With movies like 2021's The Cursed bringing back vintage horror tropes, the gothic monster movie is alive and well. Gothic horror movies are those that delve deep into the standard clichés of the genre and romanticize them to the point that they become classic. Another more appropriate term might be "romanticized horror," as it paints classic imagery of vampires, castles, werewolves, and more in a gripping and dramatized light.
Since no classic entry into the horror world is complete without a monster or two, many of cinema's greatest creeps and creatures owe their origins to the gothic style. From Dracula to the Wolf Man, many of pop culture's most beloved monsters and madmen have lingered in dark shadows for decades.
Dark Shadows (2012) (6.2)
Fans of the original Dark Shadows TV show might have some negative things to say about this Tim Burton adaptation, but that doesn't mean it isn't an entertaining watch. If there's one director who understands the concept of gothic horror the best, it's Burton. But, while it plays a lot of dark and mysterious tropes from the original series for laughs, that doesn't mean it shouldn't count as a true gothic horror tale.
Considering that the film contains witches, ghosts, werewolves, and vampires, it checks a lot of boxes for classic horror fare. Not only that, but Johnny Depp's performance as Barnabas Collins is absolutely delightful, especially in the way he plays with all the vampire clichés.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994) (6.3)
Kenneth Branagh's version of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is certainly a unique adaptation of the source material. While it does pull more from the book than some iterations, it also oversaturates the gothic imagery present in both the novel and the Universal movie monster. Like most of his productions, it's lavish and incredibly visual, becoming more of a performance piece than a monster movie.
That all being said, it's also one of the most memorable adaptations of the tale in the genre. The creature is portrayed as a tortured soul, angry at his own existence, and the monster's maker is a complex and morally questionable protagonist. Although it over-embellishes on some points, it does capture a lot of the nuances of the book.
Crimson Peak (2015) (6.5)
Crimson Peak deserves a better rating than a 6.5, but that might be because it was marketed more as a frightening supernatural horror movie than the gothic romance it was. Since it's a Guillermo Del Toro production, the restless spirits that haunt the ornate and mysterious Sharpe mansion are as monstrous as they are beautiful.
The film is the textbook definition of a romanticized horror movie, as it uses tropes of haunted houses, ghosts, and murderous intent to weave a narrative that is equal parts frightening as it is alluring. The result is a gripping narrative that could easily have come from the mind of Edgar Allan Poe or Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Candyman (1992) (6.7)
Although it lacks castles, giant mansions, or Victorian-styled clothing, the original Candyman is still a gothic horror movie, only the time period has changed. It has its titular evil spirit in the form of the hook-handed Candyman, but it also has its foreboding atmosphere, artistic visuals, and the iconic Cabrini Green serving as its haunted location with a shadowy past.
If the events of the film happened in a place like Victorian England or 1800s America, it would be considered a gothic standard, but the way Clive Barker's ghost story unfolds is like something akin to Dracula or The Phantom of the Opera. The visage of Tony Todd in that magnificent black coat certainly doesn't hinder the idea either.
The Wolf Man (1941) (7.2)
"Even a man who is pure at heart, and says his prayers by night; may become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright." So many of the Universal Monsters depend on gothic imagery to make them iconic, and the Wolf Man is no exception. The image of Lon Chaney Jr. in full werewolf makeup chasing some screaming victim under the full moon in a foggy moor absolutely oozes classic monster movie.
Many gothic horror stories deal with the subject of the reluctant monster, as Lawrence Talbot has no control over his fearsome transformation into the bloodthirsty beast. Although the 1941 original will always remain a classic, those craving a darker version of this tale might also want to consider the 2010 remake with Benicio Del Toro as well.
Sleepy Hollow (1999) (7.3)
Once more, Tim Burton comes up to the plate with an absolutely marvelous gothic horror story that pulls its inspiration from one of the pillars of the genre. Burton's adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow not only tries to represent the Washington Irving story, but the contributions to the genre from the Hammer horror series as well.
Everything that makes a gothic horror movie great is painstakingly re-created in this creature feature with the headless horseman. The costumes, set pieces, and plot are as elaborate as something from the Victorian era, yet the scares and spectacle carry Burton's brand of spookiness rather than the standard shocks.
Dracula (1931) (7.4)
By little exaggeration, the majority of the horror genre as a whole owes its existence to 1931's Dracula. Planting the seed from which the Universal Monsters series grew, the original film adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic set the bar for many that followed. Nearly all vampire tropes and clichés are present in this romanticized horror film.
In the film, viewers are treated to shadowy castles, cobwebbed coffins, and creatures of the night. Everything that gives a classic monster movie its identity can be found in Dracula. Come for the creepy atmosphere, but stay to see Bela Lugosi chew the scenery like the neck of his next victim.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) (7.4)
Although it is billed as Bram Stoker's Dracula, a more appropriate moniker might be "Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula," as the famous filmmaker poured so much into adapting the novel that it practically became his own original version of the iconic vampire. Blending both the historical figure of Vlad the Impaler with the original novel and nods to the Universal Monster, it's a solid blend of multiple adaptations.
With the elaborate design, traditional vampiric motifs, a star-studded cast, and award-winning makeup effects, the movie puts the monster in the gothic monster genre. Dracula himself is equal parts tragic and terrifying, and fans of the original work are sure to be satisfied with elements not particularly focused on in other adaptations.
Interview With The Vampire (1994) (7.5)
Anne Rice's iconic series The Vampire Chronicles is what many would consider an equally-distributed blend of horror and romance. The vampires are seductive and alluring, and yet they cannot hide the monsters within. While Louis and Lestat might be suave and debonair on the outside, they are still undead predators beneath that charming exterior.
Lestat is a deadly vamp that uses his sensuality and alluring nature as a weapon just as much as his fangs and claws, and Louis is a solid representation of the reluctant monster trope seen across the gothic horror genre. With the upcoming remake of Interview With the Vampire, it might be time to watch this one again.
Frankenstein (1931) (7.8)
Dracula might have been the first, but Frankenstein's Monster raised the bar of expectations for what monster movies could be. James Whale is an unquestioned pioneer of the monster genre, and his adaptation of Frankenstein truly pushed the medium forward in a way not seen before.
Along with bringing a creature many readers had only seen in their mind's eye to life, the film set the bar for many monsters that followed, gothic or otherwise, and it brought actors like Boris Karloff and Dwight Frye into the medium that would shape their careers. With fiendish experiments with the dead, a bleak visual style, a creepy castle, and one of the most iconic monsters of all time, the film truly lives up to the genre's name.