gothic cinema

This is a compilation that includes other films that didn't fit in the Gothic horror genre from my previous list. This list on Letterboxd.

Gothic films are characterized by an atmosphere of dread, foreboding, and the past haunting the present, all of which is meant to evoke a feeling of the sublime — that is, thrill and awe felt in response to fear of the unknown. Gothic films are connected to and encompass as variety of other genres and forms, including horror, romance, and social critique. Traditionally, settings featured ornate Gothic architecture, and castles, inns, and remote estates were common locales.

The Phantom Carriage (1921) - ★★★★★

An alcoholic, abusive ne’er-do-well is shown the error of his ways through a legend that dooms the last person to die on New Year’s Eve before the clock strikes twelve to take the reins of Death’s chariot and work tirelessly collecting fresh souls for the next year.

Faust (1926) - ★★★★★

God and Satan war over earth; to settle things, they wager on the soul of Faust, a learned and prayerful alchemist.

The Man Who Laughs (1928) - ★★★★

When a proud noble refuses to kiss the hand of the despotic King James in 1690, he is cruelly executed and his son surgically disfigured.

Two Monks (1934) - ★★★★

In a Gothic-styled monastery, a monk named Javier sees the face of another monk, Juan, and suddenly attempts to bludgeon him to death with a heavy crucifix. Both men then relate their own versions of a story of romantic rivalry between them.

Beauty and the Beast (1946) - ★★★★

The story of a gentle-hearted beast in love with a simple and beautiful girl. She is drawn to the repellent but strangely fascinating Beast, who tests her fidelity by giving her a key, telling her that if she doesn’t return it to him by a specific time, he will die of grief. She is unable to return the key on time, but it is revealed that the Beast is the genuinely handsome one. A simple tale of tragic love that turns into a surreal vision of death, desire, and beauty.

The Saragossa Manuscript (1965) - ★★★★★

During the Napoleonic wars, a Spanish officer and an opposing officer find a book written by the former’s grandfather.

Hour of the Wolf (1968) - ★★★★★

While vacationing on a remote German island with his younger pregnant wife, an artist has an emotional breakdown while confronting his repressed desires.

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970) - ★★★

Valerie, a Czechoslovakian teenager living with her grandmother, is blossoming into womanhood, but that transformation proves secondary to the effects she experiences when she puts on a pair of magic earrings. Now seeing the world around her in a different light, Valerie must endure her sexual awakening while attempting to discern reality from fantasy as she encounters lecherous priest Gracian, a vampire-like stranger and otherworldly carnival folk.

Morgiana (1972) - ★★★★

Jealous of her vapidly “good” sister’s popularity, poisonous Viktoria doses pretty Klara’s tea with a slow-acting fatal substance. As the latter grows hysterically weak, the former finds success increasingly compromised by guilt, blackmail, and the pesky need to kill others lest she be exposed.

The Hunger (1983) - ★★★★★

Five-thousand-year-old vampire Miriam promises her lovers the gift of eternal life. When John, her cellist companion for centuries, discovers that he has suddenly begun growing old, he attempts to seek out the help of Dr. Sarah Roberts, a researcher on the mechanisms of aging.

Angel’s Egg (1985) - ★★★★★

In an underwater city, a young girl takes care of a large egg she holds carefully in her arms – a treasure that she believes is an angel’s egg. One day, a boy with a gun arrives in search of a bird he saw in his dream and, at first, it seems as if feelings of sympathy are developing between the two.

Memoirs of a Sinner (1986) - ★★★★

A recently resurrected corpse recounts his life story, focusing on his strange relationship with a murderous alter-ego.

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) - ★★★★

Arriving in the small town of Fallwell, Massachusetts to claim her inheritance, horror hostess Elvira receives a less than enthusiastic reception from the conservative locals – amongst them, her sinister uncle Vincent, who, unbeknownst to her, is an evil warlock.

Edward Scissorhands (1990) - ★★★★★

A small suburban town receives a visit from a castaway unfinished science experiment named Edward.

The Addams Family (1991) - ★★★★★

When a man claiming to be long-lost Uncle Fester reappears after 25 years lost, the family plans a celebration to wake the dead. But the kids barely have time to warm up the electric chair before Morticia begins to suspect Fester is fraud when he can’t recall any of the details of Fester’s life.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - ★★★★★

Tired of scaring humans every October 31 with the same old bag of tricks, Jack Skellington, the spindly king of Halloween Town, kidnaps Santa Claus and plans to deliver shrunken heads and other ghoulish gifts to children on Christmas morning. But as Christmas approaches, Jack’s rag-doll girlfriend, Sally, tries to foil his misguided plans.

The Crow (1994) - ★★★★★

Exactly one year after young rock guitarist Eric Draven and his fiancée are brutally killed by a ruthless gang of criminals, Draven, watched over by a hypnotic crow, returns from the grave to exact revenge.

Corpse Bride (2005) - ★★★★★

In a 19th-century European village, a young man about to be married is whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious corpse bride, while his real bride waits bereft in the land of the living.

Coraline (2009) - ★★★★★

Wandering her rambling old house in her boring new town, 11-year-old Coraline discovers a hidden door to a strangely idealized version of her life. In order to stay in the fantasy, she must make a frighteningly real sacrifice.

El Conde (2023) - ★★★★★

After living for over two centuries, Augusto Pinochet is a vampire ready to die… but the vultures around him won’t let him go without one last bite.