Gothic Movies to Watch Absolutely

Gothic movies is not yet a film genre with a specific identity. Gothic movies have greatly inspired the horror film genre, adding scary and supernatural elements. The structure of the gothic movies is a mix of gothic literature, melodrama and German Expressionism.

Gothic movies became part of silent cinema, adapting gothic fiction. The Gothic novels that strongly influenced cinema were those of the 19th century: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and even Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Many silent gothic movies have been lost or are short films. In the aftermath of the First World War, fear of war drove gothic movies. Robert Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), while not based on a gothic plot, used the German Expressionism that inspired gothic cinema. Dr. Caligari’s Cabinet has become a turning point in gothic movies.

Other gothic movies are Frankenstein (1931) by James Whale, Dracula (1931) by Tod Browning, Dr. Jekyll and also Mr. Hyde (1931 ) by Rouben Mamoulian, three films that were fundamental for the development of gothic movie. Gothic romance film is a gothic movie with a love story. Between 1940 and 1948, the gothic romantic film proliferated in Hollywood, made by famous directors and stars. The best known films of the period are Rebecca (1940), Suspicion (1941) and Gaslight (1944). Much lesser known films were Undercurrent (1946) and Sleep, My Love (1948). The plot structure was similar in all of these films: a naïve young woman meets a good-looking older man to whom she is both attracted and repulsed.

In the gothic romance films of the 1940s there is a house in which part of it cannot be used or is closed completely. In the films, the forbidden area is an allegory for the heroine’s repressed psyche, just as the opening of the area is a moment of purification in the film. Also, the style of the house in such films creates spatial disorientation and discomfort. 

🕯️ The New Evil: The Awakening of Contemporary Gothic

The Gothic did not stay buried in the crypts of the 1960s. Over the last three years, we have witnessed a global revival of the genre that has successfully gathered the legacy of the masters to translate it into a raw and profoundly current visual language. The most recent films do not merely cite the past; they use the aesthetics of shadows and macabre symbolism to explore new forms of obsession, isolation, and psychological terror. From Lanthimos’s baroque visions to Eggers’s return to the roots of myth, “New Gothic” proves that darkness is more alive than ever, capable of haunting both ancestral woods and our modern minds.

Poor Things (2023)

Bella Baxter is a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter. Under his protection, Bella is eager to learn but hungry for the worldliness she is missing; she decides to run off with Duncan Wedderburn, a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across continents, free from the prejudices of her time and determined to stand for equality and liberation.

Yorgos Lanthimos reimagines the Frankenstein myth through a steampunk-Gothic and feminist lens. The film is a visual triumph of baroque sets, eccentric costumes, and cinematography that uses wide-angle lenses to distort reality, echoing the expressionism of 1930s classics. It is a bold work that fuses social satire, eroticism, and macabre atmospheres into a unique coming-of-age journey.

Nosferatu (2024)

Set in 19th-century Germany, the film depicts the obsession between a haunted young woman, Ellen Hutter, and the terrifying vampire who stalks her, Count Orlok. The count’s arrival from Transylvania brings a trail of death and pestilence, while Ellen’s husband desperately tries to stop an ancient evil that seems unstoppable and indissolubly linked to his wife’s destiny.

Robert Eggers helms this remake of Murnau’s masterpiece, returning the vampire to its nature as a repulsive and frightening monster. The obsessive attention to historical reconstruction and the use of natural light create a pure Gothic atmosphere, thick with shadows and omens. It is a return to the origins of cinematic terror, where fear is born from mist, crumbling castles, and an ancestral presence dominating the screen.

Lisa Frankenstein (2024)

In 1989, an introverted and misunderstood teenager named Lisa decides to reanimate the corpse of a charming Victorian gentleman during a lightning storm. After bringing him back to life, she begins to “complete” her new companion’s body using parts from people she dislikes, embarking on a bizarre journey in search of true love and a few missing body parts.

