Werewolf Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Werewolf (1997). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
In the scorching Arizona desert, archaeologists uncover a skeleton that seems to be a werewolf, kicking off a chain of tense discoveries and stubborn disagreements. The ill-tempered foreman, Yuri, clashes with his crew—Tommy, Joel, and Bill—until a heated brawl leaves Tommy scratched by the eerie find. The moment seeds a ripple of fear among the workers, and even the usual bravado starts to falter. The head archaeologist, Noel, publicly brushes off any Native American superstition, yet in a private meeting later that day, he hints at a troubling possibility: a mythic figure known as a yetiglanchi might be more real than anyone wants to admit.
Tommy is taken to the hospital, where the first unmistakable signs of lycanthropy begin to surface. Yuri slips into the hospital, securing a sample of Tommy’s infected blood. Before long, Tommy fully transforms into a feral creature and escapes, leaving a trail of chaos behind him. He is not the only casualty of this transformation, as several people are attacked during the ensuing rampage. In a tense stand by Tommy’s house, Joel and Bill—armed with silver bullets—confront the creature and end its threat. The air remains thick with fear, and the survivors start to realize that the danger might be broader than a single mauling.
The story then shifts to suburban Flagstaff, where a writer named Paul Niles Paul Niles arrives to settle in and help publicize the discovery, hoping to attract funding for ongoing work. At a party, he meets Natalie Burke Natalie Burke, a member of the archaeologists’ circle, and a spark of romance flickers between them. The mood shifts when Yuri, emboldened by his contempt, harasses Natalie, and then hatches a disturbing scheme: to conjure a new werewolf by drugging a security guard and injecting him with Tommy’s blood. The plan works in a grotesque fashion, though the newly transformed guard meets a swift and fiery end after colliding with a stack of flammable oil barrels.
The next day, Paul visits the lab at Natalie’s invitation and is viciously attacked by Yuri, who cracks him with a werewolf skull. Paul begins to show the first signs of lycanthropy, even as Natalie offers quiet support and a glimpse of tenderness in the face of fear. As the days pass, Paul’s temperament and appearance shift in unsettling ways, and he grows increasingly desperate to understand what is happening to him. The tension escalates at a pool hall where Natalie and Yuri are present, and Paul finally fully becomes a werewolf, unleashing a desperate, street-level rampage that drags him into the woods and away from any sense of safety.
A wary phone call between Yuri and Noel reveals a chilling plan to capture Paul and exhibit him as a freak show, a revelation that enrages Natalie, who wants to protect Paul from exploitation. A chase ensues as Yuri trails Paul into the desert brush, but Paul locates him first and ends Yuri’s threat in a brutal confrontation. Natalie arrives at the scene to piece together what happened, finding Yuri’s lifeless body and then returning to Paul’s apartment with a heavy realization. In a startling twist, the two lovers—now revealed as werewolves—hold hands, quietly acknowledging that their shared fate has bound them to the same dark heritage.
“yetiglanchi”
Werewolf Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of Werewolf (1997) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Discovery of the werewolf skeleton
An old skeleton buried in the Arizona desert is uncovered by archaeologists. The discovery unsettles the team and hints at a dangerous presence long buried beneath the sands. The find foreshadows a threat that will soon lash out from the past.
Tense dig-site confrontation; Tommy scratched
Foreman Yuri clashes with his crew over the discovery, and the tension erupts into a violent fight. During the fray, Tommy is scratched by the werewolf skeleton, marking him with the first physical sign of danger. The crew watches in shock as the myth seems to come alive.
Tommy hospitalized; early signs of lycanthropy
Tommy is rushed to the hospital as his condition deteriorates and he begins to exhibit eerie lycanthropic symptoms. Medical staff monitor him for changes in behavior, strength, and appetite that defy ordinary illness. The inexplicable signs deepen the mystery surrounding the arcane curse.
Yuri steals infected blood sample
Yuri sneaks into the hospital and takes a sample of the infected Tommy's blood, bypassing security. His motive is to fuel a larger plan that could unleash a second werewolf into the world. The act marks a pivotal turn from rash fear to calculated exploitation.
Tommy fully transforms and escapes
Tommy fully transforms into a werewolf and escapes containment, rampaging through the surroundings while killing several people. Panic spreads as the new monster threatens anyone in reach. Authorities and the dangerous cursed being blur the line between myth and reality.
