Some great horror movies predate the burst of color filmmaking as the predominant form of cinema and are still scary watches even for modern audiences. The horror genre is one of the oldest kinds in film, an early source of chills and thrills on the big screen. In modern discussions though, people often only go back to the ’70s and ’80s when talking about classic horror movies. Despite this, there are some black and white horror films from the old golden era of the genre are still quite compelling.
- Where to Stream American Sniper? Is American Sniper on Netflix?
- Who Plays Charlie on the Good Doctor? The Good Doctor Season 7 Cast
- Zack Steffen Religion What Religion is Zack Steffen? Is Zack Steffen a Christian (Catholic)?
- The New Empress Chapter 22 Release Date, Recap, Spoiler, Raw Scan, and More
- Every Jedi Who Tried To Rebuild The Jedi After Order 66
It is a misconception that horror movies from that time aren’t as technically strong as today’s movies because of the technological advancements in modern filmmaking. If anything, the unique and imaginative techniques employed by the pioneers of the genre to create terrifying atmospheres and visuals add to the charm of black-and-white vintage horror cinema. Modern remakes of such classic horror movies offer perspective on the creativity of the filmmakers who managed to create those horror movies that have stood the test of time without all the resources available to modern creatives.
You are watching: 10 Classic Black-And-White Horror Movies That Still Hold Up Today
10
Cat People (1942)
Directed by Jacques Tourneur
Your Rating
close
10 stars
9 stars
8 stars
7 stars
6 stars
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Rate Now
0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
Cat People
Cat People (1942) is a horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur that follows the story of Irena Dubrovna, a Serbian immigrant in New York City who believes she is cursed to transform into a panther when aroused or angry. The film stars Simone Simon and explores themes of repressed sexuality and fear, utilizing shadows and suggestion to create an atmosphere of unease and suspense.
Release Date
December 5, 1942
Runtime
73 Minutes
See more : Where To Find Charcadet In Pokemon Violet? How To Evolve Charcadet In Pokemon Violet?
Cast
Simone Simon
, Kent Smith
, Tom Conway
, Jane Randolph
, Jack Holt
Director
Jacques Tourneur
A classic example of suspense in film, Cat People is a black and white horror movie that’s still unsettling. When RKO Studios was close to closing, they approached Val Lewton. Although he hadn’t become the producer-extraordinaire that the world remembers him as today, he was entrusted with the task of creating a horror movie on a low budget that would be commercially successful in a market dominated by Universal Movie Monsters. Cat People is the first horror movie he ever produced, and it’s so good that it saved RKO Studios. It also practically gave birth to the jump scare.
The first collaboration between director Jacques Tourneur and producer Val Lewton, Cat People has left an indelible mark on the horror genre. While it’s technically a B-movie, it features the use of clever art-house techniques. Due to the low budget, the director and producer had to employ a suggestion-over-show strategy. They couldn’t create horrifying visuals, and dialogue describing horror detracts from the scare factor. Instead, they use off-screen elements to create horror. Cat People is also highbrow in its sensibilities, as it explores sexual repression as one of the classic horror movies with hidden LGBTQ themes.
9
Nosferatu (1922)
Directed by F. W. Murnau
Your Rating
close
10 stars
9 stars
8 stars
7 stars
6 stars
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Rate Now
0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
8.6/10
Nosferatu
NR
Horror
Nosferatu is a 1922 German silent horror film directed by F.W. Murnau, loosely based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The film tells the story of Count Orlok, a vampire who moves from his castle in the Carpathian Mountains to a German town to spread terror and death.
Release Date
February 16, 1922
Runtime
95 Minutes
See more : Where To Find Charcadet In Pokemon Violet? How To Evolve Charcadet In Pokemon Violet?
Cast
Max Schreck
, Gustav von Wangenheim
, Greta Schröder
, Georg H. Schnell
, Ruth Landshoff
Director
F. W. Murnau
Writers
Henrik Galeen
Studio(s)
Prana-Film GmbH
, Jofa-Atelier Berlin-Johannisthal
Expand
Since its announcement last year, the highly anticipated Nosferatu remake starring Bill Skarsgård and directed by Robert Eggers has been the only thing that horror movie fans can talk about. The theatrical release lived up to people’s expectations too, with some viewers claiming it’s even improved upon the original. Regardless, it’s important to recognize what a stroke of genius the original Nosferatu is. It’s a stroke of luck that the film survived the court-ordered burning of all copies after Stoker’s estate sued them because horror films would be different today without Nosferatu‘s influence.
