout” wanders more on the drama side than straight-up horror, as it becomes a character study about Charley. This is deeper than ordinary werewolf movies, where a character needs to deal with their duality. Instead, this is Charley coming to terms with the fact that the werewolf is a part of him — not just an alter ego. It’s a fascinating approach to the werewolf concept, and the critics agreed too, as “Blackout” earned itself 75% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer.
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