Directed by Zelda Williams and written by Diablo Cody, the film is a “horror comedy” that homages romantic Gothic with an 80s pop aesthetic. It is a dark fairy tale that plays with genre clichés, flipping roles and celebrating inner darkness. Between abandoned graveyards and neon-Gothic vibes, the film manages to be simultaneously macabre, funny, and surprisingly sweet.

The Vourdalak (2023)

A French nobleman, lost in an Eastern European forest, finds shelter with a family living in terror. The patriarch has left to fight bandits, warning his children: if he does not return within six days, they must kill him, for he would return as a “Vourdalak”—a vampire that feeds exclusively on the blood of his own kin. As the deadline passes, the man reappears at the door.

Director Adrien Beau delivers a gem shot in Super 16mm, recalling the aesthetics of 1960s and 70s horror films. The choice to use an unsettling puppet for the patriarch heightens the sense of the “uncanny” and alienation. It is an old-fashioned rural Gothic, raw and claustrophobic, exploring the corruption of family bonds through the vampire myth of Slavic tradition.

Gretel & Hansel: The Beginning (2025)

In a land ravaged by famine and plague, young Gretel leads her little brother Hansel into the heart of a dark forest in search of food and work. There they stumble upon an isolated dwelling inhabited by an elderly woman who seems to offer them protection; however, the house hides secrets linked to esoteric rituals and an evil force that feeds on the innocence of children to maintain its power.

This new cinematic chapter delves into the dark origins of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, pushing the Gothic and symbolist aesthetic even further. The direction relies on geometric shots and a painterly use of light, transforming the woods into a mystical labyrinth. It is an atmospheric horror that prioritizes a sense of oppression and constant threat, where magic is portrayed as something ancient, dirty, and dangerous.

Dracula (2025)

Set several years after the events of the original novel, the film follows a secret order of occult scholars who have studied the phenomenon for 400 years. After capturing a live specimen, the group tracks down the Count’s remains to prevent a cult from bringing him back to life. The search leads them from the ruined abbeys of England to the snowy peaks of Transylvania, revealing that the Count has returned to find his princess and that his curse is more powerful than ever.

Directed by Luc Besson (returning to genre filmmaking with a grand vision), the film aims to restore the Victorian Gothic myth by staying true to the literary tradition while employing a modern visual approach. The movie excels in showcasing the contrast between late 19th-century scientific progress and ancestral horror, evoking the atmosphere of the best Hammer classics. With majestic sets and an ensemble narrative, this return of Dracula promises to be one of the most ambitious works in the new global Gothic landscape.

⚰️ Deepen the Shadows: More Paths into Darkness

For those who have found themselves enchanted by the allure of Gothic atmospheres, rest assured that your exploration into the realm of nightmares is far from over. The intrigue and depth of this morbid beauty offer an unending journey, one that beckons you to dive deeper into the shadows. Our meticulously curated collection provides an array of thematic paths, each designed to guide you through the myriad shades of horror. Within our archive, you’ll discover labyrinthine routes through unsettling tales and chilling narratives, each path unlocking new dimensions of the Gothic horror experience.

Vampire Movies

Graceful yet cursed beings, dilapidated fortresses steeped in mystery, and an insatiable yearning enduring through time. Such are the hallmarks of vampires, who represent the central theme of the Gothic imagination, weaving their dark allure through timeless classics as well as reimagined contemporary tales. These creatures, ensnared between the realms of the living and the dead, epitomize the struggle of eternal existence, a paradoxical blend of elegance and despair.

👉 GO TO THE LIST: The Best Vampire Movies to Watch

Witch Movies

Amidst the mysterious world of ancient pagan rituals, deep dark forests, and the whispered tales of unspeakable pacts, lies a fascinating realm that cinema has frequently explored. These films have uniquely captured the magical, esoteric, and disconcerting facets of female-driven horror narratives. They delve into stories where women navigate through enigmatic traditions, the eerie beauty of shadowy woodlands, and the haunting allure of forbidden agreements.

