30 Best gothic horror movies of all time, ranked (with trailers)
Gothic horror movies combine rich storytelling with stunning visuals, luring viewers into a realm where the line between reality and the supernatural blurs. With iconic characters like tormented souls, vengeful spirits, and sinister villains, these films captivate the audience's imaginations and evoke a tingling and irresistible dread.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Best gothic horror movies
- 1. The Matrix (1999)
- 2. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
- 3. Rosemary's Baby
- 4. The Nightmare Before Christmas
- 5. Edward Scissorhands
- 6. Gaslight
- 7. Häxan
- 8. Dark City
- 9. The Crow
- 10. Interview With the Vampire
- 11. Bram Stoker's Dracula
- 12. Labyrinth
- 14. Only Lovers Left Alive
- 15. Blade
- 16. Batman Returns
- 17. ParaNorman
- 18. The Old Dark House
- 19. The Addams Family
- 20. The Black Cat
- 21. Hellraiser
- 22. Near Dark
- 23. The Hunger
- 24. The Chronicles of Riddick
- 25. Crimson Peak
- 26. The Woman In Black
- 27. The Cell
- 28. The Craft
- 29. Doom Generation
- 30. Trouble Every Day
- What is the most famous gothic movie?
- What is the difference between horror and gothic horror?
When compiling this list of the best gothic horror movies, we used data from movie review websites like IMDb and reliable sources like Ranker. This ranking is based on user ratings and the popularity of the movies.
Best gothic horror movies
Various gothic horror films have captivated audiences for centuries with their romance, suspense, and supernatural blend. Below is a gothic horror movies list, organised according to their IMDb ratings:
| Movie | Rating out of 10 |
| The Matrix (1999) | 8.7/10 |
| The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) | 8.0/10 |
| Rosemary's Baby (1968) | 8.0/10 |
| The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) | 7.9/10 |
| Edward Scissorhands (1990) | 7.9/10 |
| Gaslight (1944) | 7.8/10 |
| Häxan (1922) | 7.6/10 |
| Dark City (1998) | 7.6/10 |
| The Crow (1994) | 7.5/10 |
| Interview With the Vampire (1994) | 7.5/10 |
| Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) | 7.4/10 |
| Labyrinth (1986) | 7.3/10 |
| Suspiria (1977) | 7.3/10 |
| Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) | 7.2/10 |
| Blade (1998) | 7.1/10 |
| Batman Returns (1992) | 7.1/10 |
| ParaNorman (2012) | 7.0/10 |
| The Old Dark House (1932) | 7.0/10 |
| The Addams Family (1991) | 6.9/10 |
| The Black Cat (1934) | 6.9/10 |
| Hellraiser (1987) | 6.9/10 |
| Near Dark (1987) | 6.9/10 |
| The Hunger (1983) | 6.6/10 |
| The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) | 6.6/10 |
1. The Matrix (1999)
- IMDb ratings: 8.7/10
- Running time: 2 hours 16 minutes
- Release date: 31 March 1999
- Director(s): Lily Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
The Matrix is a science fiction film centred on Thomas Anderson, a computer programmer who leads a double life. During the day he is an average computer programmer and by night a hacker called Neo.
2. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
- IMDb ratings: 8.0/10
- Running time: 1 hour 7 minutes
- Release date: 26 February 1920
- Director: Robert Wiene
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a silent old gothic horror movie that follows the story of Francis, who recounts his chilling experiences in Holstenwall, a small German town. The plot revolves around Dr. Caligari, a sinister hypnotist, and his somnambulist assistant, Cesare, whom he forces to commit murders while in a trance.
3. Rosemary's Baby
- IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
- Running time: 2 hours 17 minutes
- Release date: 12 June, 1968
- Director: Roman Polanski
This is the best gothic horror movie of the 1960s. Rosemary Woodhouse, who has been trying to have a baby, moves into a mysterious, old, ornate New York building with her husband. She eventually becomes pregnant with what she suspects to be the child of the devil.
4. The Nightmare Before Christmas
- IMDb ratings: 7.9/10
- Running time: 1 hour 16 minutes
- Release date: 29 October 1993
- Director: Henry Selick
The Nightmare Before Christmas is among the classic gothic horror movies that have captivated fans over the decades. When Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, he desires to celebrate Christmas by bringing it home. However, his quest to bring the holiday leads to chaos and misunderstandings.