Related
10 Classic Horror Movies That Still Need A Prequel
Classic horror films have had an incredible influence over the modern landscape of cinema, but many of these films have yet to get a prequel story.
Posts
Made at the peak of German expressionism, Murnau’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula was made using revolutionary means at the time, combining movie sets and live location shoots to add a layer of realism to the vampire protagonist and his myth. Moreover, Murnau and his cinematographer Fritz Wagner used lighting and framing techniques popular with spiritualist photography to add an air of fearsome gravitas to the character of Count Orlok, who looks truly terrifying. Nosferatu is also an early use of horror for social commentary. From filming and editing techniques to narrative design, Nosferatu changed horror filmmaking forever.
8
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Directed by Don Siegel
Your Rating
close
10 stars
9 stars
8 stars
7 stars
6 stars
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Rate Now
0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
9/10
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Approved
HorrorDramaSci-Fi
Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a science-fiction horror film directed by Don Siegel. The story follows Dr. Miles Bennell, who discovers that the residents of his small town are being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates. As the phenomenon spreads, Bennell desperately tries to uncover the truth and warn humanity about the impending invasion. The film is noted for its themes of paranoia and loss of identity amidst growing societal fears.
Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
See more : Every Death In 1987’s Predator, Ranked By Brutality
*Availability in US
Release Date
February 5, 1956
Runtime
80 Minutes
See more : Where To Find Charcadet In Pokemon Violet? How To Evolve Charcadet In Pokemon Violet?
Cast
Kevin McCarthy
, Dana Wynter
, Larry Gates
, King Donovan
, Carolyn Jones
, Jean Willes
, Ralphe Dumke
, Virginia Christine
Director
Don Siegel
Writers
Daniel Mainwaring
, Jack Finney
, Richard Collins
The 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers by far the more popular version of the story and is widely considered to be the stronger of the two. However, Don Siegel’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers plays an important role in cinema history. While the association was never fully established or confirmed by the creatives involved, the film is a clear commentary on people’s political beliefs during the heights of the Cold War, when it came out. Interestingly, it can be interpreted as anti-communist or as anti-McCarthyist, depending on the reading of the protagonist’s plight.
The Hays Code and studio intervention ruined the ending that Siegel had originally intended for the movie, and the 1978 remake significantly improves on it to create one of the most spine-chilling conclusions to any sci-fi horror movie.
The infamous ending of Siegel’s version has been a point of contention for viewers over the years because it removes the pessimistic power of the original conclusion. However, the film’s exploration of the dangerous power of paranoia still makes it impactful. The use of filming techniques common to the noir genre to film science fiction and create horror was a revolutionary strategy at the time. There’s even a central romance that’s deceptively compelling. This unprecedented blending of various genres makes it the best horror movie of the ’50s decade.
7
Diabolique (1955)
Directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot
Your Rating
close
10 stars
9 stars
8 stars
7 stars
6 stars
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Rate Now
0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
Diabolique
NR
DramaHorrorCrime
Diabolique is a French psychological horror film directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot. The story revolves around two women, Christina, the wife of the cruel and abusive headmaster of a boarding school, and Nicole, a teacher who is also involved with him. The two women form an unlikely alliance to murder the cruel man, but their plan takes an unexpected turn, leading to a series of eerie and terrifying events.
Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
See more : Every Death In 1987’s Predator, Ranked By Brutality
*Availability in US
Release Date
January 29, 1955
Runtime
117 Minutes
See more : Where To Find Charcadet In Pokemon Violet? How To Evolve Charcadet In Pokemon Violet?
Cast
Véra Clouzot
, Simone Signoret
, Paul Meurisse
, Charles Vanel
, Jean Brochard
Director
Henri-Georges Clouzot
Writers
Henri-Georges Clouzot
, Jérôme Géronimi
Studio(s)
Véra Films
, Filmsonor
Expand
The most Hitchcockian film that Hitchcock didn’t make, Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Diabolique, follows two women as they plan out and successfully execute the murder of a man who has scorned and manipulated them both. Highly influential on the thriller genre, Diabolique remaisn a revolutionary horror movie where a woman and her husband’s mistress stand in solidarity with each other, which subverts expectations even today.
[Diabolique] uses the characters’ personalities and their growing tensions to create a gothic atmosphere out of their shared paranoia.
