Frankenstein - Watch Order: Essential Films
This curated watch list highlights the most influential and acclaimed Frankenstein films across different eras and approaches. Starting with Universal's foundational classics, it includes Hammer's gothic reinvention and the most successful modern adaptation. These five films represent the evolution of the Frankenstein story in cinema: from Boris Karloff's iconic Monster to Peter Cushing's obsessed Baron, from Mel Brooks' loving parody to Kenneth Branagh's faithful literary adaptation.
The beloved Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is the wonderful comedic finale of the Universal Series (see our watch order up top), but it requires knowledge of the earlier Universal films to fully appreciate and thus isn't part of this essential selection.
Frankenstein
Tampering with life and death, Henry Frankenstein pieces together salvaged body parts to bring a human monster to life; the mad scientist's dreams are shattered by his creation's violent rage as the monster awakens to a world in which he is unwelcome.
Bride of Frankenstein
Dr. Frankenstein and his monster both turn out to be alive, not killed as previously believed. Dr. Frankenstein wants to get out of the evil experiment business, but when a mad scientist, Dr. Pretorius, kidnaps his wife, Dr. Frankenstein agrees to help him create a new creature.
The Curse of Frankenstein
Baron Victor Frankenstein has discovered life's secret and unleashed a blood-curdling chain of events resulting from his creation: a cursed creature with a horrid face — and a tendency to kill.
Young Frankenstein
A young neurosurgeon inherits the castle of his grandfather, the famous Dr. Victor von Frankenstein. In the castle he finds a funny hunchback, a pretty lab assistant and the elderly housekeeper. Young Frankenstein believes that the work of his grandfather was delusional, but when he discovers the book where the mad doctor described his reanimation experiment, he suddenly changes his mind.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein is a promising young doctor who, devastated by the death of his mother during childbirth, becomes obsessed with bringing the dead back to life. His experiments lead to the creation of a monster, which Frankenstein has put together with the remains of corpses. It's not long before Frankenstein regrets his actions.
Other Film Series
A Quiet Place
A post-apocalyptic horror series about survivors navigating a world where deadly creatures hunt by sound, forcing humanity to live in complete silence.
Critters
Horror-comedy franchise about small, ravenous alien creatures called Crites terrorizing Earth, featuring a complete four-film story arc and a later soft reboot.
Halloween
The iconic slasher franchise following masked killer Michael Myers across multiple timelines and reboots spanning over four decades.
Leprechaun
A horror-comedy franchise following a murderous Irish leprechaun's violent quests to reclaim his stolen gold across various settings and time periods.
Tremors
Kevin Bacon and Michael Gross battle subterranean Graboids in this cult monster franchise spanning three decades.
Whispering Corridors
A landmark anthology of South Korean horror films set in all-girls high schools, blending supernatural terror with sharp social commentary.