Prime Adds A Cult 1980s Werewolf Movie Critics Wrongly Hated

October 25, 2025, 4:45pm

Ever since the first werewolf movie, aptly titled The Werewolf, in 1913, lycanthropy has been a staple of horror, the wolf-like creature under the spell of a full moon becoming as classic as other movie monsters like vampires and zombies. Films like the Universal Monsters classic The Wolf Man and An American Werewolf in London have been some of the best in the genre, but others have gone down as flops. Just in time for Halloween, Prime Video subscribers can now stream an underrated werewolf movie that was panned by critics.

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As of October 24th, the 1982 werewolf movie The Beast Within is available to stream on Prime Video. Directed by Philippe Mora from a screenplay by Tom Holland, the movie is set 17 years after a woman is attacked by a creature in a Mississippi swamp. As her now-teenage son begins to undergo an inexplicable physical change that compels him to return to the area of his mother’s attack, dead bodies start piling up. Ronny Cox, Bibi Besch, Paul Clemens, and Don Gordon star in the film, which grossed just over $7 million at the U.S. box office.

The Beast Within Is an Overlooked Cult Classic

The Beast Within didn’t get the praise it deserved when it was released. The movie was largely pegged as a disturbing and gory creature feature that didn’t have much to offer, with critics slamming it as “mindless violence” and an “insignificant horror film” that suffered from a confusing and nonsensical plot, weak performances, and illogical direction. The movie only holds a 17% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 35% audience rating, scores that are far too low for how great The Beast Within truly is.

If you’re looking for a creative and fun B-movie creature feature that packs plenty of gore, then The Beast Within is perfect for you. Set against a great Southern Gothic setting of Mississippi, the movie is extremely atmospheric, creepy, and wildly fun. Holland’s script, while bizarre and convoluted, is a creative effort that effectively builds dread and delivers on its promise of gore and violence brought to life on the screen through disturbingly creative practical effects. The Beast Within also features what is arguably one of the most memorable and gruesome transformation scenes, a minutes-long ordeal that is equal parts unsettling and impressive and remains one of the most effective and memorable in horror history.