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An American Werewolf in London Poster

An American Werewolf in London

Beware the Moon.
1981 | 97m | English

(131551 votes)

TMDb IMDb

Popularity: 6 (history)

Director: John Landis
Writer: John Landis
Staring:
Details

American tourists David and Jack are savaged by an unidentified vicious animal whilst hiking on the Yorkshire Moors. Retiring to the home of a beautiful nurse to recuperate, David soon experiences disturbing changes to his mind and body.
Release Date: Aug 21, 1981
Director: John Landis
Writer: John Landis
Genres: Comedy, Horror
Keywords london, england, nurse, loss of loved one, intensive care, zoo, affectation, dying and death, transformation, full moon, black humor, london underground, yorkshire, rural area, werewolf, creature, moor (terrain), british pub, dream sequence, macabre, angry, hikers, aggressive, malicious, playful, london zoo, practical special effects, provocative, absurd, incredulous, hilarious, admiring, adoring, ambiguous, ambivalent, amused, baffled, defiant, foreboding, horrified
Production Companies Lyncanthrope Films, Polygram Pictures
Box Office Revenue: $31,973,249
Budget: $10,000,000
Updates Updated: Aug 21, 2025
Entered: Apr 13, 2024
Trailers and Extras

Full Credits

Name Character
David Naughton David Kessler
Jenny Agutter Nurse Alex Price
Griffin Dunne Jack Goodman
John Woodvine Dr. J. S. Hirsch
Don McKillop Inspector Villiers
Brian Glover Chess Player
David Schofield Dart Player
Lila Kaye Barmaid
Rik Mayall Second Chess Player
Sean Baker 2nd Dart Player
Frank Oz Mr. Collins
Paul Kember Sergeant McManus
Joe Belcher Truck Driver
Paddy Ryan First Werewolf
Anne-Marie Davies Nurse Susan Gallagher
Colin Fernandes Benjamin
Albert Moses Hospital Porter
Michele Brisigotti Rachel Kessler
Mark Fisher Max Kessler
Gordon Sterne Mr. Kessler
Paula Jacobs Mrs. Kessler
Claudine Bowyer Creepy Little Girl
Johanna Crayden Creepy Little Girl
Nina Carter Naughty Nina
Geoffrey Burridge Harry Berman
Brenda Cavendish Judith Browns
Christopher Scoular Sean
Mary Tempest Sean's Wife
Cynthia Powell Sister Hobbs
Sydney Bromley Alf
Frank Singuineau Ted
Will Leighton Joseph
Michael Carter Gerald Bringsley
Elizabeth Bradley Woman in Zoo
Rufus Deakin Little Boy with Balloons
Lesley Ward Little Boy's Mother
George Hilsdon News-vendor
Gerry Lewis Man in Bus Queue
Dennis Fraser 2nd Man in Bus Queue
Alan Ford Taxi Driver
Peter Ellis Bobby in Trafalgar Square
Denise Stephens Girl in Trafalgar Square
Christine Hargreaves Ticket Lady
Lucien Morgan Lance Boyle ("See You Next Wednesday" Cast)
Dave Cooper Chris Bailey ("See You Next Wednesday" Cast)
Susan Spencer Georgia Bailey ("See You Next Wednesday" Cast)
Bob Babenia Usher
Ken Sicklen Bobby at Cinema
John Salthouse Bobby at Cinema
John Altman Assorted Police
Keith Hodiak Assorted Police
John Owens Assorted Police
Roger Rowland Assorted Police
Linzi Drew Brenda Bristols
John Cannon Villager (uncredited)
George Oliver Man in Cinema (uncredited)
John Landis Man Smashed into Window (uncredited)
Simon van Collem Shop Owner (uncredited)
James Payne Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Name Job
John Landis Director, Screenplay
Elmer Bernstein Original Music Composer
Debbie McWilliams Casting
Colin Skeaping Stunts
Rick Baker Makeup Artist, Makeup Effects
Bill Hargreaves Props
Greg Powell Stunts
Dickey Beer Stunts
Nick Hobbs Stunts
Vic Armstrong Stunts
Tracey Eddon Stunts
Peter Diamond Stunts
Valentino Musetti Stunts
Rocky Taylor Stunts
Romo Gorrara Stunts
Paul Weston Stunts
Robert Paynter Director of Photography
Malcolm Campbell Editor
Leslie Dilley Art Direction
Deborah Nadoolman Landis Costume Design
Robin Grantham Makeup Artist
Joyce Herlihy Production Manager
John Poyner Sound Editor
Martin Gutteridge Special Effects
Roy Alon Stunts
Ray Freeborn Location Manager
Simon Battersby Assistant Editor
Clive Hartley Assistant Editor
Anna Ksiezopolska Assistant Editor
Steven Maguire Assistant Editor
Jonathan Lucas Assistant Editor
Beryl Lerman Makeup Artist
Roy Benson Assistant Sound Editor
Rocky Phelan Assistant Sound Editor
Don Sharpe Sound Editor
Ivan Sharrock Sound Mixer
Ken Weston Boom Operator
Rowland Fowles Boom Operator
Richard Lightman Special Sound Effects
Ian Hickinbotham Wardrobe Master
Michael Clifford Music Editor
Peter Childs Assistant Art Director
Len Furey Construction Manager
Fred Gunning Supervising Carpenter
Derek Ixer Dressing Prop
Dave Jordan Property Master
Keith Pain Assistant Art Director
Simon Wakefield Set Dresser
Donald Banks Sound Assistant
Sue Crosland Stunts
Ken Barker Stunts
Sadie Eden Stunts
Terry Forrestal Stunts
Clive Curtis Stunts
Billy Horrigan Stunts
Fred Haggerty Stunts
Gareth Milne Stunts
Carl La Fong Stunts
Arthur Howell Stunts
Terence Plummer Stunts
Doug Robinson Stunts
Tony Smart Stunts
Ken Sheppard Stunts
Nick Wilkinson Stunts
John Roberts Painter
Marc Boyle Stunts
Frank Henson Stunts
Jim Passon Color Timer
Name Title
Peter Guber Executive Producer
Jon Peters Executive Producer
George Folsey Jr. Producer
Organization Category Person
Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 4 36 54 28
2024 5 40 57 24
2024 6 36 61 24
2024 7 37 60 26
2024 8 31 41 22
2024 9 31 51 25
2024 10 33 59 25
2024 11 29 42 22
2024 12 25 32 17
2025 1 31 46 22
2025 2 25 49 5
2025 3 11 31 2
2025 4 5 11 3
2025 5 4 12 2
2025 6 4 7 3
2025 7 3 6 2
2025 8 4 5 3
2025 9 4 9 3
2025 10 5 9 3