Joel and Bill neutralize the first werewolf at Tommy's house
Joel and Bill confront the escaped werewolf at Tommy's house, aiming to end the threat quickly. They shoot it with silver bullets, managing to kill the creature. The incident confirms the danger is real and not simply folklore.
Paul Niles arrives in Flagstaff
Writer Paul Niles arrives in the suburban town of Flagstaff to publicize the find and secure funding for ongoing research. He is introduced to Natalie Burke and becomes entwined with the group and their mysteries. His presence promises a new romantic thread amid the mounting horror.
Paul meets Natalie at a party; Yuri harasses Natalie
At a party, Paul meets Natalie Burke and develops a connection with her. Yuri harasses Natalie and is expelled from the event, revealing his volatile temperament. The social encounter highlights the human costs of the unfolding nightmare.
Second werewolf created; guard is injected
Yuri drugs a security guard and injects him with Tommy's blood, eagerly attempting to create a second lycanthrope. The transformation succeeds, and a new, dangerous creature is born. The threat to the town expands beyond the original outbreak.
Second werewolf dies in oil-barrel crash
The newly created werewolf attempts to flee by car but crashes into a stack of flammable oil barrels, dying in the wreck. The incident demonstrates the perils of experimentation gone awry. It also raises the stakes for Natalie as she fights to protect those she cares about.
Paul attacked in the lab; begins turning
Paul visits the lab at Natalie's invitation and is violently attacked by Yuri, who strikes him with the werewolf skull. Paul begins showing signs of lycanthropy, and Natalie tries to comfort him through the terrifying transformation. The changes usher in a new phase of fear and uncertainty.
Paul fully becomes a werewolf; pool hall rampage
An extended sequence follows as Paul’s temperament and appearance shift until he fully transforms into a werewolf. He storms out of the pool hall and into the streets, wreaking havoc on anyone he encounters. The townspeople realize the danger now resides in one of their own.
Yuri and Noel discuss capturing Paul; Natalie wants to save him
Yuri and Noel discuss capturing Paul to exhibit him as a freak show, a plan that enrages Natalie who refuses to abandon him. The debate reveals competing motives and the depths of desperation behind the hunt for funding. The tension between science, spectacle, and humanity sharpens.
Desert chase; Paul locates Yuri and kills him
A chase erupts as Yuri pursues Paul into the desert, but Paul finds Yuri and violently kills him in the confrontation. The showdown tightens the net around Paul while removing one of his most dangerous human antagonists. The desert setting underscores the isolation of the hunt.
Natalie reaches Paul; twist ending reveals both are werewolves
Natalie arrives at Paul's apartment after Yuri's death and the scene reveals that both are now werewolves. The romantic confidence between them is overshadowed by their shared curse, ending on a haunting, ambiguous note. The film closes with their fate sealed in lupine transformation.
Werewolf Characters
Explore all characters from Werewolf (1997). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.
Yuri (Jorge Rivero)
The ill-tempered foreman who drives the crew into conflict and uses brutal control to push his agenda. He engineers the creation of a second werewolf by injecting a blood sample from Tommy after a brutal confrontation. Yuri drugs a security guard to turn him into a vessel for a new werewolf, and he is ultimately killed in a pursuit with Paul.
Noel (Richard Lynch)
The head archaeologist who publicly dismisses Native American beliefs but privately acknowledges the danger of the myth of yetiglanchi. He discusses toward capturing Paul for public display as part of funding-driven research and remains deeply involved in the unfolding crisis.
Tommy (Jules Desjarlais)
A crew member who gets into the initial fight and is scratched by the werewolf skeleton, beginning his lycanthropic transformation. He is hospitalized and eventually becomes a werewolf, dying at the hands of Joel and others who confront the threat.
Paul Niles (Federico Cavalli)
A writer invited to the area to publicize the discovery and secure funding. He forms a romantic connection with Natalie, is attacked by Yuri, and begins transforming into a werewolf. The narrative culminates with a rampage and a twist that binds him to Natalie as a fellow werewolf.
Natalie Burke (Adrianna Miles)
A member of the archaeological team who tries to protect Paul and resist exploitation. She confronts Yuri at the party, seeks to save Paul from being exhibited as a freak, and ends up involved in the perilous consequences when Paul also becomes a werewolf.
Joel (Joe Estevez)
A member of the crew who partners with others to stop the werewolf threat, using silver bullets to kill the creature at the right moment. He embodies a pragmatic, action-oriented response to the escalating danger.
Security Guard (Tony Zarindast)
The unsuspecting guard chosen by Yuri to become the host for the second werewolf after being drugged and injected with Tommy's blood. He dies in the ensuing chaos after the werewolf incident.
