Wolfen is a 1981 horror-mystery film based upon the novel by Whitley Strieber. The plot follows NYPD Detective Dewey Wilson, who is assigned to solve a bizarre series of violent murders in which it appears the victims were killed by animals. In his investigation, Wilson learns of an Indian legend about wolf spirits, and that there may be predatory shapeshifters living in the vicinity.
The film was released the same year as
An American Werewolf in London and
The Howling. While
Wolfen didn't meet the success of those films, it was well received by critics and is somewhat of a
Cult Classic.
The following tropes can be used to describe the film: