Dad's Top 20 Gothic Horror Films - Ranked!

Countdown from #20 to #1.

This includes Dad's spoiler-free Mini-Preview!

 
Honorable Mention

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920, original title Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari), Director: Robert Wiene, Not rated

A Thrilling Fantastic Photo-Play

Film ClipStarring: Conrad Veidt, Werner Krauss, Friedrich Feher, Lil Dagover, Hans Heinrich von Twardowski, Rulolf Lettinger

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Ladies and gentlemen, Cesare the somnambulist will answer all your questions. Cesare knows every secret. Cesare knows the past and sees the future. Judge for yourselves. Don't hold back, ask away!" - Dr. Caligari

Why watch this? This early film shocked and created the horror genre.

Plot Summary: In a shadowy German town, a man named Francis recounts a bizarre tale of murder and madness centered around a mysterious, possibly clairvoyant carnival performer, Dr. Caligari, and his somnambulist assistant, Cesare. Francis begins to suspect the carnival doctor is behind a series of local killings, driven by a fear that leads him to investigate the unsettling truth behind the performers' identities and motives.

  Dad's Preview: This cinematic masterpiece of horror is an incredible feat of angles, shadows and revolutionary close-up shots. The film's askew sets remind me of Picasso's expressionist funhouse. That design is purposeful, to keep the audience feeling out of place... separate from the normal ordered world. The story centers on a strange "Doctor" who uses hypnosis to control a somnambulist (a person who is always asleep), named Cesare, for his sideshow attraction. Of course, there are more nefarious aspects to the dark plot, and even a few twists that make this silent film very interesting, especially the ending. Dr. Caligari may be cinema's first mad scientist, leading the way for Frankenstein, Moreau, and Jekyll.    


Decla-Film
Top 20 Gothic Horror Films #20     Top

Freaks (1932), Director: Tod Browning, Not rated

The Strangest Cast of Half Humans Ever Assembled!

Film ClipStarring: Wallace Ford, Leila Hyams, Olga Baclanova, Roscoe Ates, Henry Victor, Harry Earles, Daisy Earles, Rose Dione, Daisy Hilton, Violet Hilton, Schlitze, Josephine Joseph, Johnny Eck, Frances O'Connor, Peter Robinson, Olda Roderick, Koo Koo, Prince Randian

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"You laughed at them, shuddered at them. And, yet, but for the accident of birth, you might be one as they are. They did not ask to be brought into the world. But, into the world they came. Their code is a law unto themselves: offend one and you offend them all." – Carnival Barker

Why watch this? This classic film is both terrifying and extremely compassionate.

Plot Summary: A beautiful trapeze artist named Cleopatra seduces a wealthy little person named Hans in a traveling circus, with the secret intention of murdering him for his inheritance with her lover, the strongman Hercules. After her cruel intentions are revealed at the wedding banquet, the circus performers conspire to stop the injustice. Ultimately, they exact their vengeance upon the two traitors in a climactic and shocking turn of events.

  Dad's Preview: Stirring controversy upon its release, this unique, and sometimes disturbing, film explores the carnival sideshow world of freaks and monsters. It is clear to me that early critics never spent a second around inmates at a state school or patients in a ward for those with physical abnormalities. Those reviewers, akin to the film's antagonists Cleopatra and Hercules, considered these circus folk to be below them; mere grotesque monsters to be laughed at and taken advantage of. Director Browning understood the global prejudices at play, and his film offers the possibility that these human beings have the same needs we all do. Those who can't see that, are the real monster in the story.    


Tod Browning; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Top 20 Gothic Horror Films #19     Top

Sinners (2025), Director: Ryan Coogler, rated R for language, sexual content, violence and gore

Dance with the devil.

Film ClipStarring: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, Delroy Lindo, Peter Dreimanis, Lola Kirke, Li Jun Li, Saul Williams, Yao

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"You keep dancing with the devil... one day he's gonna follow you home." – Pastor Jedidiah

Why watch this? Mudbound meets From Dusk til Dawn. Hell yea!

