Most movie fans enjoy a good scare every now and then and whether you prefer a knife-wielding killer who chases after teenagers or a classic Gothic-style ghost story, there’s usually always a suitable scary movie for all kinds of cinephiles. While some film fans might prefer a more modern taste in scary movies for their spooky season, there are plenty of classic movies, such asPsycho,The Night of the Hunter, andThe Haunting, that incite just as much fear and anxiety as more recent titles.
There would be no horror genre today if it weren’t for classic scary movies, which initially brought some of the most iconic monsters to the silver screen, includingDracula,The Invisible Man, andDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. They’re also credited for traditional whodunit murder mysteries and paranormal ghost stories, with notable titles such asHouse of WaxandThe Innocents, which continue to terrify audiences today.
10’The Spiral Staircase' (1946)
Directed by Robert Siodmak
Directed byone of the best film noir directors,Robert Siodmak,The Spiral Staircaseis a horror noir set in a small town in Vermont where a serial killer who targets women with disabilities is on the loose. With no leads and the police still baffled by the killer, a bedridden woman, Mrs. Warren (Ethel Barrymore) becomes concerned about her caregiver, Helen (Dorothy McGuire), who is mute and tells her to leave town for her own safety. Before Helen can make her departure, the killer finds his way into the Warren home and Helen soon realizes that the killer is someone she knows.
The Spiral Staircaseis a chilling thriller that takes audiences on an intense game of cat and mouse through a Gothic-style mansion, riddled with shadows and dark corners, laying a foundation of unpredictability and fright. It’s one thing to be pursued by a madman and in fear for your life, but the terror is heightened by Helens’s inability to speak, making it incredibly difficult for her to notify the authorities, leaving her to her own devices for protection.The Spiral Staircasefeatures crucial elements of a suspenseful noir wrapped up in a classic whodunit mystery with a unique twist of an ending.
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9’Dracula' (1958)
Directed by Terence Fisher
Through the years,Bram Stoker’s classic novel,Dracula, has been adapted into several film adaptions and while there are plenty of notable actors who have brought the bloodthirsty Count to the silver screen,Christopher Lee’s portrayal of the iconic character is among the scariest in movie history. The 1958 version ofDraculaopens with a vampire hunter, Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing),who is searching for his missing friend, Jonathan Harker (John Van Eyssen), and ends up at Dracula’s castle. There, he finds an undead Harker in Dracula’s tomb and soon realizes that the vampire’s next target is Harker’s fiancé, Lucy (Carol Marsh).
Lee is absolutely terrifying as the infamous Count Dracula, conveying a certain sense of fear with his mesmerizing eyes and sheer daunting presence that is unlike any other depiction of the character. This Technicolor nightmare also features an authentic mid-Victorian backdrop and a sinister score byJames Bernardthat ultimately sets an eerie, unsettling tone to a tale that effortlessly puts audiences under Dracula’s captivating spell. While there are many fabulous versions of Count Dracula,the 1958 version ofDraculais considered by many to be one of the best adaptations of Stoker’s famous novel and is full of unyielding chills and thrills.
In Dracula (1958), Jonathan Harker’s attempt to confront Count Dracula initiates a sinister chain of events, leading the vampire to target the family of Harker’s fiancée. Dr. van Helsing, a dedicated scholar of vampirism, emerges as the key figure in the struggle to thwart Dracula’s dark influence.
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8’The Old Dark House' (1932)
Directed by James Whale
When a husband and wife, Philip (Raymond Massey) and Margaret Waverton (Gloria Stuart) and their friend, Roger (Charles Laughton) are traveling in Wales, there’s a severe thunderstorm that forces them to seek shelter at an old farmhouse nearby. After being reluctantly allowed in by the Femm family, the trio are soon joined by two other visitors, sending the peculiar Femm family into a strange frenzy.
The Old Dark Houseis a fear-inducing thriller that lures audiences into a strange mystery of identity and dark family secrets, leading up to a highly unexpected turn of events. The film was initially well received by audiences and critics, who praised the star-studded cast and the solid, unpredictable plot that had them on edge the entire time. With the chaos of a thundering storm and the setting of the decaying farmhouse,The Old Dark Housedepicts the tone of an ideal campfire ghost story that will have viewers huddling close together in unbearable anticipation.
