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HorrorHorror is an artistic genre that aims to scare its audiences. It exists across various media, including literature, film, music, interactive experiences, and video games. The roots of modern horror can be traced back to Gothic literature, which evolved through the 19th century with works like Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" and Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." In the wake of World War I, German filmmakers turned away from reality and toward the surreal, fusing experimental art with the nascent world of film, creating some of horror's definitive movies, including "Nosferatu" and "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari." In the US, Universal Pictures' "Monsters" series adapted many classic horror novels for the silver screen and inspired a generation of young filmmakers. While the genre was once considered a fringe form of entertainment, it has permeated the mainstream, with Oscar nominations, bestselling novels, and a canon that's become an essential piece of popular culture.Explore Horror

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The best Valentine's Day-themed horror moviesIt may seem like an odd combination—a holiday centered on love and a film genre dedicated to fright—but the hyperspecific subgenre thrives on the apparent juxtaposition, along with some campy send-ups of an overly commercialized holiday. Creepy Catalog Early English fantasy writers built on horror and Gothic textsAfter the success of 19th-century books like Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” readers were eager for more stories that deviated from realism. Early 20th-century texts like George MacDonald’s “Phantastes” and Lord Dunsany’s “The King of Elfland’s Daughter” met the moment, laying the groundwork for the fantasy genre. BnF Although not known for horror, a young Tennessee Williams wrote a gothic radio playThe "Streetcar Named Desire" author wrote "The Strangers," a short script, while a student at the University of Iowa in the 1930s. Andrew Gulli, managing editor for the literary magazine that published the unearthed piece, said that it blends classic '30s radio horror with themes Williams would revisit in later, more famous work. AP News Dada artists satirized the horrors of World War IThe movement’s early performances were absurd cabarets featuring experimental poetry, avant-garde music, and maskwork. Much of it was reckoning with the growing deathcounts of World War I, with work that often lampooned Western imperialism and supposed rationality. Smarthistory Horror video games rely on terrifying sound designHorror has become a popular gaming genre, which designers say is due, in large part, to the games' soundtracks. Don Veca, the audio director for the game Dead Space, said, “Sound and music prepare the player to be scared – it’s all about the buildup, the tension, and then the release when something jumps out at you.” the Guardian Contemporary horror novelists on their favorite scary storiesTen of horror's best writers name the books that still give them nightmares. From established classics, like Stephen King's "IT" and Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House," to unexpected picks like Katherine Dunn's "Geek Love," this collection of scary stories is a perfect reading list for Halloween. USA TODAY German expressionism produced some of horror’s earliest classicsAfter World War I, German filmmakers turned from reality to the surreal, fusing experimental art with the nascent world of film. Some of the movement’s most notable films, like FW Murnau’s “Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror” and Robert Wiene’s “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” were intent on frightening their audiences. The Twin Geeks The scarecrow isn't an effective tool for farms, but it is a potent symbol in horrorScarecrows are no longer the best way for farmers to prevent birds from messing with their crops, but the humanlike figures are still found in horror movies. Folklorists say that's because they recall an agrarian past that makes modern viewers uneasy. Popular Science Horror grossed more than $1B at the box office for the first time in 2017It was the first time the genre broke the barrier for domestic box offices, powered by hits like “Get Out,” “IT” and “Split.” Since then, horror movies have remained commercial juggernauts: In 2025, the genre surpassed the $1B mark by September. Today, Explained Body horror is a subgenre that uses anxieties about appearanceMade popular in the 1980s through films like “The Fly,” the body horror subgenre focuses on physical transformation and violence. It gained significant attention in 2024, thanks to the critical attention “The Substance” received, including an Academy Award nomination for best picture. The Conversation Folk horror involves remote settings and ancient