If one has been taking a much-needed break from the internet or perfectly tailored their algorithm to topics they are most passionate about, they have probably missed the collective interest and infatuation with Robert Eggers’ . Starring Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen and Bill Skarsgard as Count Orlok, the film serves as a remake of the '90s horror classic. Earning generally positive reviews, Nosferatu is the first of many films centered around Gothic horror classics that will hit the screen in 2025 (Nosferatu came at the tail end of 2024).

Between the Oscar Isaac-led Frankenstein and Caleb Landry Jones and Christopher Waltz for Dracula: A Love Tale, it seems like the shadowy small villages, pervasive paranoia, and conjuring of scapegoats of the past serves as the best representation of people’s contemporary feelings, culminating in the fascination with the macabre audiences see now. Similarly, movies like Wolf Man and Sinners see Gothic tropes adapted for a modern story, with the former focusing on the story of a man who hopes to protect his family from a dangerous wolf and the latter surrounding a set of twins who prepare for the return of a great evil.

follows Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) and Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult), a couple based in Wisburg, Germany. When the latter is tapped to sell an estate to the ominous Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard), he initially thinks nothing of it initially. Following his visit with Count Orlok, strange occurrences such as the spread of plague, mysterious attacks, and vividly haunting nightmares prompt an energized investment into discovering the truth behind the unfortunate events at play.

Nosferatu was recently released to generally strong reviews, with the critical consensus being that the film's leads offer haunting and compelling performances as Ellen and Count Orlok. Throughout the film, audiences are submerged in the terror born out of Ellen and Orlok's twisted connection. From their initial union to their terrifying reunion, the film makes an effort to capture the sensitivity of both characters' situations. Much like most films, there is a balance between the pain these characters film and the pain they cause to others. However, Nosferatu completes the cycle and underlines the culpability of both Ellen and Orlok, as well as characters like Ellen's husband, Thomas (Nicholas Frost).

With the story being a Gothic horror staple, it may leave film fans and critics alike wondering whether Nosferatu stands alone as an exceptional success for Gothic horrors or if subsequent films will experience a similar appreciation. Though, its efforts to emphasize the feat and disgust of Orlok that permeates throughout the film are also successful in alluding to parallels between Wisburg of the 1830s and the world as it enters the mid 2020s.

is the latest adaptation of the Bram Stoker novel and finds Caleb Landry Jones donning the unforgettable midnight black cape and ghastly white fangs. While previous iterations largely posit Dracula as a uniquely powerful villain, Dracula, A Love Tale finds the decision to lean into the Transylvanian native's yearning for genuine love.

While many are aware of Dracula's reputation as a nefarious presence whose repeated violation of consent and conjuring of discord poses a threat to the Harkers and their loved ones, there continues to be a fascination with Dracula's loneliness and search for romance. Directed by Luc Besson, Dracula, A Love Tale sets out to highlight this aspect of Dracula's character, reinterpreting him as a mourning lover who sees his deceased wife in a new woman. Centuries apart from the tragedy, this new love may give Dracula a chance to heal.

As the film approaches its release, audiences may not know of the direction Besson may take with Dracula's characterization. One option reimagines Dracula as a more accessible, romantic character, thus removing him from his dubious and harmful actions. Another could find the film making justifications for his abuse, tying it to his grief. Dealing with a prickly character like Dracula requires a consideration of his identity and motives, as well as those of the other characters. With a plethora of people worth exploring, Dracula, A Love Tale has many viable routes to take in hopes of releasing a worthwhile contribution to the infamous noble's lore.

sees humanity mimicking God. Focused on the eccentric Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), the story follows him retrieving dismembered parts from the cemetery and creating a new being during an experiment. While the being is mobile and displays various emotions, Victor ultimately rejects the being, labeling them a monster. Said rejection leads to a series of harrowing events that Victor tries to rectify.

The Guillermo Del Toro-directed project is due for release on Netflix later this year. From a horror mastermind such as Del Toro, one can expect genuinely creepy reenactments of the story's pivotal and most devastating moments. Moreover, Frankenstein juggles beliefs of free will, fate, responsibility, and unchecked ambition as audiences witness Victor contending with the consequences of his experiment.

With the film approaching, it will be interesting to watch how it aligns or combats the themes present in other Gothic horror films of the year. For instance, characters like Dracula, Frankenstein, and Count Orlok all serve as symbols of alienation and dehumanization. With a pervasive fear of the other that continues to take the world by storm, Frankenstein serves as the ideal vehicle for the exploration of the other by way of Frankenstein's creation, as well as the creation of said "other" by way of Frankenstein, in hopes of documenting the detriments of the latter's experiment and how it parallels real life treatment of those deemed "foreign" or "subhuman".

, starring Christopher Abbott ( introduces audiences to a seemingly normal family. However, when news of wolf attacks spread, the family understandably grow weary of the possibility of one of their loved ones being harmed. As the full moon approaches, the family is in for a dangerous surprise and attempt to survive the night while getting down to the origins of the lycanthropy posing a threat to them.

Debuting to mixed reviews, the film was commended for its performances as well as attempting to execute a crucial aspect of Gothic horror stories. Using the abstract and grotesque to highlight close-to-home feelings of uncertainty about parenthood not only falls in line with expectations of Gothic horror, serving as an allegory for real life examples of repression, oppression, and fear, but also speaks to contemporary anxieties surrounding the concerns of parents as well as the misappropriation of said concern by political pundits.

Director Leigh Whannell also corroborates this belief, attributing the rising interest in monster movies to the unstable times everyone is attempting to navigate. As James Metzrer eloquently highlights, this fascination can be traced back to the 1950s, when the nuclear arms race produced a significant interest in monster movies like Godzilla. Moreover, the 60s and 70s saw films like The Exorcist as questions of immigration, anxieties about youth, and continued stress about war. While Wolf Man may not be the flagship film of the Gothic revival, it does hone in on a facet of society that serves as a significant stressor to everyday people/

is the upcoming collaboration between Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan. Scheduled for a 2025 release, the film follows twin brothers, both portrayed by Jordan, whose dissatisfaction with their lives results in a return to their hometown. However, their return is marked by the presence of an evil they could not have attempted to predict. Set in the 1930s, the film blends the real life horror of de jure and de facto white supremacist ideology with the fear of the grotesque and supernatural.

At a glance, the premise of the film may seem ambitious. However, Gothic horror stories have long explored the demonization of the other. While it has yet to be confirmed, many film publications speculate that vampires, zombies, and other supernatural entities may appear in the film as oppositional forces posing a threat to the twins. However, given the time and the location, Sinners may serve as the face of the Southern Gothic revival, just as fans of Eve's Bayou reaffirm the film's status as a prolific, modern example of captivating Southern Gothic storytelling.

In a similar vein of European Gothic horror pieces being informed by the xenophobia towards Eastern Europeans and anti-semitism, anti-blackness has served as a source of inspiration for horror stories throughout the decades. With the continued dehumanization of the Black diaspora continuing to be a major source of contention, Sinners has the potential to offer interesting assertions about destiny, free-will, and security while also juxtaposing the black protagonists and the supernatural creatures, considering the former is often otherized in real life and the latter serves as an allegory to said othering.