Wolfen (1981): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Where to Watch
Wolfen is a 1981 horror thriller directed by John D. Hancock and Michael Wadleigh, starring Albert Finney and Diane Venora. It is partly based on The Wolfen by Whitley Strieber. It runs 1 hour 55 minutes and earned $10.6 million worldwide. It earned 3 award nominations, including Best Actor at the Saturn Awards 1982. Critics gave it 64 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.3/10. Stream it on Hoopla and Tubi TV, or rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 55m (115 min)
- Directors
- John D. Hancock , Michael Wadleigh and Rupert Hitzig
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Orion Pictures
- Based on
- The Wolfen by Whitley Strieber
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Wolfen About?
The premise of Wolfen without spoilers, adapted from The Wolfen by Whitley Strieber. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
When brutal killings plague New York City, police detective Dewey Wilson is assigned to the case alongside criminologist Rebecca Neff. Their investigation leads them to a terrifying discovery: the murders are being committed by a creature drawn from Native American mythology. As they pursue the mysterious predator, Wilson and Neff must confront a dangerous combination of ancient secrets, cutting-edge science, and a shocking truth about the killings and the city itself.
Wolfen Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- native american man
- manhattan new york city
- new york city
- based on novel
- actual animal killed
- metamorphosis
- beast
- male rear nudity
- scene during opening credits
- american indian
- death
- murder
+38 more Show fewer
- wolf
- shooting an animal
- killing an animal
- zoologist
- surveillance
- autopsy
- morgue
- corpse
- investigation
- full moon
- chauffeur
- native american
- homelessness
- decapitation
- zoo
- forensic evidence
- werewolf
- infrared
- psychotronic film
- battery park
- dog
- creature feature
- monster
- windchime
- hunt
- statue of liberty new york city
- female full frontal nudity
- female frontal nudity
- female nudity
- female pubic hair
- cat jump scare
- reference to pubic hair
- male pubic hair
- crying
- one word title
- subjective camera
- undressing
- naked dead man
Where to Watch Wolfen
Stream it on Hoopla and Tubi TV, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
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Wolfen Cast
Albert Finney leads the cast, with Diane Venora. Directed by John D. Hancock, Michael Wadleigh and Rupert Hitzig.
-
Co-director John D. Hancock - Co-director Michael Wadleigh
- Co-director Rupert Hitzig
Wolfen Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Wolfen 64 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.3/10.
-
IMDb 6.3 /10
See on IMDb -
Metacritic 64 Metascore
User score 7.2
See on Metacritic
Wolfen Plot Summary
What happens in Wolfen from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In the initial scenes, a prominent magnate named Christopher Van der Veer (Max Brown) partakes in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new building slated to rise in the South Bronx. That evening, Van der Veer, accompanied by his cocaine-fueled wife and their bodyguard-limo driver, traverses through Manhattan, ultimately arriving at the Battery Park waterfront. While the trio strolls through the desolate park, they become the targets of mysterious creatures, which remain unseen except for eerie point-of-view shots captured just aboveground in a bizarre thermal-image color palette. One by one, they meet a shocking fate as the unseen entities eliminate them in quick succession.
Full summary
The whole story of Wolfen, scene by scene
Wolfen Box Office
Wolfen grossed $10.6 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$10.6M
- US & Canada
- $10.6M
Wolfen Awards & Nominations
Wolfen earned 3 award nominations, including Best Actor at the Saturn Awards 1982.
3 nominations1 ceremony
-
Saturn Awards 1982 3 nominations- Nominated Best Actor
- Nominated Best Director
- Nominated Best Writing – Michael Wadleigh
Wolfen Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Wolfen.
How Well Do You Know Wolfen?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who is the main character tasked with investigating the bizarre murders in 'Wolfen'?
Cars in Wolfen
23 cars on screen, including the 1978 Pontiac Catalina and the Puch Magnum.
-
1978 Pontiac Catalina Important role -
Puch Magnum Important role -
1969 Cadillac DeVille Convertible Minor role -
Caterpillar D4 D Minor role
Wolfen Also Known As
19 alternative titles, including “Вълци” and “Cidade em Pânico”.
- Also known as
-
- Вълци
- Cidade em Pânico
- Волки
- Lobos humanos
- 狼人就在你身邊
- Terror em Nova York
- Urufen
- W wilczej skórze
- Wolfen: lobos
- Wolfen - La belva immortale
- Vlci
- 늑대 인간의 습격
+7 more Show fewer
- Lobos
- Kurtlar
- 狼人就在你身边
- Wolfen, dieu ou diable
- หมาปีศาจ
- Вовчі
- Wilkołaki
Seen Wolfen?
Movies Like Wolfen
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Wolf, Wolves and Dire Wolf.
Wolfen FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch, box office, ratings and the book behind it of Wolfen, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Wolfen?
Wolfen runs 1 hour 55 minutes (115 minutes).
When was Wolfen released?
Wolfen was released on July 24, 1981.
Who directed Wolfen?
Wolfen was directed by John D. Hancock, Michael Wadleigh and Rupert Hitzig.
More films by John D. Hancock Who is in the cast of Wolfen?
Wolfen stars Albert Finney and Diane Venora.
Where can I watch Wolfen?
In the US, Wolfen is streaming on Hoopla and Tubi TV and available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).
How much did Wolfen make at the box office?
Wolfen grossed $10.6 million worldwide.
How is Wolfen rated?
Wolfen has 6.3/10 on IMDb and 64 on Metacritic.
Is Wolfen based on a book?
Yes. Wolfen is partly adapted from The Wolfen by Whitley Strieber.
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