traditionsFolk horror often features outsiders venturing to isolated areas and finding the locals engaged in disturbing (often occult) traditions. Rather than using supernatural elements, the horror often comes from the locals themselves. Examples include the 1973 film “The Wicker Man” and Shirley Jackson’s 1948 short story “The Lottery”. NPR Japanese horror is often more psychological than its Western counterpartOne of the country’s most famous directors is Masaki Kobayashi, who won a Special Jury Prize at the 1965 Cannes Film Festival. Unlike his Western peers, Kobayashi’s films avoid jump scares or gratuitous gore, opting instead for slow-burning psychological explorations that are just as terrifying. Rikumo Horror exploded as a commercial literary genre in the late 1960sIra Levin’s 1967 novel “Rosemary’s Baby” showed publishers horror was a viable commercial genre. That was proven again in 1971, with William Peter Blatty’s “The Exorcist” and again in 1974 with Stephen King’s “Carrie.” The books dealt with societal fears (the occult, drugs, sex) during a time of political upheaval. NPR ‘Horror hosts’ helped build the genre’s cult followingHorror is now considered high art, but much of its cult popularity is due to the B-movies that defined the genre. Starting in the 1950s, many of these low-grade films were licensed on the cheap by television networks to fill airtime, introduced by “horror hosts”—MCs with campy, over-the-top personas. Paste The best jump scares in horror historyEver since the first jump scare in 1942’s “Cat People,” directors have been using the technique to terrify (and delight) audiences. This list of 25 classic instances of the move includes scenes from “Get Out,” “Psycho,” “Candyman,” and more. The New York Times Shirley Jackson is one of horror’s most important writersThe author of 20th-century classics like “The Haunting of Hill House” and “Hangsaman” was a master of domestic horror, though she was often minimized during her life for writing horror. Since her death in 1965, Jackson’s work has proven to be influential to horror and literary writers alike. The Guardian The jump scare, a horror genre trope, was invented to keep costs lowRKO Pictures hired Val Lewton to produce horror films in the Universal model: small budgets, big spectacles. His first movie was 1942's "Cat People" and he used tension and offscreen terror to save money. A perfect example is the movie's jump scare, a misdirection technique that catches viewers off guard. To Old Hollywood and Beyond!Horror stories often rely on tropesAll literary genres use tropes, a word used to describe established plot devices, character types, and themes. Horror has many of them, like the "Creepy Child" and the "Evil Mask." Some are based on folklore, like the "Deal with the Devil." TV Tropes The Hays Code limited the ways horror films could scare audiencesBeginning in 1930, the Hays Code laid out a strict set of guidelines for Hollywood filmmakers to prevent films that might corrupt those with a “susceptible mind.” That meant no graphic violence, no sexual relations outside of marriage (or of a homosexual nature), and no interracial relationships, among other dictums. FANGORIA The ‘Universal Monsters’ series solidified horror as a film genreBefore 1931, most scary movies were billed as “mystery” or “suspense” with grounded explanations for anything "supernatural." That changed with “Dracula,” which presented the character as a real vampire who drank victims' blood. Universal continued adapting similar titles, including HG Wells’ “The Invisible Man” and Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories. SIFF George Méliès' 'The Haunted Castle' is considered the first horror filmThe 1896 film short uses a series of camera tricks to depict supernatural experiences, including a bird turning into a man and a woman being summoned from a smoking cauldron. Its subject matter and surprising visuals have led scholars to call it the first horror film. silentfilmhouse Literary theorists distinguish between ‘terror’ and ‘horror’In her essay “On the Supernatural in Poetry,” gothic novelist Ann Radcliffe defined “terror” as the lurking, unseen specter in a story—something that defined gothic literature. “Horror,” on the other hand, was the explicit portrayal of it. For her, the former was artistic, while the latter was cheap. UFSC Horror offers opportunities to safely experiment with fearResearchers at Denmark’s Aarhus University study people attracted to what they call “recreational fear,” which includes any media (like a horror movie) or experience (like a haunted house) that’s intended to give them a scare. They say these people appreciate playing with fears and anxieties safely. Unexplainable Horror is an artistic genre aimed at scaring its audiencesWhether it's a movie, novel, comic book or any of the genre's other terrifying incarnations, horror's primary purpose is to scare its audiences. Throughout