Plot Summary: Twin brothers, World War I veterans, return to their hometown in 1932 Mississippi hoping to open a juke joint and start a new life. Their plans for a safe haven in the Jim Crow South take a dark turn when a sinister, supernatural force descends upon their community. The brothers and their community are forced to face this ageless, unexpected evil.

  Dad's Preview: My prediction is that this film is going to age really well and become a cinema classic. It is helmed by a young black director, Ryan Coogler, who certainly brings the goods. It also features a rising black star in Michael B. Jordan, portraying the dual roles of twins, Smoke and Stack. That said, this genre-bender grabs its viewers with a compelling look at the 1930's American South from the standpoint of the African Americans enduring it: the field workers, the gangsters, the language and, oh man, the music. Then it jettisons itself into the blackness of dark magic and hungry denizens of the night. All that came before is shoved aside for a battle of survival. I loved every second of this film's creative vision, musical-centering and visceral action.   


Proximity Media; Warner Bros. Pictures
Top 20 Gothic Horror Films #18     Top

Poor Things (2023), Director: Yorgos Lanthimos, rated R for sexuality, graphic nudity, gore, language

She's an experiment.

Film ClipStarring: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, Jerrod Carmichael, Kathryn Hunter, Vicki Pepperdine, Margaret Qualley, Keeley Forsyth

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"I have adventured it and found nothing but sugar and violence." - Bella Baxter, speaking of the outside world

Why watch this? It's Shelly's Frankenstein novel with lots of sex... but it's still quite compelling in its unorthodoxy.

Plot Summary: Set in an warped, yet colorful, version of Victorian England, we witness the growth of Bella Baxter. Her caretaker is the brilliant scientist Godwin Baxter. At first, Bella's mental capabilities are child-like, but she learns at an accelerated rate, oblivious to common British social norms. This frustrates and intrigues her two suitors. The first is God's (as Bella calls Godwin) university assistant, Max; the second is an unscrupulous lawyer, Duncan Wedderburn.

  Dad's Preview: This tale is Bella's brain's journey to maturity, and it explores everything: pain, frustration, sex, humanity's cruelty... and more sex. This unique film is a wonderful, beautiful mess of all sorts and homages. You will cringe, then burst out laughing. There is gore, wonder, and finally a sense of awakening. The stark imagery and slightly-skewed aesthetics only heighten the film's uniqueness. You won't be able to watch this without experiencing a plethora of emotions. Bella's uninhibited approach is odd, yet very refreshing, and this we certainly owe to Emma Stone's Oscar-winning performance. She took a great role and completely gave everything - it is stunning to watch.  


Film4, Element Pictures, Fruit Tree,
Limp; Searchlight Pictures
Top 20 Gothic Horror Films #17     Top

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945), Director: Albert Lewin, rated Approved

Perfection of the outside. Murderous corruption within.

Film ClipStarring: George Sanders, Hurd Hatfield, Donna Reed, Angela Lansbury, Peter Lawford, Lowell Gilmore, Richard Fraser, Douglas Walton, Morton Lowry, Miles Mander, Lyda Bilbrook, Mary Forbes

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"If only it was the picture who was to grow old, and I remain young. There's nothing in the world I wouldn't give for that. Yes, I would give even my soul for it." - Dorian Gray

Why watch this? This morality tale cautions us on the dangers, and intoxication, of narcissism.

Plot Summary: Young and handsome Dorian Gray has his portrait painted by close friend Basil Hallward in Victorian London. When Basil's friend, Lord Wooton, stops by, Wooton impresses Gray to partake in pleasures while still young. This prompts Gray to inwardly wish that his portrait age, while he remain young. Magically, and thanks to a Egyptian cat god statue, his wish is granted. The portrait not only ages, but it shows the terrible ugliness of his wanton actions, as Gray lives on as a man both depraved and heartless. Gray hides the ever-changing painting in his attic, deciding, years later, to let the artist, Basil, see the decaying device that has ruined his life.