Horror and mystery blend together seamlessly in Diabolique to create a horrifying film out of a noir premise. The second half of the film is a masterclass in horror filmmaking, as it uses the characters’ personalities and their growing tensions to create a gothic atmosphere out of their shared paranoia. The chemistry between the two female leads is palpable, but unfortunately never consummated. Diabolique also refined the detective formula by exploring the process of investigation instead of focusing on the whodunnit aspect of the murder.
6
Freaks (1932)
Directed by Tod Browning
Your Rating
close
10 stars
9 stars
8 stars
7 stars
6 stars
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Rate Now
0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
Freaks
NR
DramaHorror
Freaks is a 1932 horror film directed by Tod Browning. It centers on a circus trapeze artist who agrees to marry the leader of a group of side-show performers. As the plot unfolds, the performer’s friends realize her intentions are driven by a desire for his inheritance.
Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
See more : Every Death In 1987’s Predator, Ranked By Brutality
*Availability in US
Release Date
February 12, 1932
Runtime
66 minutes
See more : Where To Find Charcadet In Pokemon Violet? How To Evolve Charcadet In Pokemon Violet?
Cast
Harry Earles
, Olga Baclanova
, Daisy Earles
, Henry Victor
, Wallace Ford
, Leila Hyams
, Roscoe Ates
, Angelo Rossitto
, Jerry Austin
, Daisy Hilton
, Violet Hilton
, Schlitzie
, Josephine Joseph
, Johnny Eck
, Frances O’Connor
, Peter Robinson
, Olga Roderick
, Koo Koo
, Prince Randian
, Martha Morris
, Elvira Snow
, Jenny Lee Snow
, Elizabeth Green
, Edward Brophy
, Matt McHugh
Director
Tod Browning
Producers
Irving Thalberg
Writers
Leon Gordon
Expand
One of the most divisive films of all time, Freaks, which was once banned in Britain for 30 years and practically ended Tod Browning’s career as a filmmaker, is much less exploitative than its viewers first claimed when it was released. Since it predates the Hays Code, Browning was able to use full freedom as a director and employ horror movie techniques that wouldn’t be seen for years afterward. He employed real carnival workers, and was accused of dehumanizing the people with disabilities whose demonization he intended to criticize with Freaks.
Tod Browning is perhaps best known as the director of 1931’s Dracula, which established Bela Lugosi in the pop culture lexicon as the defacto version of the iconic vampire.
However, the film is genuinely empathetic in its narrative, and the public reaction is a classic example of a knee-jerk reaction. The audiences at that time weren’t used to seeing such sights at the cinema, and their own bias led to the widespread dislike for the movie, which ultimately led to the ban. Today, Freaks is seen as a film about people reclaiming their identities, which were used as excuses to discriminate against them and ostracize them.
5
Frankenstein (1931)
Directed by James Whale
Your Rating
close
10 stars
9 stars
8 stars
7 stars
6 stars
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Rate Now
0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
9.5/10
Frankenstein
Passed
Sci-FiDramaHorror
Frankenstein is a 1931 horror film directed by James Whale, based on Mary Shelley’s novel. The story follows Dr. Henry Frankenstein, a scientist obsessed with creating life from dead tissue, leading to the birth of a monstrous being. Colin Clive stars as Dr. Frankenstein, while Boris Karloff delivers a standout performance as the creature, whose existence brings unintended consequences. The film is a seminal work in early horror cinema.
Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
See more : Every Death In 1987’s Predator, Ranked By Brutality
*Availability in US
Release Date
November 21, 1931
Runtime
70 Minutes
See more : Where To Find Charcadet In Pokemon Violet? How To Evolve Charcadet In Pokemon Violet?
Cast
Colin Clive
, Mae Clarke
, Boris Karloff
, John Boles
, Edward Van Sloan
, Frederick Kerr
, Dwight Frye
, Lionel Belmore
Director
James Whale
Writers
John L. Balderston
, Mary Shelley
, Peggy Webling
, Garrett Fort
, Francis Edward Faragoh
, Richard Schayer
One of the earliest movie characters to help reshape genre expectations was Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein from James Whale’s 1931 movie of the same name. Monster movies are often characterized by destructive villains who have no redeeming qualities, and even the ones who serve as cautionary tales, may elicit pity, but rarely empathy. Frankenstein‘s protagonist is decidedly different, as Karloff plays him as a child who struggles to gauge his own strength until it’s too late.
