10 Dark Movies That Help Us Get In Touch With Our Inner Goths

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 identity 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.

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10

Underworld (2003)

Directed By Len Wiseman

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Underworld

R

Fantasy

Action

Thriller

6/10

Release Date

September 19, 2003

Runtime

122 Minutes

Director

Len Wiseman

Writers

Danny McBride

Cast

See All

• 

  Kate Beckinsale

• 

  Scott Speedman

Underworld is a 2003 action-horror film directed by Len Wiseman. The plot revolves around Selene (Kate Beckinsale), a vampire warrior caught in a centuries-old conflict between vampires and Lycans, a race of werewolves. As she delves deeper into the ongoing war, Selene uncovers hidden truths that challenge her allegiance and perception of both factions. The film features a dark, gothic aesthetic and blends elements of horror and thriller genres.

Main Genre

Fantasy

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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.

Every Film in the Underworld Franchise
Movie	Year	DIrector
Underworld	2003	Len Wiseman
Underworld: Evolution	2006	Len Wiseman
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans	2009	Patrick Tatopoulos
Underworld: Awakening	2012	Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein
Underworld: Blood Wars	2016	Anna Foerster

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

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Bram Stoker’s Dracula

R

Horror

Romance

1/10

Release Date

November 13, 1992

Runtime

127 Minutes

Director

Francis Ford Coppola

Writers

Bram Stoker, James V. Hart

Cast

See All

• 

  Gary Oldman

  Dracula

• 

  Winona Ryder

  Mina Murray / Elisabeta

Bram Stoker’s Dracula, set in 19th century England, follows Count Dracula as he journeys to London. There, he encounters Mina Harker, who bears a striking resemblance to his long-lost love.

Main Genre

Horror

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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.

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1

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

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The Rocky Horror Picture Show

R

Comedy

Horror

Musical

Sci-Fi

7/10

8.8/10

Release Date

August 15, 1975

Runtime

100 minutes

Director

Jim Sharman

Writers

Richard O’Brien, Jim Sharman

Franchise(s)

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Cast

See All

• 

  Richard O’Brien

• 

  Peter Hinwood

Originally based on a stage play, The Rocky Horror Picture show is considered one of the most significant countercultural films of all time and maintains a wide cult following to this day. The film stars Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, and Barry Bostwick, and follows Brad and Janet, a young couple who, after experiencing car trouble on a stormy night, are taken in by scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter, an alien transvestite who lives in a nearby castle with his equally colorful servants. 

Main Genre

Comedy

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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

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The Crow (1994)

Directed By Alex Proyas

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The Crow

R

Fantasy

Action

Thriller

7/10

8.9/10

Release Date

May 11, 1994

Runtime

102 Minutes

Director

Alex Proyas

Writers

David J. Schow, John Shirley

Producers

Edward R. Pressman, Dan Farah, Sam Pressman, Brett Dahl, Dan Friedkin, Simon Williams, Jon Katz, Delphine Perrier, Molly Hassell, Jonathan Bross, John Jencks, Joe Neurauter, Henry Winterstern, Victor Hadida, Samuel Hadida, Kevan Van Thompson

Cast

See All

• 

  Brandon Lee

  Eric Draven / The Crow

• 

  Rochelle Davis

  Sarah

The Crow, directed by Alex Proyas, follows Eric Draven, portrayed by Brandon Lee, as he returns from the dead to avenge his and his fiancée’s tragic murders. Set in a moody, atmospheric cityscape, the film blends elements of supernatural and action as Draven seeks retribution against the criminals responsible.

Main Genre

Action

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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.

There was recently a remake of The Crow in 2024, directed by Rupert Sanders, starring Bill Skarsgård as the titular vigilante, but despite Skarsgård’s inspired performance, the film falls flat in comparison to the original.

Draven, played by Brandon Lee, who tragically died during the movie’s production, dons tight 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

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Interview with the Vampire

R

Drama

Horror

9.3/10

Release Date

November 11, 1994

Runtime

123 minutes

Director

Neil Jordan

Writers

Anne Rice

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Sequel(s)

Queen of the Damned

Cast

See All

• 

  Kirsten Dunst

• 

  Brad Pitt

Based on Anne Rice’s 1976 novel, Interview with the Vampire tells the story of two vampires, Lestat and Louis, and their complicated relationship after Lestat turns Louis in 1791. Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt star as Lestat and Louis respectively, with a cast that includes Kirsten Dunst as Claudia, the two men’s young charge who Lestat also turns in an attempt to keep a disillusioned Louis from leaving. Christian Slayter rounds out the cast as Daniel Molloy, a reporter to who Louis tells his story in the mid-1990s. 