  Dad's Preview: This classic Oscar Wilde novel has long been a gothic stalwart for illustrating the price to be paid for man's vanity. The acting is wonderful, and Hatfield's vacant portrayal of Gray is quite haunting. Shot in black and white, four scenes of the painting were shot in Technicolor for added effect. This film is a reminder that even in the good old days of Hollywood, and without CGI, a film's quality and solid direction could produce a chilling horror flick.  


Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; Loew's, Inc.
Top 20 Gothic Horror Films #16     Top

Sleepy Hollow (1999), Director: Tim Burton, rated R for violence, gore, scary scenes

Heads Will Roll

Film ClipStarring: Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon, Casper Van Dien, Christopher Walken, Christopher Lee

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"The Horseman comes, and tonight he comes for you." - Lady Van Tassel

Why watch this? ... it's a masterful gothic tale of curses, betrayal, and head-lopping murder.

Plot Summary: In 1799, Constable Ichabod Crane is sent to the isolated village of Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of gruesome murders where victims are found decapitated. The superstitious townspeople attribute these killings to the legendary Headless Horseman, a spectral Hessian mercenary seeking his lost head. As Crane, a man of science and logic, delves deeper into the chilling mystery, he must confront his skepticism and the possibility of supernatural forces.

  Dad's Preview: This well-done, very creepy re-envisioning of the Headless Horseman of lore works on every level. Tim Burton utilizes his main man, the ever-quirky Johnny Depp, to bring this story to terrifying life. I am a Burton fan, yet I didn't expect the effort would be so damn scary. It never lets up. Once again, it is a wise choice to set a horror story at night on the foggy English moors. I can just hear the wolves howling in the background.     


Mandalay Pics, Scott Rudin Prod., American
Zoetrope, Tim Burton Prod,; Paramount Pics
Top 20 Gothic Horror Films #15     Top

The Phantom of the Opera (1925), Directors: Rupert Julian, Lon Chaney, rated Passed

The greatest horror film of modern cinema!

Film ClipStarring: Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry, Arthur Edmund Carewe, Gibson Gowland, John St. Polis, Virginia Pearson

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Beneath your dancing feet are the tombs of tortured men! Thus does The Red Death rebuke your merriment!" - The Phantom, dressed as The Red Death

Why watch this? This is the original Phantom film starring the amazing Lon Chaney Sr.

Plot Summary: A shadowy figure, known as the Phantom, haunts the Paris Opera House, manipulating events from behind the scenes to promote the career of the young singer, Christine Daaé. The Phantom, secretly a disfigured musical genius named Erik, lures Christine to his subterranean lair and reveals his obsession with her. When Christine's fiancé, Raoul, attempts to rescue her, he and a detective are drawn into the Phantom's elaborate traps within the opera house's depths.

  Dad's Preview: This silent film's success was the catalyst that convinced Universal studios to make more gothic horror films. It rewards the viewer with spectacle and adventure, but also suspense. The famous scene where Christine unmasks the phantom terrified audiences so much that it was reported some filmgoers became ill. Chaney's make-up and facial transformations, in 1925 mind you, were too incredible to believe. He was called "The Man of a Thousand Faces".  


Carl Laemmle; Universal Pictures
Top 20 Gothic Horror Films #14     Top

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), Director: Rouben Mamoulian, rated Approved

Before Your Own Eyes A Man Turns Fiend!

Film ClipStarring: Fredric March, Miriam Hopkins, Rose Hobart, Holmes Herbert, Halliwell Hobbs, Edgar Norton, Tempe Pigott, Arnold Lucy, Colonel McDonnell, Robert Adair

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"I shall not dwell today on the secrets of the human body, in sickness and in health. Today I want to talk to you of a greater marvel: the soul of man!" - Dr. Jekyll to his students

Why watch this? From the classic novel about the duality of man comes a thrilling, macabre film!