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7’The Haunting' (1963)
Directed by Robert Wise
The Hauntingfollows two young women, Eleanor (Julie Harris) and Theodora (Claire Bloom), who both have experiences with the paranormal and are selected by an anthropologist, Dr. John Markway (Richard Johnson), as participants in an experiment which takes place in a supposed haunted mansion known as Hill House. The women and Markway are joined by the owner of the home, Luke (Russ Tamblyn), and once they arrive, they all begin to experience strange and unexplainable occurrences, resulting in Eleanor believing that the house itself is alive and trying to communicate with her.
The Hauntingis a suspense-filled ghost story based onShirley Jackson’s famous novel,The Haunting of Hill Houseand is afavorite scary movie of Oscar-winning directors,Martin ScorseseandSteven Spielberg, who enjoy the film’s array of jump scares and thrills. The movie puts a spin on a traditional ghost story, focusing more on the psychological aspects of fear and terror that can lead someone to experience a mental breakdown, ultimately blurring the lines between reality and delusion.The Hauntingplays on audiences' general fear of the unknown through a never-ending game of psychological warfare and visual tricks, making it the epitome of a scary classic moviethat will have viewers questioning everything that goes bump in the night.
The Haunting
Dr. John Markway, an anthropologist fascinated by psychic phenomena, assembles a small team to investigate the eerie Hill House, notorious for its tragic and violent history. Among the group are Eleanor, a fragile woman with a troubled past; Theodora, a mysterious and perceptive artist; and Luke, the skeptical future heir of the mansion. As they delve deeper into the house’s dark secrets, supernatural occurrences escalate, challenging their sanity and pushing Eleanor to the brink.
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6’House of Wax' (1953)
Directed by André De Toth
Vincent Pricestars inHouse of Waxas a co-owner of a wax museum, Professor Henry Jerrod, who is propositioned by an art critic, Sidney Wallace (Paul Cavanaugh), to buy the museum from him. While Wallace is away on business, Jerrod is infuriated when his business partner, Matthew Burke (Roy Roberts), sets the museum on fire to collect the insurance money. Initially, it’s believed that Jerrod was killed in the blaze, but when Wallace receives word that he survived, Jerrod asks the critic to invest in his new wax museum.
House of Waxis a first-rate horror thriller and a remake of Warner Bros. 1933 filmMystery of the Wax Museumdirected byMichael Curtiz. The movie follows an intricate trail of breadcrumbs that all fall into place by the final act, revealing a sinister secret that is both grotesque and jaw-dropping. Price, who is considered to be a crucial star of classic horror,gives a sinfully wicked performance, conveying a unique blend of sophistication and ghoulish charm that makesHouse of Waxa spine-chilling film experience.
House of Wax
An associate burns down a wax museum with the owner inside, but he survives only to become vengeful and murderous.
5’The Invisible Man' (1933)
Claude Rainsgives a terrifyingly brilliant performance inThe Invisible Manas Dr. Jack Griffin, an unconventional scientist who develops a serum that turns him completely invisible. While Griffin is amazed by his success, he must now find a way to reverse the serum and the longer he remains invisible, the more he starts to lose his grip on reality and slowly go insane.
James Whale’s iconic monster film,The Invisible Man, is based off ofH.G. Welles' famous 1879 novel by the same name and is a torrid tale of success and madness that drives a man to murder and inflicting pure terror on those around him. At first glance, this classic Universal monster movie may not seem or sound that scary, but after a while, seeing Rains wrapped up in gauze like a mummy adorning dark, hallow glasses and a chilling cackle,The Invisible Manis one classic movie that is guaranteed to send shivers up and down any spine.
The Invisible Man
Inspired by H.G. Well’s novel of the same name, The Invisible Man is a modern retelling of the sci-fi horror classic. After narrowly escaping her abusive and powerful tech mogul boyfriend (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss) is relieved to hear of his death. However, she soon becomes convinced that he’s watching her, and little by little, she comes to believe that he’s found a way to not only cheat death but the laws of reality, too.
4’The Night of the Hunter' (1955)
Directed by Charles Laughton
The Night of the Hunteris an essential noir horror film that starts with the arrest of a husband and father, Ben Harper (Peter Graves), who committed a robbery that resulted in murder, resulting in him being charged and sentenced to death. While behind bars, he tells his cellmate, Reverend Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum), that he was able to hide the money before he was arrested. Unbeknownst to Harper, Powell is a sadistic serial killer who targets women and once he’s released from jail, he tracks down Harper’s wife (Shelley Winters) in an attempt to find the buried money.