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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.

His eye makeup, thirst for blood, and brooding personality round out the Goth in him.

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

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Donnie Darko

R

Drama

Documentary

Fantasy

Mystery

Sci-Fi

7/10

8.2/10

Release Date

October 26, 2001

Runtime

113 minutes

Director

Richard Kelly

Writers

Richard Kelly

Cast

See All

• 

  Jake Gyllenhaal

• 

  Holmes Osborne

After troubled teen Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes on a local golf course after a night of sleepwalking, he has a vision of a man in a rabbit suit telling him that the world will end in 28 days. Returning home, Donnie sees that a jet engine has fallen on his bedroom in the night, and begins to feel increasingly detached from reality. Scrambling to make sense of the bizarre and unexplainable events that have altered his life, Donnie finds himself unravelling a tangled web of disaster and fate.

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Jake Gyllenhaal plays the titular 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.

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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

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Beetlejuice

PG

Comedy

Fantasy

9/10

69

8.8/10

Release Date

March 30, 1988

Runtime

92 minutes

Director

Tim Burton

Writers

Michael McDowell, Larry Wilson, Warren Skaaren

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Sequel(s)

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Cast

See All

• 

  Catherine O’Hara

• 

  Michael Keaton

Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice stars Michael Keaton as the titular “bio-exorcist”, an obnoxious spirit who specializes in driving living occupants out of homes. When Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) die suddenly, they pass into the spirit realm, and must stay in their home. However, in the living world, the Deetz family purchases the house and moves in, prompting the Maitlands to enlist the help of Beetlejuice to drive them away.

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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 recently reprised her role as Lydia Deetz in the 2024 sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, bringing back the legendary Gothic look for her now-adult character.

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

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Ginger Snaps

R

Drama

Documentary

Horror

Release Date

August 1, 2000

Runtime

108 minutes

Director

John Fawcett

Writers

Karen Walton, John Fawcett

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Sequel(s)

Ginger Snaps II: Unleashed

Cast

See All

• 

  Emily Perkins

• 

  Katharine Isabelle

• 

  Kris Lemche

• 

  Mimi Rogers

Ginger Snaps is a Canadian Horror film directed by John Fawcett and starring Emily Perkins and Katharine Isabelle. The plot sees one of two sisters undergoing a transformation into a werewolf as the other attempts to find a cure.

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A feminist icon and the titular 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.

Ginger can be seen exclusively wearing black and rejecting modern society as an introverted nihilist.

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

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The Craft

R

Horror

Fantasy

Drama

Release Date

May 3, 1996

Runtime

101 Minutes

Director

Andrew Fleming

Writers

Andrew Fleming, Peter Filardi

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Sequel(s)

The Craft: Legacy

Cast

See All

• 

  Neve Campbell

• 

  Fairuza Balk

• 

  Robin Tunney

• 

  Rachel True

The Craft is a 1996 teen horror movie starring Robin Tunney, Neve Campbell, Fairuza Balk, and Rachel True. The Andrew Fleming-directed film focuses on a group of outcasts at an LA high school who practice witchcraft and create their own coven. The film received mixed reviews but was a surprise hit at the box office for Columbia.

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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

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The Addams Family

PG-13

Comedy

Fantasy

Horror

Release Date

November 22, 1991

Runtime

99 Minutes

Director

Barry Sonnenfeld

Writers

Charles Addams, Larry Wilson, Caroline Thompson

Producers

Graham Place

Cast

See All

• 

  Raul Julia

  Gomez Addams

• 

  Anjelica Huston

  Morticia Addams

• 

  Christopher Lloyd

  Uncle Fester

• 

  Christina Ricci

  Wednesday Addams

The Addams Family is directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and follows the eccentric Addams family as they reunite with a man claiming to be the long-lost Uncle Fester. As the family plans a celebratory gathering, suspicions arise about Fester’s true identity, challenging the family’s trust and unity.

Main Genre

Comedy

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The first people who I see in my head when I hear the words cheesy and Gothic together are the members of the titular 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.

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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.

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Category: Entertainment