its history, the style has evolved and splintered, and now includes many subgenres, like the slasher flick, the found footage film, and even the horror comedy. MasterClass The best horror movies of all timeThe genre has been scaring audiences for over a century, in many different forms and through many other methods. While any list is subjective, this Rotten Tomatoes list is based on the films' aggregate critical scores. We're sure it'll inspire some additions to your watch list—along with some spirited conversations. Rotten Tomatoes Horror evolved from Gothic literatureAlthough creepy tales can be found in nearly every folk tradition, the roots of modern horror can be traced back to Gothic literature, which focused on the battle between humans and unnatural, evil forces. The New York Public Library Some theorize that horror's artifice turns fear into enjoymentThe “excitation transfer theory” suggests that the unpleasant feelings a jump scare might elicit (like shortness of breath) are quickly relieved when the audience member remembers what they’re witnessing is fake. CSP Global The studio behind 'Rocky Horror' pulled promotion before its national releaseBefore its national release in 1975, the studio behind "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" decided the musical movie was too strange, campy, and unwieldy for most audiences and cut its promotional efforts, hoping to minimize its losses. That decision led to the film flopping commercially. It wasn't until a theater began screening the film at midnight that it caught on, attracting a devoted fanbase who attended weekly screenings and dressed as their favorite characters—a tradition that continues to this day. Can of Beanie ‘Frankenstein’ is a classic horror novelFew novels have been as influential as Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” The 1818 novel is considered the first science fiction novel and a cornerstone of the horror genre. The text has also been widely adapted for the screen and is responsible for at least two major archetypes: the creature and the mad scientist. BBC Alfred Hitchcock influenced modern horror director Jordan PeeleLike Alfred Hitchcock, Jordan Peele has built a filmography that’s equal parts thrilling, suspenseful, genre-bending, and literary. It’s no surprise, then, that so many critics have been quick to name Peele as the second coming of “the Master of Suspense.” SlashFilm The horror hotlines of the 1990sBefore the internet, 900-number hotlines were the way to retrieve instant information over the phone, whether for weather reports, movie information, or spooky horror stories. Callers could dial the number and hear ghost stories, experience interactive horrors, and more. This article reminisces about this extinct technology and how it paved the way for the internet. Atlas Obscura The 2017 adaptation of King's 'IT' is the most successful horror movie everThe 2017 adaptation of Stephen King's horror novel "IT" wasn't the first adaptation for the screen, but it was the most successful. It broke multiple box-office records, becoming the highest-grossing horror movie in history. This resource breaks down every record it broke in its theatrical release. Screenrant Stephen King is drawn to horror's childish powerThis 1986 appearance promoting King's directorial debut finds him reflecting on what makes horror, which he says is its ability to strip away pretense, reducing supposedly sophisticated people to terrified children. He also seems to have already soured on the movie business, calling filmmaking "a primitive way to create," a not-so-subtle dig at Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of "The Shining," which notoriously disappointed King. CBC Why are humans hooked on horror?A haunted horror attraction in Denmark is regularly stalked by researchers of the world's only laboratory dedicated to understanding fear's good side. Fear is one of many human emotions that correspond to a physiological response. As fear rises, so do adrenaline, cortisol, and heart and breath rates. As it ebbs, the body is flooded with dopamine, a hormone and neurotransmitter associated with desire, learning, and motivation. Atlas Obscura An in-depth account of the image of 'The Falling Man' whose final seconds capture the visceral horrors of 9/11Do you remember the photograph above? In the US, people have taken pains to banish it from the record of Sept. 11, 2001. Here's a detailed account of the story behind it, the search for the man pictured in it, and its impact on those who lived through the tragic day. Esquire An Irish soldier recounts the horrors of fighting in World War IJack Campbell, who died in 1992, at age 97, served in the British army during World War I with four of his older brothers. Ireland's last "Old Contemptible," Campbell was gassed during the course of the war, and he shares this and other memories on Ireland's 'The Late Late Show' in this 11-minute