

The Howling
Imagine your worst fear a reality.
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.
TMDB
6.6/10
940 votes
IMDb
Not rated yet
View on IMDb
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $1M
- Box office
- $18M
- Language
- English
- adultery
- based on novel or book
- shapeshifting
- secret society
- woods
- murder
- serial killer
- cabin
- werewolf
- psychiatrist
- hunting
- newswoman
Top billed cast

















Behind the camera
Director
Music
Produced in
United States of America
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for India. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
Rent
Gallery












Videos
Release dates
United StatesUS
- TheatricalR13 Mar 1981
- PhysicalRVHS, Betamax17 Feb 1982
- PhysicalRDVD28 Aug 2001
- PhysicalRDVD, Blu-ray18 Jun 2013
- PhysicalR4K Ultra HD Blu-ray15 Feb 2022
United KingdomGB
- Theatrical1814 May 1981
- PhysicalBlu-ray, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray25 Oct 2021
DenmarkDK
- Theatrical20 Apr 1981
FinlandFI
- TheatricalK-1821 Jan 1981
FranceFR
- Theatrical1221 Jan 1981
- PhysicalVHS9 Jun 1999
- Physical12DVD25 Oct 2004
- Digital / OTT12VOD11 May 2010
- Physical12Blu-Ray11 May 2010
- Physical124K UHD27 Oct 2021
- Theatrical (limited)4K pre(re)release31 Oct 2021
- Theatrical4K Re-release15 Dec 2021
GermanyDE
- Theatrical1630 Jul 1981
PortugalPT
- TheatricalM/1815 Oct 1981
SpainES
- Theatrical1622 Jun 1981
SwedenSE
- Theatrical1521 Jan 1981
Frequently asked questions
The Howling was released on 21 January 1981.
Audience reviews
4- J10/10
John Chard
11/2/2015
A secret society exists, and is living among all of us. They are neither people nor animals, but something in-between. In the name of good television, newswoman Karen White (Dee Wallace) forms a bond with serial killer Eddie Quist (Robert Picardo). But when the meeting of the two arrives, it nearly proves fatal and damages Karen psychologically. Her psychologist recommends that she spend some time with her husband…
- C6/10
CinemaSerf
11/9/2022
"Karen" (Dee Wallace) is an investigative reporter with a local television channel who is focussed on a local serial killer. When the police corner and kill this man, it has a curiously profound effect on the woman and she loses her memory. Needing a change of scenery, she heads to the remote "Colony" where rest and recuperation are the order of the day. Initially welcoming her, though, she soon becomes suspicious th…
- T4/10
The Movie Mob
1/2/2023
**The Howling was groundbreaking for its time but isn’t the timeless classic I hoped it would be.** The Howling is a definitive werewolf horror film that introduced new ideas to the genre and broke new ground for special effects. The hidden secret werewolf community with opposing ideologies and opinions on how to either hunt or hide from humanity brought more to werewolf lore than a simple crazed monster. The Howl…
- W8/10
Wuchak
8/17/2025
**_The first time cinema audiences saw werewolves like this!_** After a news anchor in Los Angeles (Dee Wallace) has a traumatic experience on the sleazy side of town, her therapist (Patrick Macnee) sends her and her hubby (Christopher Stone) to his secluded resort near the coast for treatment. When frightening things happen at the sylvan colony, she contacts her friend to come out (Belinda Balaski), not to mentio…
Member reviews
Sign in to rate and review. Browsing stays free and open.
Sign inMember comments
0Sign in to post a comment. Browsing stays free and open.
Sign in











