These Are The Best Classical Horror Movies

Horror films were made in the earliest decades of film in the 1890s to 1910s. But genre classics mostly began in the 1920s in Europe— particularly in Germany. These were silent films until around 1930, which is when the horror film genre gained popularity in Hollywood. This is known as the "classic" period of horror films, which would last until around 1960. Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho is seen as the film that moved horror out of its classic stage. Let's take a look at the best classical horror films from 1920 to 1960!

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a German Expressionist horror film from 1920. The silent movie famously features a warped and visually distorted set design. It follows the plotting of a mad doctor who uses a somnambulist (sleepwalker) to commit murders. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a landmark work in the horror and art film genres. It is also received as a social allegory in the context of its post-WWI production in Germany.

Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror from 1922 is another of the early German Expressionist horror classics. It's also one of the first film adaptations of Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula, which had come out in 1897. From director F.W. Murnau, it stars Max Schreck as the Transylvanian vampire "Count Orlock." Nosferatu features many iconic images, including the shadow of "Count Orlock" stalking up a staircase. Somehow this vampire just missed our list of The Hottest Movie Vampires!

1925's The Phantom of the Opera is one of the first silent era classic horror movies made in Hollywood. It stars legendary horror actor Lon Chaney as "The Phantom," who haunts the Paris Opera House. Chaney's make-up in the film, and the film's tense climax, still allow The Phantom of the Opera to startle viewers nearly a century later!

When Dracula was released in 1931, it jump-started interest in the horror genre in Hollywood. Dracula was one of the first synchronized sound horror films, and it adapted a stage version of Stoker's Dracula novel. The film was a huge success, and it made the Hungarian-born Bela Lugosi a pop culture icon with his portrayal of "Count Dracula."

Freaks is a controversial film from 1932. The movie features an ensemble cast of real sideshow performers, many of whom suffer from disabilities and conditions. It was marketed as a "grotesque" sideshow horror film. But Freaks is well-received today for its ambiguous portrayal of just who the titled "Freaks" are in the movie— a hint: the sideshow troupe is portrayed humanely, while the circus owners are the film's antagonists.

King Kong is another one of the early 1930s horror classics. This 1933 version of the film contains impressive early visual effects to bring to life the enormous "King Kong" monster. King Kong is highly regarded on "Best of" horror film lists and even "All-Time Best" film lists. Revisit it if you've only seen more recent King Kong remakes! Actress Fay Wray stars as the attraction for "King Kong" in the film.

1935's Bride of Frankenstein is actually a sequel to Universal's 1931 Frankenstein adaptation. But the sequel from 1935 is received as the stronger film. It sees "Frankenstein's Monster" on the run while a "Bride" for the monster is created to lure him in. Boris Karloff famously portrays "Frankenstein's Monster" in the movie.

Creature from the Black Lagoon was released during the rise of 3D horror films in the early 1950s. It features the memorable monster "Gill-Man." The amphibious creature terrorizes a group of scientists who attempt to capture it.

This unsettling horror film from 1956 is about an extraterrestrial invasion. In Invasion of the Body Snatchers, aliens capture and form duplicates of human beings. The movie follows a group as they attempt to thwart the invasion. Invasion of the Body Snatchers is sometimes read as an allegory for Cold War tensions and the "Red Scare" of 1950s USA.