Plot Summary: A brilliant scientist named Dr. Henry Jekyll theorizes about the duality of human nature, believing that the good and evil within a man can be separated. To prove his theory, he creates a powerful potion and tests it on himself, transforming into the monstrous and depraved Mr. Hyde. Initially thrilled by the release from societal constraints, Jekyll soon discovers the terrifying consequences of unleashing his darker self.

  Dad's Preview: Set in Victorian London in the late 1800's, this film embraces the idea that man is composed of two impulses: one good and noble, the other indulgent and evil. This film excels primarily because Fredric March becomes literally two different people. He is completely believable as the scientist Jekyll and the deranged, violent Hyde. He won the Oscar for Best Actor. The transformation scenes are amazing for their time. This is truly an unforgettable horror film.   


Rouben Mamoulian; Paramount Pictures
Top 20 Gothic Horror Films #13     Top

Dracula (1931), Director: Tod Browning, Karl Freund, rated Passed

A NIGHTMARE OF HORROR!

Film ClipStarring: Bela Lugosi, David Manners, Helen Chandler, Dwight Frye, Edward Van Sloan, Herbert Bunston, Frances Dade

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make." - Dracula, regarding wolves

Why watch this? The elaborate sets and Lugosi's haunting, iconic performance.

Plot Summary: Count Dracula, a Transylvanian vampire, travels to England and takes up residence in Carfax Abbey. He begins to exert his influence over local society, specifically targeting the young women, including Mina Seward and her friend Lucy Weston. When Lucy falls ill with a mysterious ailment, Professor Van Helsing is called upon to investigate, soon realizing the danger posed by the Count and working to protect Mina and expose Dracula's true nature.

  Dad's Preview: This classic film practically invented the "goth" classification. Lugosi's memorable role as the creepy Count spawned a slew of imitators and homages. This film's unique, Victorian atmosphere creates an eerie 17th century Europe, where all trees are dead, and it's forever dark and foggy. Though Lugosi would later portray several other Universal monsters, he only played Dracula once more, and that was in the comedy Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).  


Tod Browning, Carl Laemmle Jr.; Universal Pictures
Top 20 Gothic Horror Films #12      Top

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), Director: William Dieterle, rated Approved

Drama Unparalleled! Spectacle Beyond Belief!!

Film ClipStarring: Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Thomas Mitchell, Edmond O'Brien, Alan Marshal, Walter Hampden

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"I never realized till now how ugly I am, because you're so beautiful... I'm not a man! I'm not a beast! I'm about as shapeless as the man in the moon!" - Quasimodo

Why watch this? The ageless cruelty within "humanity" never ceases to astonish me.

Plot Summary: In 15th-century France, a kind gypsy dancer named Esmeralda faces peril when she's framed for murder by the powerful and infatuated Chief Justice Frollo. Only Quasimodo, the deformed bell ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral, who secretly admires her, can potentially save her from a wrongful execution. The story unfolds amidst social unrest and prejudice, where appearances are often deceiving.

  Dad's Preview: By now, you have probably seen one rendition or another of the tragic hunchbacked bell-ringer haunting the attic of the cathedral at Notre Dame. There's even a Disney musical. Of the film renditions, this is the best. Charles Laughton, the fine British actor, succeeds in bringing to life the tortured, deformed Quasimodo, who realizes that true love will never be within his grasp. All we can do is pity his poor disillusioned soul.  


Pandro S. Berman; RKO Radio Pictures
Top 20 Gothic Horror Films #11      Top

The Addams Family (1991), Director: Barry Sonnenfeld, rated PG-13 for comedic violence

It's not the same old Thing.

Film ClipStarring: Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston, Christina Ricci, Christopher Lloyd, Carel Struycken, Judith Malina, John Franklin

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Don't torture yourself, Gomez. That's my job." – Morticia Addams

Why watch this? This film pays superb homage to the original TV series. Well done!