|
Notable Frankenstein Performers |
Film Appearances |
|
Boris Karloff |
Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein |
|
Glenn Strange |
House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein |
|
Christopher Lee |
The Curse of Frankenstein |
|
Peter Boyle |
Young Frankenstein |
|
Jacob Elordi |
Guillermo Del Toro‘s Frankenstein |
While it’s still a horror movie, the monster in Frankenstein is actually Dr. Viktor Frankenstein who brought the creature to life. The film even plays out like a coming-of-age drama with horror sensibilities, particularly in the gothic atmosphere. The narrative focus lies on the tragic nature of the creature’s interactions with mortals, especially the heartbreaking scene with the little girl. It’s not a fast-paced monster movie, but a revisionist horror film that weaves a tale of loneliness and destructive nature of exploitative experimentation.
4
The Seventh Victim (1943)
Directed by Mark Robson
Your Rating
close
10 stars
9 stars
8 stars
7 stars
6 stars
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Rate Now
0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
The Seventh Victim
NR
HorrorMystery
The Seventh Victim is a 1943 horror film directed by Mark Robson, following a woman’s quest to find her missing sister in New York’s Greenwich Village. Her investigation leads her to a secretive Satanic cult, which may be connected to her sister’s unexplained disappearance.
Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
See more : Every Death In 1987’s Predator, Ranked By Brutality
*Availability in US
Release Date
August 21, 1943
Runtime
71 minutes
See more : Where To Find Charcadet In Pokemon Violet? How To Evolve Charcadet In Pokemon Violet?
Cast
Kim Hunter
, Tom Conway
, Jean Brooks
, Hugh Beaumont
, Erford Gage
, Isabel Jewell
, Evelyn Brent
, Ben Bard
, Chef Milani
, Marguerita Sylva
, Elizabeth Russell
, Milton Kibbee
, Lou Lubin
, Eve March
, Mary Newton
, Cyril Ring
, Joan Barclay
, Wally Brown
, Feodor Chaliapin Jr.
, Wheaton Chambers
, James Conaty
, Kernan Cripps
, Richard Davies
, Dan Dowling
, Lorna Dunn
Director
Mark Robson
Producers
Val Lewton
Writers
Charles O’Neal
Expand
Val Lewton’s time as a producer for RKO Studios gave birth to some of the most influential horror movies of all time, and The Seventh Victim has perhaps had the biggest impact of them all. While it conflates homosexuality with satanism, this has become the premise for the huge subculture of horror movies where religious deviance is conflated with queerness as a means of rejecting mainstream spirituality and its cis-heteronormative tendencies. The result is a deeply memorable and unsettling horror film.
The Seventh Victim is one of the first horror movies to feature fully realized female characters and give them the space to voice their desires and act on them. The women in The Seventh Victim are forces of nature, and since male participation doesn’t contribute meaningfully to their experiences, the film can also be read as a feminist rejection of patriarchal interpretations of womanhood. Much like Cat People, it also uses the power of suggestion to create moments of intensified horror for viewers that improve the viewing experience.
3
Psycho (1960)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Your Rating
close
10 stars
9 stars
8 stars
7 stars
6 stars
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Rate Now
0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
10/10
9.5/10
Psycho
R
HorrorMysteryThriller
In this now-iconic Alfred Hitchcock thriller, a secretary embezzles forty thousand dollars from her employer’s client, goes on the run, and checks into a remote motel. The place is run by a young man under the domination of his mother — and he soon turns out to be far more threatening than he appeared at first.
Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
See more : Every Death In 1987’s Predator, Ranked By Brutality
*Availability in US
Release Date
September 8, 1960
Runtime
109 minutes
See more : Where To Find Charcadet In Pokemon Violet? How To Evolve Charcadet In Pokemon Violet?
Cast
Janet Leigh
, Martin Balsam
, Anthony Perkins
, John Gavin
, Vera Miles
Director
Alfred Hitchcock
Writers
Joseph Stefano
, Robert Bloch
Studio(s)
Universal Pictures
Distributor(s)
Universal Pictures
Expand
Arguably the most famous black and white horror movie, Hitchcock’s Psycho stands out as an exemplary case of storytelling that changed filmmaking forever. With fast cuts and one of the greatest scores of all time, Psycho is a case study of how to create paranoia as a cinematic device for viewers to find themselves in the protagonist’s shoes. It is safe to say that Psycho is definitively the most influential horror movie of all time and the crowning achievement of Alfred Hitchcock’s career as a director.
