There are certain movies that can leave a lasting impression and stick with fans for a while after a viewing, haunting viewers with thoughts and fears or mind-bending ideas that hit hard. This is best explored in certain genres likeGothic horror, which is a multi-faceted genre touched on by many authors and filmmakers over the years in different ways.
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The focus of Gothichorroris usually on the atmosphere and setting of a particular place or past time period as mysterious and/or supernatural incidents occur that also often crosses over with romance to further inspire emotional reactions in the audience, which has led to a number of different options to explore for fans looking to find a new movie about haunts to haunt them.
Updated July 27, 2025 by Mark Sammut:Gothic horror moviesooze style while typically not neglecting the substance either. From the early days of German Expressionism to recent releases such asGretel & Hansel and The Eyes of My Mother, there is still a want for horror stories that deal with humanity’s inner darkness (with perhaps a hint of romance). With Halloween fast approaching, this is the ideal time to revisit this article and add a few more of thebest Gothic horror movies, some of which are bonafide masterpieces of not just the subgenre but film in general.
15The Black Cat (1934)
A true classic of the horror genre,The Black Catwas a trailblazer for the early ’30s. Launching with1931’sDracula, Universal Classic Monsters movies were in full swing by 1934, andThe Black Catdistinguished itself from its predecessors by prioritizing psychological horror.
Highlighting the vengeful and ugly side of people,The Black Catis very much about humans (and cults) rather than monsters. The film also stars Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, which is just an unbeatable duo.
Note:Quite a few of the Universal Classic Monsters movies fit the Gothic Horror genre, and a significant percentage of them are great.
14The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari (1920)
Robert Wiene’sThe Cabinet of Dr. Caligariis often cited as the first proper horror film, and it helped define the genre alongside 1922’sNosferatu. Both movies are German Expressionist masterpieces, utilizing unnatural sets, dense shadows, and harsh angles to craft a nightmarish representation of reality.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligaritackles themes of death, human experimentation, and conformity, all the while being a plainly frightening experience.Dr. CaligariandNosferatuare not just for film school.
13House Of Usher (1960)
Newcomers to Gothic horror searching for a place to start can turn to Roger Corman’s Edgar Allan Poe adaptations for guidance. Starting with 1960’sHouse of Usherand concluding with 1965’sThe Tomb of Ligeia, Corman produced a series of ambitious projects based on arguably the most famous Gothic writer of all time. Most of them star Vincent Price, the king of horror.
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1964’sThe Masque of the Red Deathis fantastic and well worth seeking out, butHouse of Usheris a more traditional Gothic horror project. While the film doesn’t quite capture the haunting imagery of Poe’s story, it is still a loving and passionate tribute to the author.
12The Haunting (1963)
Shirley Jackson’sThe Haunting Of Hill Housenovel has beenadapted to moviesa few times over the years, though it was only Robert Wise’s 1963The Hauntingthat managed to capture the haunting Gothic horror of the novel and the genre.
The Hauntingtook place at Hill House, an oddly constructed manor with a dark past filled with death that led a doctor’s investigation into the supernatural alongside a pair of psychic siblings. The design and structure of the film keep fans guessing over the reality of everything happening, further adding to the horror of Hill House.
11The Others (2001)
Nicole Kidman starred in 2001’sThe Othersfrom director Alejandro Amenábar as a war-time widow forced to live in the dark in her large mansion while she raised her two light-sensitive children alone with the aid of servants.
However, the struggling family soon begins to experience troubling and terrifying events in the creepy house that make them begin to question their own sanity.The Othersfeatures atmospheric tension and a shocking twist ending that has made it afavorite among horror fans.
10Interview With The Vampire (1994)
Anne Rice’s celebrated series of novels has seen a few adaptations that have explored the centuries-spanning story of the vampire Lestat, though Niel Jordan’s 1994 adaptation ofInterview with the Vampirewas the most successful.
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Interview with a Vampirefollowed former plantation owner Louis (Brad Pitt) as he was transformed into a vampire by Lestat (Tom Cruise), leading to a tortured existence of loss and suffering that takes him on a journey around the world over the centuries that extends to the titular present-day interview with a reporter.
9The Innocents (1961)
A slow-burning psychological horror film,The Innocentsjust has a way of getting under people’s skin. Set on a sprawling estate, Miss Giddens watches over two children, Miles and Flora, who might not be as “innocent” as they seem.
The Innocentsdrenches its setting in a thick and suffocating sense of dread. The horror elements are sprinkled in meticulously, permitting the fear to organically grow to match Giddens' state of mind. Expertly directed and just as haunting today as it was in the early ’60s,The Innocentsis a classic.
8Kill, Baby, Kill (1966)
Legendary Italian director and “Master of the Macabre” Mario Bava directed 1966’sKill, Baby, Kill/Operazione Paurawhich followed a doctor and a medical student as they investigated a mysterious death of a woman in a superstitious Carpathian village.
They soon discover that the village is cursed by a ghostly young girl as they begin to experience increasinglymind-bending supernatural eventsat their haunted villa that has madeKill, Baby, Killa must-watch for fans of both Italian and Gothic horror movies.
7The Changeling (1980)
Peter Medak directed 1980’sThe Changeling,which is a masterclass in atmospheric horror that follows a composer (George C. Scott) as he moves to a large Victorian mansion in Seattle following the tragic death of his wife and child.
He begins to experience a number of terrifying events including loud banging and ghostly apparitions that continue to escalate, leading him to hold a seance that helps him begin to unravel the dark mystery of the manor.
6Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
The literary classic from Bran Stoker has been adapted in a number of different ways over the years, though Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 adaptation not only captured the gothic elements of the original novel, it focused the movie through that darkly romantic lens to great effect.
Gary Oldman wowed audiences with themany transformations of Count Draculaas the movie explored the history of Vlad the Impaler and the ancient vampire set his sights on Victorian London and young Mina Harker.
