A New York City cop and an expert criminologist trying to solve a series of grisly deaths in which the victims have seemingly been maimed by feral animals discover a sinister connection between the crimes and an old legend.

After the huge financial and cultural success of WOODSTOCK (1970), filmmaker and political activist Michael Wadleigh spent many years in Hollywood writing scripts that were never produced. However, WOLFEN (1981), his only other major motion picture, was. After that he would never complete another feature film again. This is the story of that film.

1945年4月，德国法西斯崩溃前夕。布痕瓦尔德集中营来了一批从奥斯威辛集中营转来的“犯人”。队伍中，波兰犹太人扬科夫斯基的一只皮箱引起了在押“犯人”赫菲尔、皮匹希的注意。当党卫军把扬科夫斯基赶进营房时，赫菲尔和皮匹希把箱子带回自己的营房。打开箱盖，里面藏着一个四岁的男孩。怎么办？如果把孩子交出去，他肯定要被法西斯杀害。藏起来呢？万一被法西斯发现，大人也都将丧命。赫菲尔立即请示集中营的地下党领导人博霍夫。八年的集中营生活，使这位地下党领导人变得十分冷酷。他不愿为了这个孩子而牵连更多的人。他让赫菲尔把孩子交还给扬科夫斯基。赫菲尔知道，这等于亲手杀死这个可爱的孩子。