The 2024 film season saw 129 films from DreamWorks, Disney, MGM, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros., and 20th Century Fox. Six of these titles fell into the gothic horror subgenre — two more than the previous year.
What constitutes gothic horror?
Gothic horror is a literary subgenre heavily tied back to gothic literature. The genre uses imagery of crumbling castles and old buildings, supernatural creatures like ghosts and monsters, often seeing appearances of vampires. The genre is also known for its use of isolation and confinement, showing the characters’ physical and mental isolation, something apparent in this past year’s releases, like the parallel of Ellen and Thomas in Nosferatu.
Much like other gothic and dark pieces, gothic horror also plays on themes of moral ambiguity, showcasing characters with muddy pasts and questionable actions. Early subgenre works focused predominantly on morality, often through religion, using metaphors. In some instances, gothic horror pieces discuss revenge, sexual violence, most often towards women, and death. While it is common for stories in this category to have a romance plot, it is typically not the focus.
2024’s GOthic Horror Lineup
- Immaculate
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Released March 22, Immaculate follows the story of Cecelia, a nun embarking on a new journey to a remote convent in the Italian countryside. Her arrival quickly turns into horror as more secrets about the convent are revealed. The film stars Sydney Sweeney as Cecelia and is directed by Michael Mohan. The film uses the Catholic Church and themes of isolation to embody the gothic horror subgenre.
At the box office, Immaculate reached $10 million, ranking among the top-performing horror films at the time of its release.
- Abigail
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Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, Abigail was released on April 19 and reached an 83% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Abigail tells the story of a young ballet dancer, Abigail, who a group of criminals takes hostage. Expecting her to be an easy target, the group brings her to a secluded mansion where it is revealed that she is the daughter of a powerful figure in the underworld. The kidnappers quickly realize that they have placed themselves in a secluded place with an extraordinary little girl.
The film stars Alisha Weir in the titular role, Melissa Barrera as Joey, Dan Stevens as Frank, Kathryn Newton as Sammy, and Angus Cloud as Dean, shot before he died in 2023.
- Alien: Romulus
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Slightly different from other gothic horror films released in 2024, Alien: Romulus also falls into the SciFi category. The film, directed by Fede Alvarez, tells the story of a group of space colonists who encounter a terrifying life form. It comes 45 years after the franchise’s first release, Alien, starring Sigourney Weaver.
Alien: Romulus, released in August, stars Cailee Spaeny, Isabela Merced, David Jonsson, and Archie Renaux.
- The Crow
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The Crow follows the story of lovers Eric and Shelly as they are tragically murdered. Based on the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, Eric is given the opportunity to save Shelly and goes on a quest through the underworld seeking revenge.
The film stars Bill SkarsgĂĄrd and FKA Twigs as the two lovers and was directed by Rupert Sanders. Released on August 23, the film unfortunately did not perform well with critics, obtaining just a 22% Rotten Tomatoes score, but did decently well with audiences, earning 62%.
- Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
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Much like Alien: Romulus, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is also an expansion of a preexisting franchise. Set after the first film, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice follows Lydia, now an adult, and her family as he once again taunts them. When her daughter Astrid discovers a portal to the afterlife, Lydia must confront him again and revisit her previously experienced mayhem.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was released just in time for Fall, heading to theaters on Sept. 6. The film saw the return of original cast members Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton and brought on Jenna Ortega as Astrid.
- Nosferatu
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A remake of the 1922 film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, Nosferatu arrived in theaters on Dec. 25. Keeping the original plot, Nosferatu tells the story of Ellen, a woman haunted by Count Orlok, a vampire who is completely obsessed with her. While her husband is sent to the Count’s remote estate to settle a real estate deal, Ellen is left to manage her torment alone.
Ellen and her husband, Thomas, are played by Lily-Rose Depp and Nicholas Hoult. The vampire himself is played by The Crow star SkarsgĂĄrd, who made quite the appearance in 2024’s gothic horror spread. The film performed well with both audiences and critics, reaching an 85% critic score and multiple Oscar nominations, including Best Cinematography.
Moving into 2025, fans of these projects can only hope for more films in this category. And with the January release of the latest gothic horror installment, Wolfman, so close to the turn of the new year, it appears things are looking up for these dramatic horror films. As of now, it seems we can expect gothic horror to haunt us some more.