Most great horror movies derive quality from the strength of their moody atmospheres. Without an impactful setting, horror often loses its X factor – you need a location and a vibe that will terrify viewers to their core. Even the most hilarious horror comedy movies have a certain mood about them that distinctly places them within the horror genre, even as they provide audiences with reasons to laugh. Even horror films that aren’t atmospheric carry a sense of idenтιтy in their visual grammar, from preferred camera angles to the construction of sets.

Some of the best horror movies have monsters that are actually nightmare fuel. These monsters have a terrifying presence that is most commonly complemented by a haunting aesthetic, with dim and angled lighting, eerie sounds, and creepy architecture. The impact of architecture and lighting can be experienced best through some classic black-and-white horror movies that still hold up today. Some of them define the gothic aesthetic, which has continued to enthrall and inspire filmmakers over the years. Some campy and cheesy gothic horror films have drawn out many horror fans’ inner goth, influencing their fashion and lifestyle choices.

10

Underworld (2003)

Directed By Len Wiseman

While it received generally negative reviews and was panned by critics, the cult film Underworld introduced a fascinating and well-developed world with surprisingly deep lore for a cheesy action movie. Yes, the story is inconsistent, and the overuse of guns takes away from the appeal, as there was a lot of scope for great physical combat. However, at least one element of the film held up back when it came out, and still does, over two decades later. The gothic aesthetic is so good that it grew into a franchise despite the negative reception.

The costumes in Underworld and its dark and brooding world are the very definition of gothic. Selene’s leather catsuit and leather trench coat give her a fashionable appearance and a mystical silhouette. The rain, the underexposed cinematography, and the moonlit frames – fans of gothic architecture and fashion will find themselves feeling infected by Underworld‘s beautifully slick appearance. It makes the film, which is otherwise quite insufferable, worth watching. Kate Beckinsale’s committed delivery of her cheesy lines is a big plus point too.

9

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

Directed By Francis Ford Coppola

Francis Ford Coppola’s most famous films, the Godfather movies, have defined his legacy, but his brilliance as a filmmaker gives him an uncanny ability to make great films in all genres. His latest film, Megalopolis, was an indulgent 2024 movie flop that could become a cult hit in the future. While it was panned by critics, it’s impossible to deny that Coppola’s vision has epic proportions, like many of his other movies.

So, what can you expect when one of the most iconic horror stories gets adopted by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time? A cheesy and funny horror film that maintains the atmosphere of its source material but introduces an over-the-top vibe that makes it campy and even more iconic. Among other things, the performance aspect in Bram Stoker’s Dracula is most pronounced in Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves’ roles. The latter especially has an unconvincing British accent. However, the gloomy atmosphere and the unforgettable fashion make the movie ideal for any goth!

8

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Directed By Jim Sharman

Tim Curry’s screen-acting career turns 50 this year as The Rocky Horror Picture Show will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025. It’s based on the Tony Award-nominated musical written by Richard O’Brien. O’Brien, a fan of sci-fi and B-horror, created a show that features elements of both genres to pay homage to them and parody some of their most celebrated works. Curry’s character, Dr. Frank-N-Furter, an alien drag queen, wasn’t as campy when he was originally conceived. The exaggerated mannerisms and the style of speaking similar to Queen Elizabeth were decisions that Curry made when playing him for the theater.

The doctor’s whimsical but scary antics, which include violent acts that come off as comical due to Curry’s performance, embody lighthearted Gothic behavior. He has dark instincts, is provocative, and hilarious, and will leave an infectious impression, prompting you to try to pull off his sense of style. Dedicated fans have The Rocky Horror Picture Show‘s fabulous quotes memorized by heart and participate in themed watch parties of the film every year, which rightfully look and feel like gothic fashion shows.

7

The Crow (1994)

Directed By Alex Proyas

Who is more punk and gothic than a rock star? A rock star who has been brought back to life for revenge! Based on the 1989 comic by Jimmy O’Barr, The Crow tells the story of rock star Eric Draven, who was killed, and then resurrected by a crow. The mythology in the world of the movie says that crows help souls cross the world over to the afterlife, but can bring back souls to life if they die in tragic ways. Draven soon realizes his body heals itself, and decides to go down the path of vengeance.

Draven, played by Brandon Lee, who tragically died during the movie’s production, dons тιԍнт leather pants, a black top, black boots, and a large black leather trench coat. He also paints his face in white and black, a look that seems inspired by the members of the rock band KISS, although comic writer O’Barr denies being influenced by them. Draven’s look and over-the-top cheesy ’90s one-liners, and his mission motivated by love, make him a gothic icon, whose look and music permanently changed rock music, especially metal.

6

Interview With The Vampire (1994)

Directed By Neil Jordan

1994 was the year of immortal gothic icons with bloodlust because it’s also the year when Interview with the Vampire came out. Christian Slater plays Daniel Malloy, a curious reporter who’s listening to the life story of Louis (Brad Pitt), who claims to be a vampire. Louis talks about his transformation at the hands of Lestat (Tom Cruise) in 1971. They later became parents to a dying child in 1975, after turning her into a vampire to save her life. Kirsten Dunst was cast in The Interview with the Vampire as the child in her acting debut.