Plot Summary: The eccentric Addams family, known for their macabre tastes, welcomes back a man claiming to be their long-lost Uncle Fester, who has been missing for 25 years. However, this individual is part of a scheme to swindle the family out of their fortune. The Addams must decide the true identity of the Fester imposter.

  Dad's Preview: Based on the 1960's TV show, this romp is creepy fun from start to finish. You can tell that the actors are having a blast. Deserving of technical praise is "Thing" - everyone's favorite severed hand. The CGI magicians successfully gave Thing a delightful personality, and he (it?) gets some of the film's biggest laughs. I must also recognize the performance of the late Raul Julia. He more than channels John Astin's Gomez, as literally becomes him! Rest in peace, Raul. You left us too soon.  


Scott Rudin; Paramount Pictures
Top 20 Gothic Horror Films #10      Top

Frankenstein (1931), Director: John Landis, rated Approved

The Man Who Made A Monster

Film ClipStarring: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Boris Karloff, Dwight Frye, Edward van Sloan, Frederick Kerr, Lionel Belmore

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"You have created a monster, and it will destroy you!" - Dr. Waldman

Why watch this? It is a landmark in horror cinema history.

Plot Summary: Dr. Henry Frankenstein, obsessed with creating life, pieces together a human body from various sources and successfully brings it to life through electricity. However, the creature, despite its initial innocence, faces fear and rejection from society, leading to tragic consequences. The film explores themes of ambition, the dangers of unchecked scientific advancement, and the impact of isolation and prejudice on both the creator and his creation.

  Dad's Preview: Hot on heels of Dracula (1931), Universal Studios created its second iconic monster film. Though only loosely based on the original Mary Shelly novel, we do see Baron Frankenstein create life. All goes wrong as that life becomes too dangerous to contain. Boris Karloff, wearing an incredible makeup application, gives the monster an unexpected level of humanity. However, he will kill when provoked. This helped to kick off many more Universal monster films and spawned a slew of B-movie sequels.  


Carl Laemmle Jr.; Universal Pictures
Top 20 Gothic Horror Films #9      Top

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Director: Alfonso Cuarón, rated PG

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Film ClipStarring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emily Watson, Rubert Grint, Michael Gambon, Gary Oldman, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, David Thewlis

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Well, Well, Lupin. Out for a little walk... in the moonlight are we?" - Professor Snape

Why watch this? This film notably changed in tone from the first two. It's more grown-up.

Plot Summary: In their third year at Hogwarts, Harry, Ron, and Hermione learn that a dangerous prisoner named Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban, a wizarding prison guarded by the terrifying Dementors. It is widely believed that Black, a supposed follower of Lord Voldemort, intends to harm Harry, causing a heightened sense of danger throughout the wizarding world and Hogwarts itself. As the year progresses, Harry and his friends unravel a complex web of events surrounding Black's imprisonment and the true nature of the threat he poses, ultimately revealing a story of betrayal.

  Dad's Preview: There is so much that works in the third installment. Alfonso Cuarón, an Academy Award-winning director, takes things in a darker, more moody direction. The lead actors feel more at home in their roles. And it's always a good idea to add Gary Oldman to a cast. Where the first two films are bright, the third gets scary as an escaped manic appears to be hunting Harry. The ghastly, black dementors are circling Hogwarts, and also have a thing for Mr. Potter. All this feels like the stage is being readied for the return of the evil Lord Voldemort.  


Heyday Films, 1492 Pictures;
Warner Bros. Pictures
Top 20 Gothic Horror Films #8      Top

The Horror of Dracula (1958, original title Dracula), Director: Terence Fisher, rated Approved

The Terrifying Lover Who Died - Yet Lived!

Film ClipStarring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Michael Gough, Melissa Stribling, Carol Marsh, John Van Eyssen, Valerie Gaunt

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"To liberate her soul and give her peace we must destroy that shell for all time. Believe me there is no other way." - Dr. Van Helsing

Why watch this? Christopher Lee is the best Dracula on film. Sorry, Bela.

