History OurWerewolvesAreDifferent / LiveActionFilms

* ''Film/AnAmericanWerewolfInLondon'' used a dire wolf transformation, who proves vulnerable to ordinary gunfire. It also almost single-pawedly popularised the [[BodyHorror horrible transformation]] subtrope. The transformation from ''American Werewolf In London'' is paid tribute to in ''Film/FrightNight1985'' where Evil Ed (who is a wolf at the time during that scene) turns back into a human.

* The modern style made its popular debut in ''Film/TheHowling'' (1981), which featured infectious werewolves who otherwise acted as a species (changing at will and possibly retaining their own minds, though with predatory instincts). It should be noted that both ''An American Werewolf in London'' and ''The Howling'' came out in 1981 (as well as the sorta werewolf movie ''Wolfen''). Together, they make an almost perfect example of this trope in action. In ''The Howling'' a character points out that the werewolves must be killed with silver, while saying the full moon thing is just Hollywood made up stuff. In ''An American Werewolf in London'', the titular character is told by his now undead friend to commit suicide before transforming during the full moon, but when the werewolf asks if he needs silver bullets, he's told to get real!
* ''Film/HowlingIIStirbaWerewolfBitch'' had Transylvanian werewolves who exhibited more vampiric traits (aversion to holy water and only a stake through the heart can kill them) and are weak to titanium instead to silver.
* In ''Film/HowlingIIITheMarsupials'', we are introduced to were[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thylacine thylacines]]. The movie also implies that the therianthropes of that reality are akin to the wolves in ''Anime/WolfsRain'', as they've evolved to become human to survive human persecution of their baser species (the wolves in Russia, thylacines in Australia). What makes that especially weird is that, despite being ten a penny in the rest of the world, [[SadlyMythtaken shapeshifting myths are completely unknown in Australia]].

* ''Film/Howl2015'': The werewolves in this film have a somewhat more human-like appearance than most portrayals, with the major wolf-traits present in their anatomy being their golden eyes, pointed ears, jagged teeth, claws, noses and triple-jointed legs. Otherwise, they still possess distinctly human features including being largely hairless. Jenny even flat-out states that the werewolf who attacked her looked more like a man than an animal. Their vocalizations are a mixture of wolf-like howls and snarls, and vaguely human-sounding grunts and distorted rasps, which sound particularly disturbing. Lycanthropy infects and turns new people into werewolves via bites; but unlike the mainstream [[{{Shapeshifting}} Shapeshifter]] depictions of werewolves, this version of lycanthropy is treated as a [[TheVirus pathogenic mutation]] which slowly and increasingly transforms the victims and makes them lose their human identities in a zombie-like manner. The transformation after infection appears to be one-way and permanent. It's unknown if the full moon has any influence over these werewolves or the disease that turns them (the film's events take place on the night of a full moon). It's also worth noting these werewolves were still about in the final scene in morning daylight. They're completely feral, but still somewhat intelligent, and Scar seems to be a {{sadist}}ic hunter.

* ''Film/TheCompanyOfWolves'' has a very different take on werewolves, in that they're actually much more faithful to the medieval version of werewolves, albeit combined with a lot of [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible hard-to-understand symbolism]]. But hey, the transformation sequences are awesome; the wolf form literally tears its way out of the human skin.

* In ''Film/{{Cursed|2005}}'', Werewolves have a powerful sexual allure to members of the opposite sex. The curse itself seems to confer an uncanny ability to pull off [[WrestlerInAllOfUs complex pro-wrestling moves]] in high school wrestling matches, [[EvilDetectingDog the animus of dogs]], and VoluntaryShapeshifting abilities even on the night of a full moon. [[spoiler: Lycanthropy can be sexually transmitted as well as by bite or inheritance (the BigBad Joanie even ''outright states'' that there's "no such thing as safe sex with a Werewolf" in a MotiveRant), and killing the cursed werewolf that infected you won't cut it for the cure... you have to kill the natural-born werewolf that infected ''it''.

