Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
American tourists David and Jack are savagely attacked by an unidentified animal while hiking on the Yorkshire Moors. After retiring to the home of a beautiful nurse to recuperate, David soon begins experiencing disturbing changes to his body and mind.
An American Werewolf in London earns its reputation as a landmark horror-comedy through sheer distinctiveness — John Landis masterfully blends genuine dread with dark, absurdist humor in a way few films before or since have matched. Rick Baker's practical transformation sequence is genuinely iconic and unprecedented, pushing Novelty to a clear 4. The plot is lean and effective but fairly straightforward in its structure — fish-out-of-water setup into werewolf curse — earning a solid 3. Acting is charming and naturalistic from Griffin Dunne and David Naughton without being particularly transcendent. Cinematography is competent and atmospheric, especially on the moors, but not visually groundbreaking. The ending is memorably bleak and tonally brave, but somewhat abrupt and emotionally underdeveloped — it lands firmly at 3.