Trending Position


Year Month High Avg
2025 10 330 763
Year Month High Avg
2025 9 561 694
Year Month High Avg
2025 8 300 752
Year Month High Avg
2025 7 565 767
Year Month High Avg
2025 6 586 740
Year Month High Avg
2025 5 496 745
Year Month High Avg
2025 4 713 813
Year Month High Avg
2025 3 229 679
Year Month High Avg
2025 2 646 849
Year Month High Avg
2025 1 633 805
Year Month High Avg
2024 11 568 761
Year Month High Avg
2024 10 545 728
Year Month High Avg
2024 9 696 845
Year Month High Avg
2024 8 634 821

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Reviews

Potential Kermode
10.0

**The best horror film of the eighties** This is a gem, it really is. Alternately amusing and horrific - John Landis plays our emotions like a fiddle here. He is pulling all the strings and we are uncertain as to which string he is going to pull next. From the eerie Yorkshire countryside of th ... e opening scenes through David's _awful_ nightmares in hospital to amusing zombie chit chat and finally the climactic slaughter in London - this film never lets up. How many films will you find Kermit the frog sharing a scene with throat slicing, machine gun wielding mutants dressed as Nazis? - Potential Kermode

Jun 23, 2021
MatthewL.Brady
9.0

"Beware the moon, lads." Still frightening and funny 38 years later. The transformation scene was absolutely incredible, but also really painful. You literally hear every bone crack in his body, and all his organs reshaping and shifting. No other werewolf movie has topped that scene and never ... will. The song Bad Moon Rising is the icing on the cake. Rick Baker make-up work is masterful. He's the real beast here.

Jun 23, 2021
Peter89Spencer
8.0

An 80s horror classic! The storyline was well written, the special effects were amazing, and Jenny Agutter was so sexy! Although the ending was a bit rushed - just like the Wolfman, the main character dies, and the film ends, just like that! What's more messed up is they play an upbeat song ... during the end credits, right after we see David's lifeless body. The ending is my one critique. The rest of the movie was pretty good.

Jun 23, 2021
Geronimo1967
7.0

"David" (David Naughton) and his pal "Jack" (Griffin Dunne) are taking a walking tour of the UK when they decide to stop off at a pub. They are about as welcome as a dose of the clap and after a few minutes banter with the natives decide they are better off walking. The thing is, those inside know h ... ow dangerous it's about to be out there - and the boys soon find out. It's "David" who wakes up in hospital, replete with some mysterious scratch marks, nightmares and claiming that they were attacked by a brutal hound. Nobody really believes him, and anyway his attention is quickly diverted by nurse "Alex" (Jenny Agutter) whom he visits for dinner and never leaves. Luckily she works nights, else she might have discovered that her beau doesn't just stop at a bit of gentle biting. With corpses piling up around London, he is at a loss to know where he goes at night (waking up naked in the wolf enclosure at the zoo might be the final straw) but try as he might, he can't engage the authorities with his claims. Maybe only doctor "Hirsch" (John Woodvine) believes that something unusual is amiss - but can he help before "David" does himself or anyone else more damage! Increasingly more often naked as he goes along, Naughton joins in with the spirit of this enjoyable comedy horror with enthusiasm. I wonder what might happen now if a naked man in a bush even mentioned a boy's balloons!? It runs out of steam a little at the end, and Agutter's acting never really evolved much from the "Railway Children" 1970) but the visual effects work quite well especially when the full moon rises!

Apr 21, 2024