While modern contemporaries, like Malignant and Midsommar, have done their best to terrify audiences in glorious technicolor, there's still something to be said for the days of black and white movies. Many features of the early days of film are still as scary now as they were then. There's a reason many refer to them as classics.
Although both audiences and film techniques have changed over the decades, the desire for spine-tingling cinema has not dwindled in the slightest. Thanks to the abundance of streaming services available across devices, horror fans and film buffs have their pick of vintage horror and slow-burning scares anytime they like.
The Lighthouse (2019) Stream On Amazon Prime
Not all black-and-white movies have to come before the days of color filmmaking, sometimes they can be as recent as 2019. Robert Eggers' The Lighthouse was intentionally shot in a very vivid monochrome to establish a sort of stark and contrasting style for its visuals to match its bleak storyline.
In a mix of psychological and eldritch horror, the film delivers a twisted and isolated experience that makes audiences wonder just what is real and what is not. The stellar performances from Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson are also worthy of watching as this mind-bending and murderous plot unfolds.
White Zombie (1932) Stream On Tubi & Pluto
Believe it or not, there was a time when zombies weren't just disease-ridden shambling sacks of flash and toxic drool as seen in AMC's Walking Dead. Considered by many to be the first cinematic zombie film, this eerie and over-the-top production starring Bela Lugosi helped establish zombie horror as a genre.
In the film, Bella Lugosi plays a sinister voodoo master who transforms his victims into his zombie servants. Although the plot is a little hit and miss at points, Lugosi and his zombies are the reason to watch this film, especially if the viewer is looking for a taste of horror history in the process.
The Tingler (1959) Stream On Tubi & Pluto
Any horror movie starring Vincent Price is bound to be good, and that's certainly true of The Tingler. In the film, Vincent Price plays a pathologist who discovers a parasitic creature that lives at the base of the human spine where it feeds on fear. Only when its host is able to scream is it kept at bay. Throw in a murder plot and a classic William Castle gimmick and it's a classic example of campy horror.
Although the film is certainly more absurd than it is scary, fans of Vincent Price and kitschy, cliche horror films will have a lot to admire. Simply put, it's one of those films that's just enjoyably ridiculous.
The Old Dark House (1932) Stream On Tubi
By modern standards, The Old Dark House follows a lot of standard-issue horror tropes, but that's only because it was one of the first to establish them. A group of travelers get stuck in a terrible storm and are forced to spend the night in a creepy old mansion with a cast of shady characters. it's practically a tale as old as time.
The film is perhaps most notable for giving Boris Karloff one of his first iconic horror roles as Morgan the creepy old butler. At its core, the film is a dark comedy with a heavy focus on tone and atmosphere. It's perfect for a late-night viewing on a dark and stormy evening.
Haxan: Witchcraft Through The Ages (1922) Stream On HBO Max
While some might disagree, silent-era films can be scary too. Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages, as the title might infer, is a silent film concerning demons, occult rituals, and other related material. It doesn't have so much of a plot as it is a collection of vignettes and scenes. However, the imagery and effects used in the film are nothing short of nightmarish.
Scenes of witch trials, human sacrifice, and deals with the devil are all par for the course in this display of nightmare fuel. It's certainly impressive for the era in which it was created.
Black Sunday (1960) Stream On Tubi
Vampires, witches, torture, and demonic magic are what shape the plot of Black Sunday. It's a movie worthy of a Hammer Horror production, and it's a gothic tale that any fan of the genre would absolutely devour. For something released in 1960, it's loaded with some graphic and disturbing themes.
The film opens with the brutal execution of a witch and her accomplice and proceeds to follow a traditional, almost Dracula-like plot from there. It's a fine film for those who are looking for something equally as dark as it is traditional.
The Phantom Of The Opera (1925) Stream On Tubi, Pluto, & Crackle
The original Phantom of the Opera was one of the most iconic horror villains to ever grace the silver screen, and Lon Chaney's performance and makeup were both enough to scare some audience members out of the theater. It's an important piece of horror history, and it can be viewed for absolutely free.
While more fans might be familiar with the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, it was Chaney who set the bar. It was a film that helped define the genre and it's as eerie as it is tragic. It's no wonder so many consider it the definitive version of the Gaston Leroux story.
Godzilla (1954) Stream On Amazon Prime
The kaiju genre, as fans know it today, wouldn't even exist if it wasn't for the King of the Monsters himself, Godzilla. The original film set the bar for just about every kaiju movie that followed and served as the jumping point for one of the longest-running monster series in cinema.
Back in the '50s, Godzilla rose from the deep and laid waste to Shinagawa in the Japanese original classic, bringing forth a classic formula that followed him throughout the early series. Fans of monster movies won't want to miss this trailblazing film.
House On Haunted Hill (1959) Stream On Pluto, Tubi, & Amazon Prime
House on Haunted Hill has everything a viewer could want from a vintage horror movie - ghosts, mystery, a cast of eccentric characters, and even a performance from Vincent Price to tie it all together. As campy as it is creepy, it's arguably the face of the vintage horror genre.
An eccentric millionaire, a cast of seven guests, and a house full of ghastly gimmicks and dark secrets are all the film needs to deliver a memorable horror experience. Easily one of Price's most memorable films, it's a cult-horror masterpiece available across a variety of platforms.