👉 GO TO THE LIST: Witch Movies: Essential Titles

Ghost Movies

There is no Gothic narrative or story that exists without the quintessential element of a specter or ghost making a dramatic return from the shadows of the past to disturb and unsettle the lives of the living. It is a genre rooted deeply in the eerie and the supernatural, characterized by its exploration of the psychological and emotional turmoil that such spectral encounters provoke. This genre is richly illustrated in a comprehensive collection of films uniquely dedicated to themes of spectral presences, mysterious hauntings, and locations shrouded in misfortune and curses.

👉 GO TO THE LIST: Ghost Movies and Haunted Houses

Psychological Horror Movies

When you find that the haunted castle is, in fact, your own mind, you embark on a journey into the depths of your psyche. This exploration is perfect for those who cherish the Gothic genre, known for its rich themes of introspection, passionate delirium, and the descent into madness. Within these experiences, there lies a fascination that draws you into the maze of your thoughts and emotions.

👉 GO TO THE LIST: Psychological Horror Movies

Esotericism Movies

Secret sects, forbidden knowledge, and occult mysteries form the foundation of an enigmatic world hidden in shadows. An exploration into this shadowy domain reveals a fascinating journey into the mystical, ceremonial, and arcane aspects of dark cinema. This genre, shrouded in secrecy and curiosity, offers a tantalizing glimpse into narratives woven with clandestine groups, ancient wisdom, and enigmatic rituals.

👉 GO TO THE LIST: Movies about Esotericism and the Occult

Underground Horror

The Gothic genre, known for invoking feelings of unease and presenting visions that are both original and deeply disturbing, often finds its most unique expressions outside the realm of major film studios. This departure from mainstream cinema allows for the cultivation of innovative narratives that reimagine the boundaries of terror. By delving into the realm of independent and auteur films, one can discover a myriad of works that are not only unsettling but also boldly challenge and redefine the conventions traditionally associated with the genre.

👉 BROWSE THE CATALOG: Stream Underground Horror Online

🏛️ The Roots of Terror: Masterpieces of Classic Gothic

To understand the revival of the genre we are witnessing today, it is necessary to go back to where it all began: in the dusty crypts and ghostly manors that defined the aesthetic of fear. Classic Gothic films are works where black and white accentuates every shadow and Technicolor exaggerates the red of blood, creating atmospheres that no modern special effect can ever replicate. In this selection, we explore the milestones that shaped the collective imagination, from the early Universal monsters to the baroque visions of Hammer and Italian Gothic, where the past is never truly buried and every ruin hides an unspeakable secret.

Nosferatu (1922)

Nosferatu is a 1922 German Expressionist Gothic horror film directed by F.W. Murnau. Considered the forefather of vampire cinema, the film has crossed a century while keeping its unsettling charm perfectly intact. The figure of Count Orlok, played by Max Schreck, deviates from the aristocratic vampire to become a personification of plague and death. Through the masterful use of long shadows, distorted shots, and natural sets, Murnau created a work that transcends time, deeply influencing the aesthetic of all horror cinema to come.

Dracula (1931)

Dracula is a 1931 American Gothic horror film directed by Tod Browning, starring Bela Lugosi in the role that made him immortal. Based on the 1924 stage play by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston, which was adapted from Bram Stoker’s novel, the film marks the beginning of the “Universal Monsters” era. Lugosi gives the Count a magnetic and aristocratic charisma, defining the collective image of the vampire for decades: elegant, lethal, and seductive. Browning’s direction, while influenced by its theatrical roots, creates dark and unforgettable atmospheres.

Frankenstein (1931)

A 1931 American science fiction horror film directed by James Whale, Frankenstein is the ultimate symbol of the creation rebelling against its creator. Adapted from Peggy Webling’s play and inspired by Mary Shelley’s novel, the film stars Boris Karloff as “The Creature.” Thanks to Jack Pierce’s legendary makeup, the monster becomes a tragic and empathetic figure, a victim of a world that does not understand him. Whale’s direction combines European expressionist elements with American dynamism, making the laboratory sequence one of the most iconic in cinema history.

