5. The Wolfman (2010)

The Wolfman had a lot of production problems, including a change in director, a new composer, re-shoots, budget inflation, all pushing back production schedules, and even faced cuts to reduce graphic content. But in the end, Joe Johnston’s retelling of The Wolfman is a Gothic thrill ride with lacerating violence and a brooding central performance from Bencio del Toro. He gives anguished layers to Lawrence Talbot, who travels to his ancestral home of Blackmoor in search for his missing brother only to become part of a supernatural family curse after being bitten by a werewolf.

While the film teeters between Rick Baker’s incredible makeup work and some shoddy CGI, the transformation and kill scenes are a thrilling mix of frightening and gory fun. The 1800s setting adds to the Gothic mystique, perfectly suited for an epic climax in aristocratic London, a time when legends and folklore were often considered closer to truth than fiction.