Nurse (Lisa Frantz)
A hospital nurse who tends to Tommy after his condition emerges, representing the medical response to the unfolding horror and the mundane rhythm of care amid mounting fear.
Party Guest (Dawn Morgan)
A guest at the social event where the team and Paul are introduced to each other, illustrating the social backdrop to the research and the looming threat.
Werewolf Settings
Learn where and when Werewolf (1997) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Location
Arizona desert, Flagstaff, Arizona
The story unfolds in the arid Arizona desert where the skeleton is found, then shifts to a suburban setting in Flagstaff, Arizona. The desert provides isolation that heightens tension around the myth of the werewolf, while Flagstaff's mix of wilderness and town life frames the investigators' public-facing work and the ensuing danger.
Werewolf Themes
Discover the main themes in Werewolf (1997). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
🐺
Lycanthropy
The core transformation motif drives the plot, with Tommy and later Paul mutating into werewolves after being infected. The fear and physical change probe what happens when a person succumbs to a beast within. The shifts in temperament and hunger illuminate the line between human and monster, and who bears responsibility for those impulses.
🔬
Science vs Myth
Archaeologists push for funding by publicizing their discovery, while Noel publicly dismisses Native American beliefs. Privately, he acknowledges the danger of the myth of yetiglanchi, highlighting the tension between empirical curiosity and mythic dread. The film examines how science can instrumentalize belief to gain support, sometimes at moral cost.
🎭
Exploitation
The narrative centers on exploiting the monstrous for entertainment and funding, culminating in plans to exhibit Paul as a freak show. Natalie fights against reducing Paul to a specimen, while the human desire for control propels the danger. The twist ending, revealing that Paul and Natalie become werewolves, underscores how power and desire corrupt perception of the other.
Werewolf Spoiler-Free Summary
Discover the spoiler-free summary of Werewolf (1997). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.
In the blistering heat of the Arizona desert, a routine archaeological excavation suddenly uncovers a bone structure that suggests something far older and more unsettling than any ordinary fossil—a skeleton that unmistakably bears the hallmarks of a werewolf. The discovery instantly shifts the atmosphere from scientific curiosity to a tense blend of myth and modern inquiry, hinting at a hidden history that could rewrite the line between legend and evidence. The remote expanse outside Flagstaff becomes a crucible where ancient superstition and contemporary skepticism collide, setting the stage for a story that feels both atmospheric and foreboding.
The dig’s crew is a collision of personalities. Yuri, the hard‑nosed foreman, runs the operation with an uncompromising grip, while Tommy and his fellow workers grapple with the unsettling implications of what they’ve unearthed. The lead archaeologist, Noel, publicly dismisses local folklore even as private doubts begin to surface, suggesting that the region’s dark tales may have a grain of truth. Their interactions crackle with rivalry, camaraderie, and an undercurrent of fear that the desert is concealing far more than just ancient bones.
Enter Paul Niles, a science writer sent to document the dig and help attract funding. His outsider perspective brings both clarity and a fresh curiosity to the unfolding mystery. At a gathering among the team, he meets Natalie Burke, a dedicated field researcher whose quiet competence and emerging connection with Paul add a softer, human element amid the growing unease. Their tentative romance offers a glimpse of warmth against the stark, sun‑scorched landscape, while also pulling Paul deeper into the enigmatic world the dig has opened.
The film balances a clinical, scholarly tone with an unsettling, almost primal dread, weaving together the sleekness of modern research with the raw, primal terror of a myth that refuses to stay buried. As the characters inch closer to the secret locked within the ancient remains, the audience is left to wonder how far scientific ambition will go when faced with a virus that blurs the line between humanity and beast, and whether love and curiosity can survive in the shadow of an age‑old curse.
Movies with Similar Twists and Themes
Uncover films that echo the narrative beats, emotional arcs, or dramatic twists of the one you're exploring. These recommendations are handpicked based on story depth, thematic resonance, and spoiler-worthy moments — perfect for fans who crave more of the same intrigue.
Featured on this page
What's After the Movie?
Not sure whether to stay after the credits? Find out!
Explore Our Movie Platform
New Movie Releases (2025)
Famous Movie Actors
Top Film Production Studios
Movie Plot Summaries & Endings
Major Movie Awards & Winners
Best Concert Films & Music Documentaries
Movie Collections and Curated Lists
© 2025 What's After the Movie. All rights reserved.