The Old Dark House (1932)

The Old Dark House is a Gothic film by James Whale, a lesser-known but fundamental horror for understanding the genre’s evolution. Adapted from the novel “Benighted” by J.B. Priestley, the film sees a group of travelers seeking refuge in an isolated mansion during a storm. Whale develops an unsettling image of the decomposition of social classes, reflecting the post-war disillusionment that would eventually lead to the second global conflict. Boris Karloff returns to collaborate with the director in a silent and menacing role, enriching a work that skillfully mixes suspense and social satire.

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Elsa Lanchester plays the monster’s mate in what is considered one of the greatest sequels in history. James Whale returns to the director’s chair in Bride of Frankenstein, taking the Gothic to almost baroque levels and infusing the film with a witty and bold subtext. Makeup artist Jack Pierce produced a memorable look for the bride with the famous lightning-bolt hairstyle. The film expands on the theme of the monster’s loneliness, making his search for affection even more heartbreaking. Along with other Universal hits, this title consolidated the genre’s dominance in the 1930s.

Rebecca (1940)

Rebecca is a Gothic psychological thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock, his first work in the United States produced by David O. Selznick. Based on Daphne du Maurier’s novel, the film tells the story of a young woman who marries a wealthy widower, only to find herself haunted by the memory of his first wife, Rebecca, who still seems to dominate the majestic Manderley estate. With noir cinematography and constant tension, Hitchcock explores the themes of obsession and identity, creating a work where the main antagonist is an absence felt in every room.

The Spiral Staircase (1946)

Directed by Robert Siodmak, The Spiral Staircase is a masterpiece of Gothic mystery and suspense. Set in a large mansion during a stormy night, it tells the story of a serial killer targeting young women with disabilities. The protagonist, a mute girl, must survive in an environment where every shadow hides a danger. The innovative use of the killer’s point-of-view and the attention to macabre details anticipated the modern slasher design and the Italian giallo of the 1960s, making the film a fundamental bridge between classic Gothic and modern thrillers.

Dracula (1958)

A British Gothic horror film directed by Terence Fisher, Dracula (known as Horror of Dracula in the US) marks the beginning of the Hammer Film Productions era. Christopher Lee wears the Count’s cape for the first time, while Peter Cushing plays his arch-nemesis, Van Helsing. For the first time, the vampire was shown in vibrant color, with an unprecedented emphasis on sensuality and explicit blood. The film abandoned Universal’s misty atmospheres for a vibrant and carnal Gothic style, redefining the myth for a new generation of viewers.

House of Usher (1960)

Directed by Roger Corman, House of Usher (also known as The Fall of the House of Usher) inaugurated the famous “Poe Cycle.” Vincent Price masterfully plays Roderick Usher, a man convinced that his lineage is cursed and that his house is dying with him. Adapted by Richard Matheson, the film uses hypnotic colors and an oppressive production design to convey the sense of decay and madness from the original tale. It is the work that set the tone for all of Corman’s subsequent adaptations, elevating B-movie cinema to heights of Gothic and psychological elegance rarely reached.

Pit and the Pendulum (1961)

The second chapter of Roger Corman’s Poe cycle, Pit and the Pendulum, again stars Vincent Price alongside Italian Gothic icon Barbara Steele. The plot follows a young man investigating his sister’s death in a Spanish castle filled with torture instruments from the Inquisition. The film is famous for its shocking ending and the masterful use of color and distorting lenses during flashback sequences. Richard Matheson’s screenplay enriches the original material, creating a crescendo of tension that culminates in one of horror cinema’s most famous scenes.