5. Edward Scissorhands
- IMDb ratings: 7.9/10
- Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Release date: 14 December 1990
- Director: Tim Burton
Edward Scissorhands is a classic gothic horror movie that has captivated fans for over thirty years. It centres around Edward, an incomplete artificial man with metal scissors for his hands. Eventually, a suburban family discovers Edward and takes him in.
6. Gaslight
- IMDb ratings: 7.8/10
- Running time: 2 hour 54 minutes
- Release date: 4 May 1944
- Director: George Cukor
Gaslight is one of the best gothic horror movies released in the early 1940s. A decade after the death of her famous aunt, Paula takes residence with Gregory, her new husband, in London. Gregory manipulates her into believing she is losing her sanity. As Paula struggles with her mental state, a neighbour and a police officer begin to suspect Gregory's true motives.
7. Häxan
- IMDb ratings: 7.6/10
- Running time: 1 hour 31 minutes
- Director: Benjamin Christensen
- Release date: 18 September 1922
Häxan is a unique silent film that explores the history of witchcraft. It blends documentary and fiction to showcase the evolution of witchcraft from its pagan origin. The film argues that hysteria and mental illness were often mistaken for witchcraft in the past.
8. Dark City
- IMDb ratings: 7.6/10
- Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Release date: 27 February 1998
- Director: Alex Proyas
John Murdoch awakens with amnesia in a hotel room. He discovers he is wanted for a series of brutal murders. While trying to piece together his past, he comes across a cruel underworld controlled by strangers who can put people to sleep and manipulate the city and its inhabitants.
9. The Crow
- IMDb ratings: 7.5/10
- Running time: 1 hour 42 minutes
- Release date: 10 May 1994
- Director: Alex Proyas
A poetic guitarist and musician, Eric Draven, is brutally murdered with his fiancée. On the anniversary of their deaths, a crow resurrects Eric to seek vengeance for their death. He gains supernatural powers, allowing him to endure violence while avenging them. Eric hunts down the gang responsible for their murders, one by one.
10. Interview With the Vampire
- IMDb rating: 7.5/10
- Running time: 2 hours 3 minutes
- Release date: 11 November 1994
- Director: Neil Jordan
Against the backdrop of gloomy San Francisco, the nearly two-century-old vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac recounts the unbelievable story of his transformation into a vampire. He struggles with his new identity and moral dilemmas. Louis and Lestat raise a young vampire named Claudia together, who grows resentful of her eternal childhood and seeks revenge.
11. Bram Stoker's Dracula
- IMDb ratings: 7.4/10
- Running time: 2 hours 8 minutes
- Release date: 13 November 1992
- Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Bram Stoker's Dracula is a gothic horror film about Count Dracula, an ancient vampire who travels from Transylvania to England. Dracula seeks to seduce the fiancée of his real estate agent, Jonathan Harker. In London, Dracula hypnotically seduces and bites Mina's best friend, Lucy Westenra. Dracula transforms Mina into a vampire, but the hunters pursue him to Transylvania.
12. Labyrinth
- IMDb ratings: 7.3/10
- Running time: 1 hour 41 minutes
- Release date: 27 June 1986
- Director: Jim Henson
16-year-old Sarah is forced by her father and stepmother to babysit her baby stepbrother, Toby, while they are out. He does not stop crying, and she wishes that he would be taken away. The Goblin King Jareth takes him to his castle in the Goblin City in the middle of a labyrinth. Sarah asks Jareth to give him back, but Jareth tells her she must rescue him before midnight.
- IMDb ratings: 7.3/10
- Running time: 1 hour 32 minutes
- Release date: 1 February 1977
- Director: Dario Argento
Suzy Bannion travels to Germany, where she enrols at a dance academy with dark secrets and sinister happenings. After witnessing a fellow student's murder, she becomes increasingly suspicious. Suzy discovers the school is a front for a coven of witches. In a climactic battle, she confronts the head witch, Helena Markos. Suzy defeats the witches and escapes the academy.
14. Only Lovers Left Alive
- IMDb ratings: 7.2/10
- Running time: 2 hours 3 minutes
- Release date: 25 December 2013
- Director: Jim Jarmusch
Set against the romantic desolation of Detroit and Tangiers, an underground musician, deeply depressed by the direction of human activities, reunites with his resilient and enigmatic lover. Their love story has already endured several centuries at least, but her wild and uncontrollable younger sister soon disrupts their debauched idyll.
