This Stephen King Adaptation Is One of The Best Werewolf Movies Ever Made

In horror, there are a plethora of subgenres. You have your slashers, found footage, possessions, zombies, vampires, sharks, and the list goes on and on. One of the most underrated and underutilized subgenres is werewolf horror. There have been some great ones over the decades, like An American Werewolf in London, The Howling, and Dog Soldiers, and there have been some bad ones as well (stay away from any sequel to The Howling), but one of the best comes from the master of horror himself, Stephen King. Based on his 1983 novella, Cycle of the Werewolf, 1985’s Silver Bullet is peak 80s creature feature horror. You have small town America, kids in peril – led by Corey Haim‘s Marty, a heroic adult with Gary Busey as Marty’s uncle, and some gnarly kills. Silver Bullet is right there as one of the best Stephen King adaptations and one of the best werewolf films ever made.

Silver Bullet

In a small town, brutal killings start to plague the close knit community. Marty Coslaw, a paraplegic boy, is convinced the murders are the doings of a werewolf.

Release Date

October 10, 1985

Director

Daniel Attias

Cast

Gary Busey , Everett McGill , Corey Haim , Megan Follows , Robin Groves , Leon Russom

Runtime

95 mins

Studio

Paramount Pictures

Werewolf Films Have a Long but Underappreciated Role in Horror History

Films about werewolves have a long history in Hollywood. The very first was 1913’s short film, The Werewolf, but the first big feature was 1935’s Universal monster movie, Werewolf of London. Lon Chaney, Jr. in The Wolf Man was an even bigger hit in 1941. Later werewolf films, such as 1957’s I Was a Teenage Werewolf, were more campy, and they also became a source of comedy in the 80s, like with Michael J. Fox‘s Teen Wolf. While werewolves were never as popular as other horror monsters, two movies from the 80s stand out as all-time classics. Joe Dante‘s The Howling is the perfect mixture of bizarre comedy and terrifying horror, and John Landis‘ An American Werewolf in London is a masterpiece, with Rick Baker’s practical effects giving us one of the greatest transformation scenes ever filmed.

That was the peak of werewolves though. There have been cult classics made over the years, such as Bad Moon, Ginger Snaps, Late Phases, and Dog Soliders, but they’re never big blockbuster hits. That could change soon with Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man set for next year. Although werewolves don’t get the appreciation they deserve, one underrated entry has kept the attention of horror fans over the generations. 1985’s Silver Bullet is at once a great coming of age story, and a genuinely terrifying fear fest whose teeth won’t let go.

‘Silver Bullet’ Started as Stephen King’s ‘Cycle of the Werewolf’

Cycle of the Werewolf is looked at as one of Stephen King’s lesser works, not necessarily for its quality, but for its briefness. Though considered a novella, its length is barely more than a short story. While many of King’s works are drawn out with immense world building, Cycle of the Werewolf is simple. There are twelve chapters in the novella, with each one representing a month of the year and the lunar cycle. One part of the story is told per chapter, with a werewolf attack happening, and each entry accompanied by some fantastically chilling illustrations by artist Bernie Wrighton.

It’s Cycle of the Werewolf‘s simpleness and straight forward narrative that makes it work. It’s an easy to digest story about a young teenager, Marty, who uses a wheelchair. When people start to be killed by an unknown animal every month, it’s Marty who discovers the awful truth. No one believes Marty’s claims that the attacks are caused by a werewolf except for his Uncle Red. As much as Cycle of the Werewolf is a story about a werewolf, it’s just as much a tale about a boy with a disability struggling to get people to see the real him and understand him. The only one who will listen to him is an adult who other adults don’t take seriously either. That drama is perfect for a feature film.

‘Silver Bullet’ Is a Werewolf Film With Heart and Great Characters

Stephen King wrote the screenplay for Cycle of the Werewolf‘s film adaptation, Silver Bullet, and Dan Attias, who had never directed a feature film before, was tasked with helming the movie. Corey Haim was just fourteen when cast as the lead, Marty Coslaw, and a few years away from The Lost Boys, where he became a big movie star alongside his friend, Corey Feldman. A huge name was nabbed when Gary Busey landed the part of Uncle Red. Back in 1985, Busey was widely recognized as the actor who had been nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his role as the lead in 1978’s The Buddy Holly Story. The relationship between Marty and Red is the heart of the movie. Red doesn’t look at his nephew and see a kid in need of pity, but as an equal who is more than his disability. His lack of coddling goes so far as building a wheelchair and motorcycle hybrid for Marty that he calls “Silver Bullet.” There is also a well-built relationship between Marty and his sister, Jane (Megan Follows), who narrates the film. They might bicker, but they’re also on each other’s side.

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Every horror movie needs a great villain to succeed, and Silver Bullet is no different. Everett McGill, who would later terrify audiences in The People Under the Stairs, plays the Reverend Lowe, the man cursed with the plague of the werewolf. Having a man of the cloth becoming something so monstrous was an interesting touch, with his transformation being like a demonic possession that no amount of praying can ward off. The bad guy could have been a simple paint by numbers outline, but instead we feel sorry for this man. He doesn’t want this pain, and he feels deep remorse when he transforms and kills, but as Silver Bullet goes on, his personality begins to change as the risk of being caught grows. Though Silver Bullet doesn’t have effects that live up to The Howling and An American Werewolf in London, it does a great job of keeping its monster in the dark, such as the scene where it attacks a mob in the fog or encounters Marty in the dark on a bridge at night. It all leads to a heart-pounding finale, with Marty, Red, and Jane fighting as one as the werewolf smashes into their home.

Released on October 11, 1985 by Paramount Pictures, Silver Bullet didn’t set the box office on fire, making just $12 million at the box office. Critics were mixed on it. Roger Ebert gave it three-stars despite saying it “is either the worst movie ever made from a Stephen King story, or the funniest. It is either simply bad, or it is an inspired parody of his whole formula, in which quiet American towns are invaded by unspeakable horrors.” Ebert saw Silver Bullet as being intentionally funny. It’s not. The werewolf and his attacks are never a joke. Its perceived failures come from being held up to the masterworks created a few years earlier. Silver Bullet is not funny, but filled with some funny characters who find themselves placed in a nightmare. They are people with their sense of humor intact, no matter their surroundings. Being that full of life, instead of sinking into despair, is what keeps them alive.

Silver Bullet is currently available to stream on Pluto TV in the U.S.

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