Plot Summary: Posing as a librarian, Jonathan Harker travels to the castle of Count Dracula with the secret intention of destroying the vampire. After Harker falls victim to the Count, his friend and fellow vampirologist, Dr. Van Helsing, investigates his disappearance. Van Helsing soon discovers Dracula has relocated and is preying on Harker's loved ones, forcing the doctor to relentlessly pursue the villain to stop his reign of terror.

  Dad's Preview: This is Lee's (and Hammer film's) first go at the cape-donning, blood-thirsty Count. Opposite him is Peter Cushing as the determined Van Helsing. This pair would go on to two star in over a dozen films together. This quasi-remake exudes a lot more sexuality than the 1931 classic from Universal. It's brooding Victorian atmosphere and creepy setting perfectly fits the genre. Hammer would make seven more Dracula films, most of them with Mr. Lee.  


Hammer Film Prod.; Universal-International
Top 20 Gothic Horror Films #7      Top

The Shining (1980), Director: Stanley Kubrick, rated R for language, violence, disturbing images

A Masterpiece of Modern Horror

Film ClipStarring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers, Barry Nelson, Philip Stone, Joe Trukel, Anne Jackson, Tony Burton

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I'm not gonna hurt ya. You didn't let me finish my sentence. I said, I'm not gonna hurt ya. I'm just going to bash your brains in!" - Jack Torrance

Why watch this? The setting at the empty grand hotel, the gigantic snow-covered maze, all creates one hell of an eerie atmosphere.

Plot Summary: Jack Torrance, an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic, takes a job as the winter caretaker of the isolated Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies. He moves in with his wife, Wendy, and son, Danny, who possesses psychic abilities known as "the shining". As a winter storm leaves the family snowbound, the hotel's sinister presence begins to influence Jack, threatening the safety of his family.

  Dad's Preview: It took me a while to figure this one out. Jack, a writer, agrees to stay a deserted hotel in Colorado for the winter. He takes along his wife and son. What I realized is that the film, like Jack's sanity, becomes more and more deranged with each passing minute. The visions and apparitions are real in Jack's (and the audience's) mind. The bigger question: is there something manipulating him... something evil. Is he crazy or possessed? Finding out is the point.  


The Producer Circle Co., Peregrine Prod.,
Hawk Films; Warner Bros.
Top 20 Gothic Horror Films #6      Top

Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979), Director: Werner Herzog, rated PG

...He who is doomed to wander alone in darkness.
...He who is condemned to destroy even those whom he loves.

Film ClipStarring: Klaus Kinski, Isabelle Adjani, Bruno Ganz, Roland Topor, Walter Ladengast, Dan van Husen, Jan Groth, Carsten Bodinus, Martje Grohmann, Rijk de Gooyer, Clemens Scheitz

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Death is not the worst. There are things more horrible than death." - Count Dracula

Why watch this? This version of the Nosferatu legend is a true work of gothic art.

Plot Summary: Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to finalize a real estate deal with the mysterious Count Dracula. Dracula, captivated by a photograph of Harker's wife Lucy, purchases a property in Harker's hometown of Wismar and journeys there, bringing with him a plague of rats and death. Lucy becomes aware of the sinister nature of Dracula and strives to end the reign of terror he unleashes upon Wismar.

  Dad's Preview: Where the original Nosferatu (1922) presented the vampire as an emotionless creature, director Herzog gives us a man wracked by the torture of eternal life, ever searching for anything that can make him feel again. As in previous collaborations with Herzog, Kinski gives a masterful performance. He emanates weariness. When vampire brings the plague rats to London, the terrified townsfolk easily give up, hosting a banquet of madness, harkening back to the days of the ravaging Black Death. It's glooming, visually stunning, and oddly romantic. Again, we see that Bram Stoker's original vampiric vision is an excellent metaphorical vessel for art.  