15. Blade
- IMDb ratings: 7.1/10
- Running time: 2 hours
- Release date: 19 August 1998
- Director: Stephen Norrington
In a world where vampires walk the earth, a half-vampire and a half-mortal man named Blade have a quest. He protects humanity from evil vampires while battling his bloodlust. Blade's mentor, Abraham Whistler, assists him with advanced weaponry and knowledge.
16. Batman Returns
- IMDb ratings: 7.1/10
- Running time: 2 hours 6 minutes
- Release date: 19 June 1992
- Director: Tim Burton
From the sewers to the rooftops of Gotham City, the Penguin (The Penguin) seeks revenge against Gotham City and its citizens. Meanwhile, Selina Kyle transforms into the vigilante Catwoman after her death. Batman must navigate his feelings for Catwoman while battling both antagonists.
17. ParaNorman
- IMDb ratings: 7.0/10
- Running time: 1 hour 32 minutes
- Released date: 17 August 2012
- Director(s): Chris Butler, Sam Fell
ParaNorman is among the best gothic horror movies for kids. It is a beautifully animated tale that combines humour and horror. It tells the story of Norman Babcock, a misunderstood boy with the unique ability to communicate with the dead. Norman learns about a centuries-old witch's curse threatening his town. With the help of friends, he faces rising zombies.
18. The Old Dark House
- IMDb ratings: Rating 7.0/10
- Running time: 1 hour 12 minutes
- Release date: 20 October 1932
- Director: James Whale
Five travellers seek shelter during a violent storm in Wales. They find refuge in a decaying mansion owned by the Femm family. The eccentric family members include Horace, Rebecca, and the mute butler Morgan. Tensions rise as travellers encounter strange occurrences and dark secrets.
19. The Addams Family
- IMDb ratings: 6.9/10
- Running time: 1 hour 39 minutes
- Release date: 22 November 1991
- Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Gomez Addams and his family miss his long-lost brother, Fester, who disappeared. A con artist poses as Fester to steal their fortune. The Addams children, Wednesday and Pugsley, are delightfully macabre. Morticia suspects the impostor and investigates his true identity. The real Fester returns, restoring family unity.
20. The Black Cat
- IMDb ratings: 6.9/10
- Running time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Release date: 3 May 1934
- Director: Edgar G. Ulmer
Joan and Peter Allison, American honeymooners in Hungary, encounter a Satan-worshipping architect and a vengeful doctor. The doctor seeks revenge against the architect for betraying him during the war. The architect has a collection of preserved dead women in his basement, where the doctor discovers his wife's body is part of the architect's collection.
21. Hellraiser
- IMDb ratings: 6.9/10
- Running time: 1 hour 34 minutes
- Release date: 11 September 1987
- Director: Clive Barker
Hellraiser follows a mystical puzzle box that opens a gateway. This box summons the Cenobites, sadomasochistic beings from another dimension. Frank, a man who escapes their clutches, requires blood sacrifices. His former lover, Julia, helps him by luring victims. Kirsty, Frank's niece, discovers the truth about her family. She confronts the Cenobites to save herself and others.
22. Near Dark
- IMDb ratings: 6.9/10
- Running time: 1 hour 34 minutes
- Release date: 2 October 1987
- Director: Kathryn Bigelow
A mid-western farm boy reluctantly becomes a member of the undead when a girl he meets is part of a band of southern vampires who roam the highways in stolen cars. Part of his initiation includes a bloody assault on a hick bar.
23. The Hunger
- IMDb ratings: 6.6/10
- Running time: 1 hour 37 minutes
- Release date: 29 April 1983
- Director: Tony Scott
The vampire lady, Miriam, subsists upon the blood of her lovers. Her lovers don't age until Miriam has had enough of them. That's the case with John, so his life expectancy is less than 24 hours. He seeks help from the famous Dr. Sarah Roberts, who doesn't believe his story but becomes curious and contacts Miriam. However, Miriam seduces Sarah, turning her into a vampire.
24. The Chronicles of Riddick
- IMDb ratings: 6.6/10
- Running time: 1 hour 59 minutes
- Release date: 11 June 2004
- Director: David Twohy
Antihero Richard Bruno Riddick, who is on the run from bounty hunters, arrives on Helion Prime. He encounters the Necromongers, a race of religious fanatics led by the Lord Marshal. They seek to convert or kill all who oppose them. Riddick learns he is the last of the Furyan race and is prophesied to stop the Necromongers.
