10 Modern Gothic Movies for a Dark and Stormy Night

As Halloween approaches and the veil thins, it seems appropriate to dig up something from last winter. So here is a list of some of my favorite spooky movies in a post from last February.

But first, the News

  1. I'm on the road this week with a guest post on Compelling Beasts Blog. Read all about Scottish Vampires HERE.
  2. Zoraida Grey and the Family Stones goes on Sale Oct. 20 through Nov. 3. If you have a Facebook or Twitter or Tumbler account, you can help me get the word out by supporting my Thunderclap campaign HERE.
  3. WHAT!! You haven't read Zoraida Grey and the Family Stones? Well, now's the time. Not only is she on sale, but book 2 in the series will soon follow. Pick up your own copy of this award-winning book at the reduced price HERE.

Winter is coming and no better time to binge on scary Gothic movies. Below, you’ll find a starter list guaranteed to chill you, thrill you, and send you screaming for a bracer of good Scotch whisky.

The 21st century, young as it is, has already produced a plethora of good old fashioned Gothic movies. Expect creepy locations, twisty plots, scary effects, and British accents. Some are gory and some are just delightfully disturbing. If these whet your appetite, stay tuned for next week’s post about classic Gothic movies.



 Crimson Peak

In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds - and remembers.

Rated R for bloody violence, Crimson Peak is a throwback to the glory days of Gothic Romance. Lots of blood, lots of gore, lots or weirdness in a creepy old house. Their trailer is a great way to get your Gothic juices boiling:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oquZifON8Eg[/embed]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oquZifON8Eg

The Others

A woman who lives in a darkened old house with her two photosensitive children becomes convinced that her family home is haunted.

And that’s all I can say about this until you watch it. Nicole Kidman is crazy good.

The Awakening

In 1921, England is overwhelmed by the loss and grief of World War I. Hoax exposer Florence Cathcart visits a boarding school to explain sightings of a child ghost. Everything she believes unravels as the 'missing' begin to show themselves.

This one has everything!  My favorite on this list. If you don’t enjoy the bloody carnage of Crimson Peak, The Awakening may be the movie for you. No gore, but lots of running around screaming—at least that’s what I do when I watch it.

The Raven

When a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's works, a young Baltimore detective joins forces with Poe to stop him from making his stories a reality.

While I don’t usually go along with rewritten history, this one is fun. John Cusack makes a great Poe.

From Hell

In 1888, a ruthless and cold-blooded killer begins hunting prostitutes in East London, and while the murderer's work is savage, the mutilation of his victims suggests the fiend has an extensive medical background. Amidst a background of political unrest and barely contained scandal among the royal family, the murderer's grisly exploits shock and frighten all of England, and one of Scotland Yard's top inspectors, Fred Abberline (Johnny Depp), is put on the case, along with his partner, Peter Godley (Robbie Coltrane).

Any Jack the Ripper movie is fine with me. (I still think the Prince did it.) and I’ll watch Johnny Depp do opium all day long. But that may be just me.

1408

A man who specializes in debunking paranormal occurrences checks into the fabled room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel. Soon after settling in, he confronts genuine terror.

Samuel L. Jackson and John Cusack in a scary story that still makes me double check hotel room numbers. Hint that you probably don’t need: 1 + 4 + 8 = 13

Sweeney Todd

Unjustly sent to prison, a man vows revenge, not only for that cruel punishment, but for the devastating consequences of what happened to his wife and daughter. When he returns to reopen his barber shop, he becomes Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, who "shaved the faces of gentlemen who never thereafter were heard of again." Sweeney's amorous accomplice, Mrs. Lovett, creates diabolical meat pies.

Incredibly freaky. On the Freakometer, this one scores ten skulls.

The Woman in Black

A young solicitor travels to a remote village where he discovers the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals.

Nice and freaky and bleak with the added feature of little Harry Potter all grown up and acting.

Corpse Bride

When a shy groom practices his wedding vows in the inadvertent presence of a deceased young woman, she rises from the grave assuming he has married her.

Tim Burton’s best in my humble opinion.

Darkness Falls

A vengeful spirit takes the form of the Tooth Fairy to exact vengeance on the town that lynched her 150 years earlier. Her only opposition is the one child, now grown up, who survived her before.

Yes, yes, there are plot holes, but the intense action is lots of fun.

Did I miss your favorite? Post it in the comments.

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