The Innocents (1961)

Jack Clayton’s masterpiece, based on Henry James’s “The Turn of the Screw,” The Innocents is a pinnacle of auteur Gothic cinema. With a screenplay co-written by Truman Capote, the film explores the ambiguous boundary between reality and madness through the story of a governess convinced that the children in her care are possessed by the spirits of two deceased lovers. The profound use of depth of field and black-and-white cinematography creates a ghostly atmosphere that relies entirely on what is unsaid, sexual repression, and the power of suggestion.

The Haunting (1963)

Directed by Robert Wise and based on Shirley Jackson’s novel, The Haunting is considered one of the scariest haunted house films ever made. The story follows a paranormal experiment inside the sinister Hill House. Wise chose never to show the ghosts, instead using harrowing sounds and distorted camera angles to suggest that the house itself is a malevolent entity. The film delves into the fragile psyche of the protagonist Eleanor, transforming architectural horror into a metaphor for mental collapse. Martin Scorsese defined it as the most terrifying horror film ever made.

The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

Considered the peak of the collaboration between Roger Corman and Vincent Price, The Masque of the Red Death adapts one of Poe’s darkest stories. Price plays the evil Prince Prospero, a Satanist who shuts himself in his castle with the local nobility while a lethal plague decimates the peasants outside. The film is distinguished by extraordinary chromatic cinematography by Nicolas Roeg, where each room of the castle represents a psychological or spiritual stage. It is a philosophical and cruel Gothic piece reflecting on mortality and the inevitability of human fate.

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

Written and directed by Roman Polanski, Rosemary’s Baby revolutionized the genre by bringing the Gothic into a modern Manhattan apartment. Mia Farrow plays Rosemary, a young woman who suspects her neighbors are plotting against her unborn child. The film masterfully blends everyday paranoia with Satanic horror, keeping the viewer in uncertainty until the famous and disturbing finale. Based on Ira Levin’s novel, it is a seminal work that launched the era of occult and psychological horror in the 1970s.

Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)

Directed by Peter Weir, Picnic at Hanging Rock is an Australian masterpiece of solar Gothic and dreamlike mystery. During a trip on Valentine’s Day in 1900, three schoolgirls and a teacher mysteriously disappear among the rocks of Hanging Rock. The film offers no rational answers, focusing instead on the suspended atmosphere, Victorian repression, and the ancestral power of the wilderness. With ethereal cinematography and a hypnotic soundtrack, Weir’s work deeply influenced global auteur cinema, becoming a symbol of the Australian New Wave.

Suspiria (1977)

Dario Argento delivers his Gothic masterpiece, Suspiria, moving away from the traditional giallo to embrace a dark and bloody fairy tale. An American ballet student discovers that her academy in Freiburg is actually the coven of a group of witches. Characterized by an expressionist use of primary colors (thanks to the last use of three-strip Technicolor) and a pounding soundtrack by Goblin, the film is a total sensory experience. Every shot is constructed as a baroque nightmare, making it an essential aesthetic reference for all modern horror cinema.

The Changeling (1980)

Directed by Peter Medak, The Changeling is a modern Gothic classic centered on a haunted house. George C. Scott plays a composer who, after losing his family, settles in an old Victorian mansion only to find himself involved in a mystery linked to an unsolved murder. The film avoids easy scares to build tension based on small details: a wheelchair moving on its own, rhythmic sounds in the walls, a ball bouncing down the stairs. It is a work of great atmosphere that perfectly respects the canons of the classic ghost story.

Near Dark (1987)

The solo directorial debut of Kathryn Bigelow, Near Dark is an original hybrid of neo-Western and Gothic vampire film. The story follows a young man from Oklahoma who joins a nomadic family of American vampires who roam the deserted roads in blacked-out vans. Away from capes and castles, Bigelow transforms vampirism into a brutal and stray addiction, while maintaining a romantic and melancholy soul. It is a cult movie that renewed the iconography of the genre, bringing Gothic shadows under the neon lights of American diners.