25. Crimson Peak
- IMDb ratings: 6.5/10
- Running time: 1h 59m
- Release date: 16 October 2015
- Director: Guillermo del Toro
This is among the modern gothic horror movies following the story of Edith Cushing. Her mother died when she was young. Haunted by her mother's ghost, she meets Thomas Sharpe, an English baronet seeking investors for his invention. Edith marries Thomas and moves to his decaying mansion. She encounters ghostly apparitions and uncovers dark family secrets.
26. The Woman In Black
- IMDb ratings: 6.4/10
- Running time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Release date: 3 February 2012
- Director: James Watkins
Arthur Kipps, a young lawyer grieving his wife, travels to a remote village to settle a deceased client. There, he discovers the ghost of a scorned woman. Kipps investigates the haunting and uncovers tragic secrets. He confronts the ghost, seeking to end her vengeance. Ultimately, Kipps faces devastating consequences to protect his child.
27. The Cell
- IMDb ratings: 6.4/10
- Running time: 1 hour 47 minutes
- Release date: 17 August 2000
- Director: Tarsem Singh
Catharine Deane, a psychotherapist using experimental technology, enters the mind of a serial killer, Carl Stargher. The FBI needs her help to find his latest victim. Inside Stargher's mind, she encounters terrifying imagery and psychological traps; hence, Catharine races against time to rescue the kidnapped woman. She confronts Stargher's dark past and inner demons.
28. The Craft
- IMDb ratings: 6.4/10
- Running time: 1 hour 41 minutes
- Release date: 3 May 1996
- Director: Andrew Fleming
Sarah is a teenage girl who has moved to Los Angeles. She befriends three outcast girls who practice witchcraft. The girls, Nancy, Bonnie, and Rochelle, welcome Sarah into their coven. Together, they cast spells to improve their lives. Nancy's powers grow out of control, causing chaos. Sarah tries to stop Nancy's dangerous behaviour, but the coven turns against her.
29. Doom Generation
- IMDb ratings: 6.1/10
- Running time: 1 hour 23 minutes
- Release date: 25 October 1995
- Director: Greg Araki
Troubled teens Jordan White and Amy Blue pick up drifter Xavier Red, forming a trio. Together, they embark on a sex-and-violence-filled journey. They visit various quickie marts and convenience stores along the way. Jordan, Amy, and Xavier engage in a twisted romance, and their relationship is marked by betrayal, jealousy, and murder.
30. Trouble Every Day
- IMDb ratings: 5.9/10
- Running time: 1 hour 41 minutes
- Release date: 11 July 2001
- Director: Claire Dennis
Dr. Shane and June Brown, an American couple, go on a honeymoon in Paris to nurture their new life together. During the honeymoon, Dr. Shane searches for his former colleague, Dr. Léo Sémeneau, who disappeared. Shane's obsession stems from Léo's wife, Coré, who suffers from cannibalistic urges. Léo keeps Coré locked away to protect her from society.
What is the most famous gothic movie?
The Matrix is the most famous gothic horror movie, with an IMDb rating of 8.7/10. It follows the story of a computer programmer, Thomas Anderson, who leads a double life.
What is the difference between horror and gothic horror?
Horror aims to provoke strong feelings of fear, shock, and disgust. It often features graphic violence, gore, and jump scares. The goal is to disturb and unsettle the audience.
On the other hand, gothic tales explore past themes—haunting the present. The settings are usually gloomy, decaying, and isolated. Gothic horror focuses on emotion and psychology rather than pure terror.
Gothic horror movies continue to resonate with audiences, captivating their imaginations and stirring their deepest fears. They evoke emotion and provoke thought, all while immersing audiences in beautifully crafted, chilling worlds. These films showcase the rich tapestry of gothic horror, ensuring that the genre remains a beloved staple in cinema.
Yen.co.gh shared an article on the Scream movie franchise. With six movies, the Scream franchise has evolved significantly over the years. It has consistently pushed the boundaries of horror, incorporating self-awareness to create a unique and engaging experience.
From the original 1996 Scream film to the latest instalment, Scream VI (2023), the franchise has evolved to keep up with the ever-changing horror landscape. Discover the franchise's many films and how to watch them to better understand the story.
Source: YEN.com.gh
