While the word Gothic once specifically referred to the cultural impact of the Goths who hailed from Northern Europe, it has evolved to encompᴀss a different kind of subculture that keeps the Goths’ name and elements of their culture alive, even though they’ve ceased to exist as a distinct people today. It mostly refers to art forms and lifestyles today.

While Gothic literature dates back to the late 18th Century, characterized by gloomy settings, shadowy locations, gargoyles and pointed towers, a predominance of black in wardrobes, an abundance of death and dark occurrences, and terrifying monsters at times, the Gothic subculture developed as a movement and lifestyle only in the 1980s, with the rise of Gothic movies, fashion, and music.

From cheesy and dark movies that get your inner goth going to underrated Gothic fantasy movies, Gothic cinema has never left the zeitgeist since the ’80s, and the subculture isn’t just niche anymore, as the best and increasingly popular movie goths have inspired moviegoers who wouldn’t previously identify with them. From classics to modern hits, Gothic cinema is eternally relevant.

Sleepy Hollow (1999)

Of the many directors still currently working, Tim Burton has the biggest reputation for making Goth movies, because his influence on the subculture can neither be exaggerated nor ignored. He has derived from it as much as he’s given to it, and the Gothic subculture wouldn’t be what it is today without the impact of Tim Burton’s fantastic directorial filmography.

Sleepy Hollow may be an adaptation of an already iconic Gothic literary work, but the movie is quintessentially Burton’s. His taste for the macabre, framing techniques, methods of creating atmospheres, and quirky visual grammar, especially with respect to costuming, leave an indelible mark that will inspire you to let your inner Goth run free with Ichabod Crane.

Interview With The Vampire (1994)

Neil Jordan’s film adaptation of Anne Rice’s novel marks a unique occasion for ’90s Hollywood by being a horror movie with an incredible ensemble cast, as it’s the only film starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise together. Interview with the Vampire follows two vampires as their tumultuous relationship evolves with time across two centuries, from the 1790s to the 1990s.

The production design captures how cities and cultures change in appearance, but the Gothic elements of gloomy streets painted with shadows and vampires lurking around in search of depravity are eternal, living through the immortal characters. The wardrobe department goes above and beyond in creating fashion aesthetics that define the Gothic look, with heavy eye makeup and long flowing hair.

Ginger Snaps (2000)

What’s more Gothic than a girl turning into a werewolf after being attacked by a creature on the night of her first period? Two girls for whom this bodily change is accompanied by the possible transformation into a werewolf. Werewolves quite often signify characters’ internal struggle with external changes, and Ginger Snaps amplifies this metaphorical ᴀssociation with its Gothic elements.

The girls’ gradually darkening makeup and clothes, the unrelenting thirst for violence, the gloomy and shadowy frames in the film, and the instinctual ᴀssociation of the changes in the natural order with extreme violence make Ginger Snaps a Gothic film to its core. Its climactic meditation about the inevitability and violent nature of any change will resonate with most Goths.

Batman Returns (1992)

Catwoman is the ultimate Gothic femme fatale whose getup continues to inspire millions of cosplays and Halloween costumes every year, and of the many on-screen live-action versions of the character we’ve seen, Michelle Pfeiffer’s is the most Gothic. That is also a consequence of being in Burton’s Gotham, which is based on the work of famous Gothic artists and architects.

Batman Returns is a Christmas movie without Santa Claus and without any holiness whatsoever. It is seedy, shady, gloomy, moody, and home to both the worst criminals imaginable and the world’s most popular superhero. The abundance of darkness, both literal and metaphorical, with the arches, gargoyles, and looming towers of Gotham make Batman Returns an iconic work of Gothic cinema.

The Lost Boys (1987)

It rarely gets as Gothic as fashionable vampires living in a fictional town in California during the ’80s, when the Gothic subculture was gradually inching its way towards mainstream popularity. The Lost Boys is a reference to Peter Pan, where the lost boys of Neverland never age like vampires. The film’s cult status reflects the nature of the Gothic subculture.

The Lost Boys, just like its Peter Pan counterpart, is like a time capsule. The immersive visual grammar of the film, dripping with red blood and eternal flames, is sure to transport you to the ’80s and provide you with the opportunity to experience some of its most iconic pop culture moments through the Gothic lens held up by vampires.

Beetlejuice (1988) & Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

Another Tim Burton classic, the hilarious, dark, and visually rich Beetlejuice, is still known for its refreshingly contrarian fashion that reflects the very essence of the Gothic lifestyle – rejecting social norms, upholding and protecting outcasts, and reveling in the liberation experienced by championing individualism over collectivism. All the characters in Beetlejuice know they’re weird and they proudly flaunt it.

Alongside Beetlejuice must be mentioned Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, featuring some of the best movie costumes of 2024, which is not just a worthy successor, but also the perfect follow-up after years, because it updates its Gothic references while preserving the iconic quirkiness that makes the ’88 movie so beloved. The films follow characters steadfastly embodying the principles of the Gothic subculture.

Crimson Peak (2015)

When you see Tom Hiddleston sporting that pulled-back hairdo and walking down the gloomy halls of the mansion in a black coat in Crimson Peak, even the absent Goth in you looks up and takes note. Guillermo del Toro is known for his atmospheric cinema, and Crimson Peak is no exception, with every visual creative decision informed by Gothic sensibilities.

The setting of the mansion, which seems to be alive with its own Gothic personality, characterized by long shadows, corners that never see light, sights and sounds that defy logic, and a general mood of impending doom, makes Crimson Peak one of the best scary fantasy movies. If you’re a Goth, you’ll ignore the warnings and run to live there.

Elvira: Mistress Of The Dark (1988)

There are many epic and iconic costumes in film history that define Gothic fashion, but few have had as much influence as Elvira’s getup in Mistress of the Dark. The eye makeup, the bright red lip gloss, the large fur headgear, the sensual dress, and her long flowing hair all contribute to creating one of the best Gothic costumes ever.

The film’s whimsical silliness celebrates her quirky personality as she launches into a barrage of incredibly quotable and funny one-liners and faces a monster whose gooeyness is context for more jokes than real terror. Elvira: Mistress of the Dark is a story about accepting those who are different and celebrating their differences, and what could be more Gothic than that?

The Addams Family (1991) & Addams Family Values (1993)

While Wednesday wins over hearts with its new season on Netflix, it’s always fun to revisit older interpretations of the тιтular character and her family. While the show from the ’60s is still the best reference point, the ’90s movies capture their essence effectively and highlight the aspects of the Addamses that make them such iconic and beloved Gothic characters.

Barry Sonnenfeld’s two Addams Family movies, which make you love the fantasy genre, revel in the macabre tastes and preferences of the characters, complemented by their Gothic sense of fashion. While the characters have morbid hobbies and preoccupations, they’re also good people who strive to protect others and quell evildoers, using their unique abilities, which the Gothic subculture always promotes.

Suspiria (2018)

Dario Argento’s Suspiria is one of the most influential horror movies by the maestro of giallo, and Luca Guadagnino’s remake is only a loose remake, as it is more of a reinterpretation of the same screenplay, making it significantly different. While it retains the same structure and explores similar themes, Guadagnino’s version is decidedly more Gothic than the original film.

Starring Dakota Johnson, Mia Goth, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Tilda Swinton, among others, Suspiria has a metallic aesthetic, characterized by an abundance of red, and may not seem Gothic at first. However, its celebration of morbid occurrences and macabre people, the interpretive dance sequences, the rejection of normalcy, and the visual grammar of the dance scenes clearly have Gothic inspirations.