What Went Wrong With The Teen Wolf Movie

A little over five years after the series ended, Teen Wolf: The Movie premiered on Paramount+, and although anticipation was high going into it, many were disappointed once the credits started rolling. The supernatural teen drama TV show, developed by Jeff Davis, aired on MTV from 2011 to 2017. Teen Wolf ran for six seasons and 100 episodes, centering around Tyler Posey's Scott McCall, a teenager who turns into a werewolf after being bitten. As the series continues, more truths about the mystic world are revealed, and Scott certainly isn't the only supernatural being living in Beacon Hills, California.

Teen Wolf (the TV show) is a reboot of the 1985 movie of the same name starring Michael J. Fox as Scott.

Teen Wolf received critical acclaim throughout its run (with some seasons being more favorable than others, of course) and garnered a large, passionate fanbase. So, when the opportunity to produce a film arose, it was hard for Paramount to turn it down. After news of Teen Wolf: The Movie leaked, fans were quite excited about the return to Beacon Hills, to no one's surprise. The hype was at an all-time high, but the reunion just couldn't live up to expectations. Ultimately, Teen Wolf: The Movie left much to be desired, leading many to wonder how everything could go so wrong.

Why Teen Wolf: The Movie Has Such A Low Rotten Tomatoes Score

The 2023 Film Has A 32% Score On Rotten Tomatoes

While all six seasons of Teen Wolf have "Fresh" scores on Rotten Tomatoes, Teen Wolf: The Movie's poor reviews generated an unfavorable score on the website. The 2023 supernatural drama is considered "Rotten" as its Rotten Tomatoes score is 32 percent. Many critics wrote that the film contains sufficient nostalgia to reel in viewers, but its fan service does little to save it from its lackluster, convoluted story. They believe that most of its plot simply doesn't make sense. As a result, reviews stated that Teen Wolf: The Movie is a disservice to fans and its preceding TV show.

Teen Wolf Movie/TV Show	Release Date	RT's Tomatometer	RT's Popcornmeter
Teen Wolf season 1	June 5, 2011	69%	83%
Teen Wolf season 2	June 3, 2012	90%	90%
Teen Wolf season 3	June 3, 2013	88%	93%
Teen Wolf season 4	June 23, 2014	67%	79%
Teen Wolf season 5	June 29, 2015	92%	81%
Teen Wolf season 6	November 15, 2016	83%	84%
Teen Wolf: The Movie	January 26, 2023	32%	64%

Meanwhile,Teen Wolf: The Movie has a much better Audience Score (now called the Popcornmeter) on the review aggregation website. Still, 64 percent is the worst rating compared to every season of Teen Wolf. Most reviews confirm that fans felt let down by the reunion film, but its reliance on nostalgia was enough to at least make the 2023 supernatural drama "Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes.

How Teen Wolf: The Movie Compared To The Original Show

Teen Wolf: The Movie Brought Back Many Original Characters (& Left Some Important Ones Out)

One main criticism of Teen Wolf: The Movie is that it fails to replicate the magic of the TV show. Everything fans loved about Teen Wolf is nowhere to be found in the continuation film. Yes, it brings back many beloved characters, but it doesn't use them wisely nor give them arcs that make sense. Consequently, the 2023 supernatural drama just doesn't feel the same as the MTV series. One of the main reasons it's so different, though, is because it doesn't feature two characters who were integral to the show's success — Dylan O'Brien's Stiles and Arden Cho's Kira.

Was The Teen Wolf Movie Really Necessary?

Dylan O'Brien's Absence Is Hard To Ignore

Dylan O'Brien and Arden Cho passed on Teen Wolf: The Movie for different reasons. Regardless, the reunion doesn't work without them, especially because its story revolves around the Nogitsune (Stiles and Kira play a big part in the villain's original plotline from Teen Wolf season 3). While Kira is undoubtedly an important character in the Teen Wolf universe, Stiles is Teen Wolf. He's technically not the show's central figure (that would be Scott), but Stiles makes the supernatural teen drama what it is. Without him, nothing would be the same.

...bringing back the Nogitsune without Stiles or Kira just doesn't make sense.

Teen Wolf: The Movie simply shouldn't have happened due to O'Brien's (and Cho's) absence. It wasn't necessary as the MTV series concluded just fine, giving satisfying endings to many characters. Plus, bringing back the Nogitsune without Stiles or Kira just doesn't make sense. Ultimately, reviving any kind of TV show with a big following is risky. If it's not going to be done right, it shouldn't be done at all. Unfortunately, that was the case for Teen Wolf: The Movie, which might not have fully tainted Teen Wolf's legacy, but it sure didn't help it.