18 of the Best Classic Horror Movies All True Horror Fans Need to Watch ASAP
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Most people have seen the horror movies their parents watched back in the 1970s and 1980s, such as Halloween, Friday the 13th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street, but what about the movies that came before that era? Each generation of horror movies ultimately helped push the boundaries for the new scary movies we see today, such as Barbarian, Scream VI, and The Blackening.
So, when we say "classic" horror movies here, we're taking things *Hilary Duff voice* "back, back to the beginning," examining all the best and most terrifying films (of the time) from the 1920s to the 1960s. Honestly, without these movies, we wouldn't have the modern-day horror sagas we love today. Plus, nearly all of these movies have been remade at least once since they originally premiered, so you may be familiar with many of these storylines.
From Universal Monster movies like Dracula and Frankenstein to Vincent Price-starring films such as House of Wax or House on Haunted Hill to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, there's something for every type of horror fan on this list.
Nosferatu (1922)
This silent German Expressionist film gave us one the most terrifying movie vampires ever: Count Orlok. This unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, tells the story of a vampire who takes a dangerous interest in a real estate agent's wife.
In 2024, IT's Bill Skarsgård will play Count Orlok in a new movie adaptation.
The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
There are so many different adaptations of Gaston Leroux's classic novel, but this silent version is peak Phantom (sorry to Gerard Butler).
A disfigured music composer who lives underneath the Paris Opera House becomes enamored with a beautiful opera singer and kidnaps her, bringing her back to his underground lair.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
Actor Fredric March won one of the first Best Actor in a Leading Role awards at the 1932 Academy Awards for his dual role of kind Dr. Jekyll and monstrous Mr. Hyde.
Based on Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this story follows a curious doctor who concocts a potion that is able to turn him into another person. Unfortunately, this new identity ends up being a homicidal maniac.
You've read the book in English class, so now watch this movie adaptation. The transformation scene alone is worth it.
Dracula (1931)
There are SO many different versions of Bram Stoker's classic tale, including two movies from 2023 alone — Renfield, starring Nicolas Cage and The Last Voyage of the Demeter, which focuses on a single chapter from Dracula. However, this 1930s movie starring Bela Lugosi is arguably the quintessential Dracula film.
Count Dracula, secretly a vampire from Transylvania, wreaks havoc in London during the night as he prowls for unsuspecting victims.
Fun fact: When actor Bela Lugosi died, he was buried in his Dracula cape. It was a replica, leaving the original costume piece to his son.
Frankenstein (1931)
First things first, Frankenstein is the name of the mad scientist, not 👏 the👏 monster.
Adapted from Mary Shelley's classic novel, Frankenstein tells the story of a crazed scientist named Dr. Henry Frankenstein who becomes obsessed with creating life from the body parts of dead people. He's surprisingly successful, but soon his creation turns on its master and runs amok through the village.
While terrifying during the 1930s, this movie is more of a drama than a horror film, with the Monster desperately looking for love and acceptance and only being met with fear and antagonism.
The Mummy (1932)
A year after Boris Karloff terrified audiences as the Creature in Frankenstein, he terrified them again as the high priest Imhotep in The Mummy.
Like Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster, the Mummy is another classic Universal monster. While the 1999 cinematic masterpiece The Mummy starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz is the very definition of "iconic," this 1930s version still deserves your attention.
When an Egyptian mummy is resurrected, he goes on the hunt for the girl he thinks is his long-lost love reincarnated.
The Invisible Man (1933)
Do not sleep on this amazing movie! You may have seen the 2020 remake starring Elisabeth Moss, but this version is very different. It may be nearly 100 years old, but the special effects used to turn actor Claude Rains "invisible" are still jaw-dropping to this day.
H. G. Wells's tale about a scientist who discovers a way to turn himself invisible — but with the side effect of becoming insane — is brought to life, making the Invisible Man join ranks with the other Universal Classic Monsters.
King Kong (1933)
Odds are, you've seen one of the many remakes of this classic story, such as the Jack Black film from 2005 or Kong: Skull Island in 2017, but if you're a true fan of the franchise, you should check out the OG.
A film crew travels to Skull Island with the hopes of capturing a gigantic ape they later dub as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." When they take the creature back to NYC, he soon breaks free of his shackles and tries to escape, kidnapping (or should we say kong-napping?) a beautiful starlet named Ann Darrow.
The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
This sequel to Frankenstein picks up right where the first movie left off, continuing the exploits of the Monster and Dr. Frankenstein.
Encouraged by his former mentor, Dr. Pretorius, Dr. Frankenstein begins creating a mate for the Monster, while the creature continues to inadvertently terrorize people he runs into on his journey.
The Wolf Man (1941)
If you're a fan of werewolf movies such as An American Werewolf in London, The Howling, and Ginger Snaps, then you need to check out this Universal classic from the 1940s.
When Larry Talbot returns home to bury his brother and reconcile with his father, he's quickly smitten with a girl he meets named Gwen Conliffe. To impress her, he buys a silver walking stick from an antique store (weird flex, but OK). However, he ends up using that cane to kill a wolf that bites him, only to later learn the creature was actually a werewolf — and he's now one, too.
Cat People (1942)
A Serbian immigrant fears that if she is intimate with her new American husband, she'll transform into a cat person from her homeland's legends. As the fable goes, she'll turn into a black panther when she is aroused.
While the plot of this movie sounds bizarre, it's actually a fantastic film and totally worth your time.
House of Wax (1953)
The 2005 version of House of Wax starring Jared Padalecki and Paris Hilton is loosely based on this classic 1950s film starring Vincent Price.
After his associate burns down their wax museum for the insurance money, his business partner survives the fire and returns with a new wax museum — but something peculiar is up with the wax figures.
Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954)
While on an expedition, a group of scientists encounter a mysterious underwater creature lurking in the Amazonian jungle. They try to capture it so it can be studied, but the beast isn't giving up its freedom without a fight.
Horror of Dracula (1958)
Also known simply as Dracula, this film marked the first appearance of Christopher Lee as Count Dracula in Hammer Horror films.
While searching for his missing friend, Dr. Van Helsing meets Count Dracula. Van Helsing soon learns his missing friend has been turned into a member of the undead and that Dracula plans to curse more innocent people, including his friend's fiancée. What transpires is a battle between good and evil.
House on Haunted Hill (1959)
Six years after House of Wax premiered, Vincent Price starred in this classic haunted house movie about a quirky millionaire who offers a cash prize to five unsuspecting people if they agree to be trapped inside a ~spooky~ house overnight with him and his wife.
Forty years later, in 1999, a remake of the same name was made starring Taye Diggs and Geoffey Rush.
Peeping Tom (1960)
Considered one of the first slasher movies, this British psychological horror film is about a serial killer who records his murders so he can relive his victims' terrified reactions
As mentioned by Ghostface in Scream 4, Peeping Tom was the "first movie to ever put the audience in the killer's [point of view]."
Psycho (1960)
Along with Peeping Tom, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is also considered to be one of the first slasher movies, ultimately paving the way for future slashers in the '70s and beyond.
Based on Robert Bloch's novel of the same name, Psycho tells the story of creepy Norman Bates who runs the secluded Bates Motel with his overbearing mother. After Marion embezzles money, she goes on the lam and hides out at the Bates Motel, but soon realizes something isn't quite right with the staff.
The Birds (1963)
A few birds crowding around you isn't scary, but hundreds of birds swarming you is the stuff of nightmares. That's what happens in this classic Alfred Hitchcock movie about a Northern California town that's suddenly plagued by aggressive birds.
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