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No one does monsters like Universal. With a stretch of films in the 1930s and 1940s, the movie studio established itself as not only the preeminent purveyor of frights, but it also cemented a cadre of creatures as pop cultures go-to monsters. Frankenstein’s Monster, the Mummy, Dracula, the Wolf Man, the Bride of Frankenstein, the Invisible Man–these creeps are inextricably linked to all things spooky because of a smash hit run of films from 80 years ago.
If you’ve never seen these horror classics, then Shudder is the streaming service for you. Spend the week leading up to Halloween running through six of the most iconic–and among the first–horror films ever made. In addition to their thorough collection of horror films from across the decades, Shudder is home to these must-see creature features.
'Dracula' (1931)
Starring: Bela Lugosi
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
While Universal’s slate of monster films really began in the ’20s with The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera, the studio began their reign in terror with 1931’s Dracula. Lugosi’s grand, dramatic Dracula set the standard for playing the charismatic vampire, and this classic still delivers on atmosphere and dreadful tension.
'Frankenstein' (1931)
Starring: Boris Karloff
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein is considered by many to have created science fiction, and this feature film adaptation had a similarly seismic impact on pop culture. Karloff’s flat-topped, bolt-necked, lumbering giant became the most iconic monster of all time, and he’s first jolted to life in this picture.
'The Mummy' (1932)
Starring: Boris Karloff
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
The Mummy has had an extensive onscreen history, stretching all the way to this past summer and Tom Cruise’s underperforming action flick. The original, featuring Karloff as a resurrected Egyptian high priest on a chaotic quest for love, has all the macabre moodiness you need.
'The Invisible Man' (1933)
Starring: Claude Rains
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
H.G. Wells’ novella comes to life in this special effects showcase starring a man that can be heard but not seen. After discovering a drug that turns him invisible, Dr. Jack Griffin (a.k.a. the Invisible Man) is slowly driven mad–and it’s the innocent who pay the price. The film comes from director James Whale, who also delivered the terrifying goods on two Frankenstein films.
'Bride of Frankenstein' (1935)
Starring: Elsa Lanchester
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Considered to be one of the few sequels in film history that is as good if not better than its predecessor, Bride of Frankenstein added another memorable monster to Universal’s pantheon. With her frightful hair and lightning bolt white streak, the Bride has become almost as recognizable as her groom in pop culture. Fun fact: director James Whale was openly gay and many have read queer subtext into this monster movie. Can you spot it?
'The Wolf Man' (1941)
Starring: Lon Chaney Jr.
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Universal kept their monster franchise popular in a new decade with the introduction of the Wolf Man, ten years after they upped their game with Dracula and Frankenstein. This film is actually the second Universal film to star a werewolf, although 1935’s Werewolf of London was not a smash hit. For 1941’s The Wolf Man, the werewolf makeup became more monster-esque, establishing the look and feel of werewolves that we still see today.