Based onDavis Grubb’s 1953 novel by the same name,The Night of the Hunteris a petrifying classic scary movie featuring Mitchum in one of his most terrifying roles of all time. The film’stedious twists and turns paired with a ghostly Southern-Gothic atmosphere (notably a chilling child’s lullaby) setsThe Night of the Hunterapart from other classic scary movies. Despite original negative reviews,The Night of the Hunterhas since been reevaluated and is not only considered to be one of the greatest films of all time, but also one of the most horrifying classic films in cinema history.
The Night of the Hunter
A self-proclaimed preacher marries a gullible widow whose young children are reluctant to tell him where their real dad hid the $10,000 he’d stolen in a robbery.
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3’Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' (1941)
Directed by Victor Fleming
Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 Gothic novel,The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, is another piece of literature that has been adapted for the big screen numerous times, butSpencer Tracy’s portrayal in the dual role in the 1941 version ofDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hydeis easily the most terrifying and equally impressive. The story follows Dr. Jekyll who conducts a series of experiments to try and separate the good and evil elements of basic human nature. When the good doctor develops a serum, he consumes it, and before he can reverse the results, he gives life to an alterego known as Mr. Hyde.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hydeis a horrific battle of good versus evil that eventually takes on a life of its own, resulting in a series of horrifying events and crimes that Jekyll can never undo. The movie was a major commercial and critical success and received three Academy Award nominations for Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, and Best Music. While there are many versions of Stevenson’s famous tale,Tracy delivers an uncanny fear-stricken quality to his performance that surpasses even today’s special effects and makeup, proving him to not only be a remarkable talent but also solidifyingDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hydeas a top-notch scary classic film.
2’The Innocents' (1963)
Directed by Jack Clayton
Deborah Kerrstars as a young woman, Miss Giddens, who takes a job as a governess to two children, Miles (Martin Stephens) and Flora (Pamela Franklin), who are being primarily raised by their absent uncle. As Giddens settles into her new position and home, she begins to notice the children exhibiting strange behavior and when she starts hearing strange noises and unexplainable happenings, she soon believes that the children’s actions are a result of a paranormal presence.
The Innocentsis a highly underrated psychological thriller based onHenry James' 1868 novella,The Turn of the Screw.The film conveys a harrowing ghost story that isn’t short of hair-rising chills which are heightened by the film’s backdrop of a hauntingly beautiful mansion surrounded by hints of fog, inciting an uneasy feeling of what exactly lurks beyond the thick haze. Today,The Innocentsis credited as one of the top psychological horror thrillers of all time and is noted as an elegantly stylized and well-crafted ghost story that is a must-see for any major fan of classic horror. Although it was a British enterprise, this classic was backed and distributed by Hollywood Studio 20th Century Fox.
The Innocents
The Innocents, based on Henry James’s novella The Turn of the Screw, follows Miss Giddens, a governess hired to care for two orphaned children, Flora and Miles, at a remote estate. She begins to believe that the children are possessed by the spirits of the former governess Miss Jessel and valet Peter Quint.
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1’Psycho' (1960)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
After stealing a large sum of money from her employer, a secretary, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh, skips town with the intention of starting a new life for her and her boyfriend, Sam (John Gavins). When she is caught in a thunderstorm, she’s forced to pull over and checks into an isolated motel known as the Bates Motel. After Crane’s sister, Lila (Vera Miles) and Sam fail to hear from her, they retrace her steps to the Bates Motel, where they meet a peculiar young man, Norman (Anthony Perkins), and soon uncover dark family secrets.
Alfred Hitchcock turned the tables on the traditional horror film with his universally recognized film,Psycho, shocking audiences with the director’s usual level of shock and a spin on the cinematic formula. Psycho is full of nail-biting intensity with a slow and steady sense of suspense that subconsciously submerges audiences into the terrifying film with unbearable anticipation. Hitchcock brilliantly throws in an extra highly unexpected twist on the killer’s identity, leaving audiences shell shocked by the iconic shower scene and the iconic final revelation, which is easily one of the best endings of any classic scary movie by far.
A Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer’s client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.