video. YouTube 'Dracula' was inspired by a seafood-induced nightmareBram Stoker, the author of the classic horror novel, said that a dinner of "dressed crab" led to unsettling dreams about "a vampire king rising from the tomb." He'd revisit that vision, eventually creating the iconic titular vampire. Mental Floss Japan committed mass war crimes during its invasion of ChinaDuring the 1937 invasion, Japanese forces carried out systematic atrocities—including mass executions, rape, torture, forced labor, and chemical warfare. The Nanjing Massacre alone killed tens of thousands over a span of six weeks, with some estimates claiming 300,000. Into the Shadows Ten of the most horrifying moments in filmMany films in the genre lean into gratuitous horror, putting off the average viewer. This list of ten moments highlights particularly terrifying scenes from films that otherwise met with mainstream acclaim, from "Mulholland Drive" to "The Lord of the Rings." BBC British censors turned 1981’s ‘The Evil Dead’ into a notorious cult classicSam Raimi’s debut feature film is considered a classic horror movie—one that was as ridiculous as it was scary. Despite protests from politicians and parent groups, the film became a surprise hit abroad with audiences who understood it as campy satire—something that was lost on its would-be censors. Book of the Dead Watch 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'Robert Wiene’s 1920 film remains a significant film for the horror genre, illustrating the power that relatively simple visual choices, like shadows and jagged angles, can have on an audience. Storia del Cinema Watch 'The Atomic Café'—Cold War satire that exposed nuclear propaganda and proliferation risksThis 1982 collage-documentary uncovers a surreal Cold War era: US civil defense films downplayed nuclear horror, arguing the films fueled public complacency, while the arms race and civilian nuclear hype fueled global proliferation fears before NPT safeguards emerged. Tubi Niagara’s frozen river once hosted winter carnivalsBefore a 1912 collapse, winter ice bridges across the river were so thick that entrepreneurs built bars, photo studios, and entire carnival midways on the frozen surface. Fascinating Horror Spielberg wrote ‘Poltergeist,’ and some say he directed it, tooAlthough the horror classic doesn’t credit Spielberg as a director, several people from the cast and crew suggested he was in charge of the film. The film’s credited director, Tobe Hooper, says Spielberg was merely brought on as a second director—which Spielberg has repeatedly confirmed. Collider The animatronic shark from 'Jaws' was a complex machine called 'Bruce'Affectionately named after Spielberg’s lawyer, the elaborate underwater apparatus used to portray the shark in the film was constructed by Robert A. Mattey. He had previously constructed a giant squid for “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” a film Spielberg loved as a child. Bold Entrance In 1999, King survived a near-fatal car accidentIn 1999, a distracted driver hit writer Stephen King as he walked on the side of the road near his house in Maine. He recounts the event in his famous memoir, "On Writing." This interview with Katie Couric took place five months after the accident and shows King in a fragile state, wondering about the long-term effects on his mind. When Couric asks if he'll try to work the incident into his work, he smiles. "Sooner or later," he says, "everything goes in." YouTube King's books are now taught by college professorsStephen King’s horror, fantasy, and science fiction were once considered lowbrow and unworthy of serious academic study. That's changed over the last 50 years, with King courses and symposiums taking place at universities around the world. The University of Melbourne King's 'On Writing' is a classic text about his craftStephen King is known first and foremost as a horror writer. However, one of his best-known books happens to be nonfiction. “On Writing,” published in 2000, is part autobiography and part instruction manual. King explains how he came to his craft and offers advice on ways aspiring writers can improve. The Saturday Evening Post Watch how a mixed reality app transforms a space into a haunted house'Hauntify' incorporates a user's physical surroundings into the gameplay. Available via the Meta Quest's app store, the software utilizes the mixed reality device's cameras and sensors to map a user's environment, from which evil spirits that must be repelled appear to emerge suddenly. VoodooDE VR 'Creepypasta' is a meme that has its roots in folkloreThe genre of crowdsourced, horror folklore comes from copypasta, a term that refers to snippets of content copy-and-pasted online ad nauseam. These memes' allure stems at least partly from how they seemingly rise from nowhere, with tales crafted by many hands over many iterations. Aeon

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