Close
The growth of the slasher genre in the ’70s was clearly inspired by Psycho, which introduced the common filming tropes used to create the brand of suspense and horror common to the slasher. Marion Crane’s death after her shower is one of the most enduring and iconic images in horror cinema and has gone down in history as the precursor of some of the most effective shock killings in horror movies. Psycho inspired a franchise of its own, and even a remake, but the 1998 Psycho proves why some remakes are a bad idea.
2
Eyes Without a Face (1960)
Directed by Georges Franju
Your Rating
close
10 stars
9 stars
8 stars
7 stars
6 stars
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Rate Now
0/10
Your comment has not been saved
Eyes Without a Face
Approved
HorrorDrama
Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
See more : Every Death In 1987’s Predator, Ranked By Brutality
*Availability in US
Release Date
October 24, 1962
Runtime
90 Minutes
See more : Where To Find Charcadet In Pokemon Violet? How To Evolve Charcadet In Pokemon Violet?
Cast
Pierre Brasseur
, Alida Valli
, Juliette Mayniel
, Alexandre Rignault
, Edith Scob
Director
Georges Franju
Writers
Pierre Boileau
, Thomas Narcejac
, Jean Redon
Story By
Jean Redon
Expand
Humanity’s preoccupation with the perfect appearance has inspired fiction and fantasy over the ages, most recently in the form of the satirical body horror movie, The Substance, which won Demi Moore her first Golden Globe. Georges Franju’s Eyes Without a Face is an exploitation treatment of the same subject, telling the story of a doctor who experiments on helpless women lured to him by his nurse. With shocking imagery that instill deep fear, disgust, and sorrow, Eyes Without a Face isn’t a typical exploitation film as it uses filming techniques more commonly found in art-house cinema.
Related
10 Horror Movies That Deserve A Modern Reboot
Older horror movies can often feel outdated by today’s standards, which makes them perfect contenders for modern reboots if done right.
Posts
1
Since such surgical procedures as depicted in Eyes Without a Face are possible today, a modern reboot of Eyes Without a Face would be interesting to see. However, the film explores the ethical dilemmas with unique tact and introspection. While the doctor’s motivation elicits empathy, his methods are so detestable and shocking that it’s easy to see how Eyes Without a Face is condemning him for not processing his guilt and grief in a more healthy manner.
1
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
Directed by Robert Wiene
Your Rating
close
10 stars
9 stars
8 stars
7 stars
6 stars
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Rate Now
0/10
Leave a Review
Your comment has not been saved
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Not Rated
HorrorMysteryThriller
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, directed by Robert Wiene, is a silent horror film from 1920 that tells the story of the mysterious Dr. Caligari and his somnambulist, Cesare, who is involved in a series of murders in a small German town. The film is notable for its expressionist style, featuring distorted sets and twisted visuals that reflect the psychological themes within the narrative.
Where to Watch
- stream
- rent
- buy
Not available
Not available
Not available
See more : Every Death In 1987’s Predator, Ranked By Brutality
*Availability in US
Release Date
February 27, 1920
Runtime
67 Minutes
See more : Where To Find Charcadet In Pokemon Violet? How To Evolve Charcadet In Pokemon Violet?
Cast
Werner Krauss
, Conrad Veidt
, Friedrich Feher
, Lil Dagover
, Hans Heinrich von Twardowski
, Rudolf Lettinger
, Rudolf Klein-Rogge
, Hans Lanser-Ludolff
Director
Robert Wiene
Writers
Carl Mayer
, Hans Janowitz
Ages ahead of its time, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is the quintessential German expressionist film that explores the most scary source of horror possible — human beings’ inability to trust their own senses when faced with inexplicable circumstances. Skewed perceptions of reality create a terrifying experience for character and viewer alike. The film creeps upon an unsuspecting viewer from all sides until they’re surrounded by jagged edges and sharp angles, caught in a labyrinth of fearsome architecture.
The high contrast color grading accentuates the delusional visuals and intensifies the experience. The fact that a black and white horror movie that’s over a century old can still inspire such fear without using any of the modern techniques is testament to the genius of the mind that conceived of and brought The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari to life. It will always belong in the pages of history as one of the scariest movies of all time, and proves how enduring the black and white era of horror remains to this day.
Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment