The Best Gothic Horror Films

Psychological gothic that is Rebecca is the first American project of director Alfred Hitchcock and it's based on Daphne du Maurier's novel of the same name. This is the story of the second Mrs. de Winter (Joan Fontaine) which she becomes when she marries Maximilian "Maxim" de Winter (Laurence Olivier) after just two weeks of meeting each other. The real plot begins when they come back to the de Winter estate and she discovers how much the deceased first Mrs. de Winter, Rebecca, still has a hold over everything. For the fans, Hitchcock's signature cameo appearance takes place near the end when he's seen walking, back turned to the audience. DVD edition brings you closer to his genius with extra content including extracts from Francois Truffaut's book - Hitchcock.

If Dracula's story is as gothic horror as it gets on film, then the same goes for Penny Dreadful, a television series that draws inspiration from popular serial literature produced during the nineteenth century in the UK. In three series it ran, Penny Dreadful reintroduced us to many classic horror characters including Victor Frankenstein and his monster, Dorian Grey, several characters from Dracula, Dr. Jekyll, etc. It stars Reeve Carney as Dorian Grey, Eva Green as Vanessa Ives, Josh Hartnett as Ethan Chandler and Timothy Dalton as Sir Malcolm Murray among others. Third and final series received universal acclaim and it provides you with an ending you won't soon forget. Rent it on DVD and Blu-ray with additional special features to get the full atmosphere of the Victorian period and see how it was achieved.

It doesn't get more gothic than Nosferatu, one of the most iconic characters in cinematic history, in all but name Bram Stoker's Dracula. Released in 1922 and filmed on location in the Carpathians and several Baltic towns, starring Max Schreck as Nosferatu the film relies heavily on lighting, shadow and pictorial compensation. Trivia connected to this film is that Stoker's wife took offence and won her case against the producers forcing them to destroy all prints. Lucky for us, some survived and we have the chance to revisit the silent classic on DVD and Blu-ray accompanied with two audio commentaries and a 53-minute documentary on Murnau's early years and the filming of Nosferatu.

Our next entry for the best of gothic horror films is The Fall of the House of Usher starring the horror maestro himself, Vincent Price. The film is based on the short story of the same name written by Edgar Allan Poe. Price portrays the character of Roderick Usher, a man who thinks his family is cursed by incurable madness. He's convinced of it so much that when his sister (Myrna Fahey) announces her engagement to Philip Winthrop (Mark Damon), he is set to stop that marriage by any means possible. You can rent this classic on DVD and Blu-ray which gets you access to never seen before additional content including Fragments of the House of Usher: A Specially-commissioned video essay and Legend to Legend: An Interview with Director and former Corman apprentice Joe Dante.

Supernatural beings, and especially vampires, are among most used motifs in gothic horror films. Interview with the Vampire, a screen adaptation of Anne Rice's best seller, is one of the classics in that regard. The main roles are almost considered iconic: Tom Cruise as evil and stylish Lestat, Brad Pitt as a tormented man turned to equally tormented vampire, and Kirsten Dunst as Claudia, sickly child turned vampire who quickly learns how ruthless their world can be. One thing that is most appealing in these kind of stories is the promise of immortality and the possibilities to basically do whatever you want. A present-day interview frames the narrative, in which Louis tells his story to a San Francisco reporter. Film additionally stars Christian Slater, Antonio Banderas and Stephen Rea.

We continue our list of the best gothic horror films with The Innocents starring Deborah Kerr, Michael Redgrave and Megs Jenkins. Kerr depicts a vicar's daughter who takes a position of governess to a household with two seemingly angelic children. Governess begins to fear that house is haunted by ghosts and that the two children are being possessed. As The Others, The Innocents is also based on Henry James's novella The Turn of the Screw. Director Jack Clayton masterfully keeps up the suspense and mystery while giving us the gothic atmosphere this film deserves. A fun fact for all film historians out there: The Innocents pioneered the use of synthesised electronic sound, generated by Daphne Oram. Be sure to check out this classic on DVD and Blu-ray for the special features of this thrilling story.

When her heart is stolen by a seductive stranger, a young woman is swept away to a house atop a mountain of blood-red clay - a place filled with secrets that will haunt her forever. Between desire and darkness, between mystery and madness, lies the truth behind 'Crimson Peak'.

Sleepy Hollow brings us Ichabod Crane, a police constable from New York City sent to investigate a series of murders in the village of Sleepy Hollow. And who committed these despicable murders? None other than a mysterious Headless Horseman. This gothic horror is directed by Tim Burton and stars formidable cast including Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci, with Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon, Casper Van Dien, and Jeffrey Jones. Set in 1799, Sleepy Hollow is based on Washington Irving's classic tale The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Be sure to check it out on DVD and Blu-ray to enjoy in the best quality of one of the best gothic horror films. The story also inspired a television series of the same name, Sleepy Hollow. Don't be frightened, but heads will roll!

Underworld is a part of franchise that spawned several sequels including Underworld: Evolution and Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, a prequel to the first one. While it seems slick and modern, it has a lot of gothic traits. The heroine is a supernatural being, as are other characters, there are prophecies and there is romance, all wrapped up in a gloomy setting. The battle has been going on for centuries, on the opposite sides: sophisticated Vampires, and the brutal, feral Lycans. Underworld is directed by Len Wiseman and stars Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Michael Sheen, Shane Brolly, and Bill Nighy. This film was a box office surprise success and it's the best of the Underworld film series. The look of the entire film is one of its biggest advantages and for those film buffs who want to know more, get a bonus disc and watch featurette Designing Underworld.

Twists and turns are what make The Others a great piece of cinema and one of the best performances for Nicole Kidman. There are plenty of gothic elements in this horror story, starting with a large old house and surrounding estate. Kidman plays Grace, a mother of two small children who are all waiting for her husband to come home from the war. All this time they're living isolated, behind closed curtains because of the children's sensitivity to daylight, with only a few servants in the house. The Others is adapted from The Turn of the Screw, a novella by Henry James. Special features on DVD and Blu-ray give you additional content bringing more chills to the already psychologically scary film - find out more about Zeroderma Pigmenosum - What Is It? An inside look at the disease.