Werner Herzog Filmprod., Gaumont, Zweites
Deutsches Fernsehen; 20th Century Fox

Top 20 Gothic Horror Films #5      Top

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), Director: Francis Ford Coppola rated R for strong violence, nudity, scary scenes

LOVE NEVER DIES

Film ClipStarring: Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves, Richard E. Grant, Cary Elwes, Tom Waits

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"You will, I trust, excuse me if I do not join you. But, I have already dined, and I never drink... wine." - Dracula

Why watch this? Gary Oldman's portrayal of Dracula is singularly unique... and terrifying!

Plot Summary: In 1897, a young solicitor, Jonathan Harker, travels to Transylvania to handle a real estate transaction for the mysterious Count Dracula. Upon seeing a photograph of Harker's fiancée, Mina, Dracula believes she is the reincarnation of his deceased wife. Imprisoning Harker, the Count travels to London to find Mina, unleashing a reign of terror and seduction upon those seek to protect the girl.

  Dad's Preview: Universal Studio's Dracula (1931), starring the iconic Bela Lugosi, is certainly beloved, but I grew to love this rendition more. This is a masterpiece of film art. It's visually stunning, using state of the art make-up and special effects, vivid imagery, lighting, shadows, and creative scene transitions. It creates a creepy mood and suffocating tone, aligned with Jonathan Harker's descent into the clutches of the Count and his sirens. How good is this film? Good enough to negate Keanu Reeves' not-so-realistic British accent. Also good is Gary Oldman as the Count - he's both menacing and sophisticated.  


American Zoetrope, Osiris Films;
Columbia Pictures
Top 20 Gothic Horror Films #4      Top

The Elephant Man (1980), Director: David Lynch, rated PG

"I am not an animal! I am a human being! I...am...a man!"

Film ClipStarring: Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Freddie Jones, Michael Elphick, Hannah Gordon

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"If only I could find her, so she could see me with such lovely friends here now; perhaps she could love me as I am. I've tried so hard to be good." John Merrick, speaking of his mother

Why watch this? ... to see that certain humans can be as good as others are cruel.

Plot Summary: This drama follows a severely deformed man, John Merrick, who lives as a sideshow attraction in Victorian London. A compassionate surgeon, Dr. Frederick Treves, takes Merrick under his care at a London Hospital. There, John slowly reveals his intelligence, sensitivity, and desire for acceptance as a human being. The film explores themes of dignity and societal attitudes towards disability through Merrick's journey to find a place in society beyond being a curiosity.

  Dad's Preview: This is the true story of John Merrick, who lived in 1800's England, and was severely deformed. We witness how horrible people with disabilities were treated in that era. It was a wise choice to present this cinematic masterpiece in black and white. It is quite beautiful and sets the period's mood perfectly. It was nominated for 8 Oscars, but failed to win a single one (truly a crime).  


Brooksfilms; Paramount Pictures
Top 20 Gothic Horror Films #3     Top

The Night of the Hunter (1955), Director: Charles Laughton, rated Approved

The scenes... the story... The stars... BUT ABOVE ALL - THE SUSPENSE!

Film ClipStarring: Robert Mitchum, Billy Chapin, Sally Jane Bruce, Shelly Winters, Lillian Gish, James Gleason, Evelyn Varden, Peter Graves, Don Beddoe, Gloria Castillo

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Not that you mind the killings! There's plenty of killings in your book, Lord..." - Rev. Harry Powell, praying to God

Why watch this? Unique. Nightmarish. Visually Stunning. Ahead of its time. That's why.

Plot Summary: During the Great Depression, the imprisoned, self-proclaimed preacher finds out that his cellmate robbed a bank, taking $10,000, then hiding at his house in West Virginia. When the cellmate is executed, Powell thanks The Lord for this opportunity to woo the vulnerable wife, and get the two children, John-age 9 and Pearl-age 4, to confess where the loot is stashed.