* In the Creator/WesCraven film ''Film/{{Cursed|2005}}'', Werewolves have a powerful sexual allure to members of the opposite sex. The curse itself seems to confer an uncanny ability to pull off [[WrestlerInAllOfUs complex pro-wrestling moves]] in high school wrestling matches, and killing the cursed werewolf that infected you won't cut it for the cure... you have to kill the natural born werewolf that infected ''it''.

* ''Film/MyAnimal'': Heather is a werewolf, transforming each full moon like usual. She chains herself up so she can't hurt anyone, having previously clawed her mom. She's only able to be outside on a full moon for a fixed, limited amount of time without turning into a wolf, and has an alarm set on her watch to alert her. It turns out to be hereditary, as her dad is a werewolf too. [[spoiler:When her dad dies, he reverts to wolf shape, with his family cremating his body in an impromptu fashion so it's not discovered.]]

* ''Film/{{Wolf}}'' has Creator/JackNicholson's character Will gradually become more and more werewolfish in his behavior during the days leading up to the full moon. In desperation, he acquires a mystic amulet that will supposedly prevent his transformation, but all it does is keep him in a half-man/half-werewolf (think about that one for a moment) state. Until the guy he bit shows up, more werewolfish than Will and threatening Will's new love interest. Will tosses the amulet aside and quickly catches up to the other werewolf, finally looking like a WolfMan lite before leaving. At the end of the film it's revealed that [[spoiler:the curse has run its course and Will has become a full wolf. And his girlfriend is going to be one, too. After next month, at least]].

* ''Film/Underworld2003'' and its [[OddlyNamedSequel2ElectricBoogaloo oddly named sequels]] answer the age old questions of what would happen if [[FurAgainstFang vampires and werewolves got into a centuries old blood war]], and what would happen if someone was turned by both vampires and werewolves. In ''Film/{{Underworld|2003}}'', werewolves, or [[NotUsingTheZWord lycans]], are from the brother strain of the virus that produced the [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]]. There are two strains of werewolves. The first came from the first werewolf, William Corvinus, and all those bitten by him. They're dire wolves, but they can never turn back to humans ever again, and they've permanently lost their minds. The second version is the ones descended from Lucian, who was born from a woman who had been turned by one of William's wolves while pregnant. They are monstrous man-wolves with jet black skin and very little hair. The latter ones go berserk on their first transformations, but as they age they can gain control. They can [[VoluntaryShapeshifting voluntarily transform]] during the full moon, but they don't have to, and again, older ones can transform when they please. Both forms are transferred via a bite, though it's briefly mentioned that only a small percentage of humanity can be turned, and in the rest, the virus is fatal. Both forms are regenerating immortals. (Immortal to an extent anyway; silver works, but ripping their head off without silver works too). There's also Michael Corvin, who's a badass hybrid as a result of [[spoiler:Selene turning him near the end of the movie]], but resembles a werewolf far more than a vampire, likely because he was bitten by a werewolf first. He's a wolf man, and has complete and total control over his transformations, sometimes even doing partial transformations with ease.

* ''Film/NeverCryWerewolf'': Werewolves in this version keep control over their wolf form (though in this case, he was evil even as a human). They can infect people just by slashing them a bit with their claws rather than bite them, and claim those people's souls, giving them the ability to talk to them telepathically. Their curse can be broken if the werewolf that cursed them is killed prior to midnight of the next full moon.

* ''Film/{{Wolves}}'': Features both rare pure-bred werewolves and the kind who became werewolves from being bitten. Although they do change, they're "mutts" and not as powerful as the born kind. Either way, their transformations are either voluntary or caused by strong emotion, especially anger. The full moon doesn't ''make'' them change, but does affect their emotions so it's more likely. They all, however, look suspiciously like people in furry masks.