The Orphanage (2007)

Produced by Guillermo del Toro and directed by J.A. Bayona, The Orphanage (El Orfanato) is an excellent example of contemporary Gothic. Laura returns with her family to the orphanage where she grew up to open a home for disabled children, but her son Simón disappears after talking to “imaginary friends.” The film plays with genre archetypes—secret rooms, nightly noises, old photographs—to tell a poignant story about grief and motherhood. It was a huge critical and commercial success, confirming the vitality of Spanish-language horror cinema.

Romantic Gothic Movies to Watch

Suspicion (1941)

In this Gothic noir directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Suspicion stars Joan Fontaine as a shy woman who marries the charming but ambiguous Cary Grant. Soon, the protagonist begins to suspect her husband is a murderer intending to poison her for her inheritance. Famous for the glowing milk glass sequence (lit from within with a lightbulb to make it look menacing), the film constantly plays with subjective perception and domestic paranoia. Fontaine won an Oscar for this performance, making it the only Hitchcock film to boast an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Gaslight (1944)

Directed by George Cukor, Gaslight is a Victorian Gothic thriller at the root of the psychological term “gaslighting.” Ingrid Bergman plays a woman whose husband (Charles Boyer) deliberately tries to make her believe she is going mad by manipulating the intensity of the house’s gas lights and hiding objects. The claustrophobic atmosphere of the London home and Bergman’s vulnerable performance create an unbearable sense of psychological oppression. The film is a perfect example of how the Gothic can explore horror within marriage and domestic walls.

Undercurrent (1946)

Directed by Vincente Minnelli, Undercurrent is a rare foray into Gothic noir for a director famous for musicals. Katharine Hepburn plays Ann Hamilton, who marries a man (Robert Taylor) haunted by an ambiguous and dark relationship with his brother Michael (Robert Mitchum). The family home becomes the center of a mystery buried in the past that threatens to destroy the protagonist’s present. The tension between the three leads and Minnelli’s elegant direction make the film a fascinating work on jealousy and family secrets that refuse to be forgotten.

Sleep, My Love (1948)

Directed by melodrama master Douglas Sirk, Sleep, My Love blends noir with Romantic Gothic. Alison Courtland (Claudette Colbert) wakes up on a train with no memory of how she got there, discovering her husband (Don Ameche) is trying to induce her to suicide through drugs and hypnosis so he can be with his lover. The film uses expressionist shadows and dynamic direction to tell a story of manipulation and rescue, where the couple’s home becomes a death trap disguised as a luxury residence.

The Enchanted Cottage (1945)

In The Enchanted Cottage, a WWII pilot (Robert Young), disfigured in battle, retreats to an isolated cottage in New England. There he meets a simple and shy girl (Dorothy McGuire); a love grows between them that seems to miraculously transform their physical appearance in each other’s eyes. It is a romantic Gothic fairy tale about inner beauty and the power of illusion, set in a house that seems to possess a magic of its own. The film explores war trauma and the search for acceptance through a delicate and suggestive narrative.

The Heiress (1949)

Directed by William Wyler and adapted from Henry James, The Heiress tells the story of Catherine Sloper, a wealthy but insecure girl manipulated by an authoritarian father (Ralph Richardson) and courted by a charming fortune hunter (Montgomery Clift). Although it is a period drama, the atmosphere in the luxury Washington Square house is purely Gothic due to the psychological oppression and emotional cruelty that reign there. Olivia de Havilland offers a monumental, Oscar-winning performance, transforming the character from a victim into a woman capable of cold and implacable revenge.

Crimson Peak (2015)

Guillermo del Toro delivers a true love letter to classic Gothic in Crimson Peak. Mia Wasikowska plays Edith, a young writer who marries the enigmatic Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and moves into his decaying English estate, Allerdale Hall. The house, which literally “bleeds” red clay from the walls, is inhabited by scarlet specters trying to warn the protagonist of a terrible family secret. With sumptuous costumes and incredible production design, Del Toro creates a work where horror is born not from ghosts, but from twisted human passions and toxic blood ties.