Dark alleys, vintage architecture with gargoyles, and a lack of sunlight – visually, Interview with the Vampire is as gothic as it gets in its setting. Moreover, Pitt and Cruise’s appearances are also goth, but chic. They move in the upper circles of society and dress the part, but especially Louis, who dresses a lot in dark colors, is a contrarian who doesn’t see being a vampire as a powerful gift. So, in his beliefs, and his appearance, this man is a gothic icon. His eye makeup, thirst for blood, and brooding personality round out the goth in him.

5

Donnie Darko (2001)

Directed By Richard Kelly

Jake Gyllenhaal plays the тιтular character of Donnie Darko, a troubled teenager who narrowly escapes death while sleepwalking one night. He is met by Frank, a ghost-like figure in a rabbit suit who lets him know that the world will end in less than a month. Donnie Darko primarily feels like a dark sci-fi movie because of its non-linearly told story involving time travel and the chaotic events that occur around the protagonist, some perpetrated by him.

However, Frank’s appearance is reason enough to call it a horror movie as well. He’s a literal ghost, irrespective of the goofy rabbit costume he wears. The sinister tone of the film is undercut by the cheesy dialogue and the rabbit costume, but that doesn’t detract from the movie’s atmosphere. Few films scream gothic like Donnie Darko, despite featuring no goth characters. It’s in the sense of impending doom, the imposing suburbs, and the dark visuals of the film that Donnie Darko invokes Gothic culture. So does Gyllenhaal’s skeleton suit, which is a Halloween classic.

4

Beetlejuice (1988)

DIrected By Tim Burton

It is hard to choose which, among Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd, Edward Scissorhands, and Beetlejuice, is the most Gothic film that Tim Burton has directed. However, the cheesiest of them all is easily Beetlejuice, the director’s third amazing movie after two good ones that he started his directorial career with. It is a quirky horror movie with an unshakable legacy as a classic that still inspires costumes to this day.

Winona Ryder’s iconic look as Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice prompts children to dress up as her every year on Halloween. She’s the quintessential gothic teenager and has influenced the fashion and lifestyle choices of many young women during their adolescence. She dresses all in black, wears her hair messily, wears a choker, and can literally see ghosts – if you’re looking to revitalize your inner goth, look no further than her.

3

Ginger Snaps (2000)

Directed By John Fawcett

A feminist icon and the тιтular Ginger from Ginger Snaps, Ginger Fitzgerald is an inspirational goth. No, watching her doesn’t make one want to experience what she does, but she’s relatable in a way that even the least goth person will find a dormant goth in them waking up. Vampires are the mythological horror creatures more linked with sleaziness and the gothic aesthetic, but Ginger brings that same vibe to her transformation into a werewolf.

Before her transformation begins, Ginger can be seen exclusively wearing black and rejecting modern society as an introverted nihilist. It’s hard to get more goth than that. The experience of being bitten by a werewolf and transforming into a form she isn’t familiar with, which gives her instincts she’s never felt before, can be interpreted as an allegory for puberty. So, Ginger is a relatable character with gothic sensibilities.

2

The Craft (1996)

Directed By Andrew Fleming

1996 was a great year for Neve Campbell. She broke through in Hollywood as the protagonist of Scream, which introduced the world to Ghostface, a movie character who helped reshape its genre expectations. She also starred in the cult classic The Craft as a teenage witch Bonnie Harper, one of the main characters of the film. It doesn’t get much more gothic than social misfits who use occult powers to enact revenge and improve their lives, does it?

With tongue-in-cheek dialogue and memorable costume design, The Craft makes an impression as a Gothic movie right from its beginning. The four main characters are all goths, and they egg each other on as they start delving deeper into the darker side of witchcraft. The sense of sisterhood, the black skirts and boots combinations they all wear, and the petty teenage instincts – The Craft is Mean Girls for goths.

1

The Addams Family (1991)

Directed By Barry Sonnenfeld

The first people who I see in my head when I hear the words cheesy and Gothic together are the members of the тιтular family from The Addams Family. Ever since Charlie Addams created the characters for The New Yorker in 1938, they have been loved by anyone who has discovered them. Live-action and animated shows and movies, video games, and musicals – the characters have been adapted for every possible medium of storytelling.

Morticia and Gomez Addams embody the gothic spirit as they live in a mansion with gargoyles and arches, profess their love for each other through macabre metaphors, and are always clad entirely in black. Their daughter, Wednesday, takes the morbid taste too far at times, performing violent pranks that could endanger people, even though she’s well-intentioned. With a butler who resembles Frankenstein’s monster and a disembodied hand, The Addams Family‘s main characters have influenced goth culture for years. The family is funny and adorable, and they’re perhaps the least intimidating goths in the history of fiction.