  Dad's Preview: This film is based on Davis Grubb's original novel of the same name. The film's director, the world famous British actor Charles Laughton (Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), Witness for the Prosecution (1957)), breaths an entirely new interpretation into this nightmarish, adult fairytale about the serially homicidal "Preacher" Harry Powell. The incredible genius of this black-and-white film is that director Laughton chose to intertwine German expressionism with noir naturalism to create a work of art that is both stylish and creepy in its economies of simplicity. The film, much of it from the children's perspective, centers on duality: shadow and light, love and hate (on Powell's knuckles), good and evil. At the box office, it was a flop, which crushed its director. The actors all deliver excellent performances, but it is Robert Mitchum, as the hymn-singing, slow-strolling pastor, who both captivates and terrifies. To close, it's unique that a film stays with me. It has to be memorable and unique. This influential film really stands firm, even after all these years. It, and I can state this with full confidence, is a perfect film.  


Paul Gregory Productions; United Artists
Top 20 Gothic Horror Films #2      Top

The Wolf Man (1941), Director: George Waggner, rated Approved

IS HE A MAN... OR UNHOLY BEAST?

Film ClipStarring: Claude Rains, Lon Chaney Jr., Warren William, Ralph Bellamy, Maria Ouspenskaya, Patric Knowles, Bela Lugosi

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Even a man who is pure in heart, and says his prayers by night, May become a wolf when the wolf's bane blooms, and the autumn moon is bright." - Maleva, the gypsy

Why watch this? This timeless classic still remains my favorite werewolf movie.

Plot Summary: Returning to his ancestral home in Wales, Larry Talbot becomes entangled with a gypsy carnival and the local folklore surrounding werewolves after a fateful encounter in the woods. A gypsy woman informs Larry that he was bitten by a werewolf, implying that he will transform into one himself. The film then follows Larry's tragic descent as he grapples with the terrifying possibility of becoming a monster.

  Dad's Preview: Set in the Universal Studio monster universe, this big screen tale introduced the world to Lon Chaney Jr., son of silent-film film legend Lon Chaney (known as the "Man of a Thousand Faces" for his incredible feats using make-up). Lon Jr. would go on to portray the Wolf Man four more times. Chaney has donned the make-up for all four of Universal's marquee monsters: Wolf Man, Dracula, Mummy, and Frankenstein's monster. This is by far his best, most enduring effort. To his character, the tragic Larry Talbot, he brings a sense of helpless dread, and viewers feel pity for him - a man who cannot control his lycanthropic transformations. When he is the wolf, he will kill anyone near him, even loved ones. For that, he seeks death for himself, which is a noble gesture indeed.  


George Waggner; Universal Pictures
Top 20 Gothic Horror Films #1      Top

The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Director: James Whale, rated Approved

She breathes, sees, hears, walks -- but can she love?

Film ClipStarring: Boris Karloff, Elsa Manchester, Colin Clive, Ernest Thesiger, Valerie Hobson, Gavin Gordon, Douglas Walton, E. E. Clive

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Yes, I know. Made me from dead. I love dead... hate living." - The Monster

Why watch this? This Universal monster film dared to have a sense of humor. Bravo!

Plot Summary: This sequel Frankenstein (1931) follows Dr. Henry Frankenstein as he attempts to abandon his life-creating experiments. However, he is pressured by his eccentric mentor, Dr. Pretorius, and threatened by his creation, the Monster, into constructing a female companion for the Monster. Frankenstein eventually agrees and embarks on the task of creating the Bride, facing the consequences of his ambition and the Monster's desire for companionship.

  Dad's Preview: With the original film, director James Whale gave us a monster unlike any other. With the sequel, he offers a better blend of horror and cynical humor. The result is one of the best Universal monster productions ever made. It's scary, funny, outrageous, and exciting. It also appealed to a much larger audience. Karloff returns as the monster, and the wonderful Elsa Manchester makes her brief appearance as his wide-eyed, terrified bride.  


Carl Laemmle Jr.; Universal Pictures