Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
After a bizarre and near fatal encounter with a serial killer, a newswoman is sent to a rehabilitation center whose inhabitants may not be what they seem.
The Howling is a solid werewolf horror entry from Joe Dante that blends satire with genuine scares. The plot is competently constructed around the newswoman-at-the-colony setup with decent atmospheric dread, though it loses steam toward the resolution. Acting is serviceable with Dee Wallace carrying the lead effectively. Cinematography is atmospheric and workmanlike without being particularly distinctive. Novelty is moderate — it arrived alongside An American Werewolf in London and both raised the bar for werewolf films, with Rob Bottin's transformation effects being genuinely impressive, but the film itself doesn't feel entirely singular in conception. The ending is its weakest point, feeling rushed and somewhat anticlimactic despite a memorably bittersweet final beat.