From 1931 to 1956, Universal Pictures produced a collection of horror movies referred to as Classic Universal Monster movies. The shared universe consists of 30 feature films that often revolve around such iconic horror movie monsters as Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, The Mummy, and the Wolf Man, terrifying and influential characters that remain a pop-cultural mainstay to this day.
Since 1991, the classic Universal Monsters movies have been canonized five times, including The Classic Collection, Classic Monster Collection, The Legacy Collection, Essential Collection, and Complete Collection. In the guide below, horror fans of every stripe will discover how to watch the Complete Collection of Classic Universal Monster Movies, which includes every chronological release and where to currently stream each film.
Dracula (1931)
Directed by Tod Browning and Karl Freund,Draculakicked off the Universal Monster movie slate with a sleek and sinister style.Adapted from the timeless Bram Stoker tale, the movie traces the insatiable bloodlust of Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi), the dashing vampire from Transylvania who requires human blood to remain immortal. The movie established the mythology and iconography of cinematic vampires and solidified Lugosi’s status as Universal’s go-to horror player.Draculais available to rent on Prime Video.
Frankenstein (1931)
James Whale’s universally acclaimedFrankensteinis the second Universal Monster Movie to watch. The film concerns the scientific experiments of the mad Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive), who seeks to reanimate human corpses by stitching together various body parts from the graves he robs. The result is Frankenstein’s Monster (Boris Karloff in an unforgettably haunting performance), a childlike monstrosity whose innocent naivety leads to a profound sense of tragic sympathy. Frankenstein became so popular and well-received that the monster would appear multiple times in Universal’s canon.Frankensteinis available to stream on Classix.
The Mummy (1932)
Directed by Karl Freund,The Mummyintroduced the third consecutive Hall of Fame monster in Universal’s classic horror movie collection. Set in 1921 Egypt, the film concerns the resurrection of Prince Im-Ho-Tep (Boris Karloff), a mummified corpse that becomes animated and wreaks violent havoc before attempting to reunite with his long-lost love. While perhaps not as scary asDraculaor as involving asFrankenstein, The Mummystood out most for the moody atmosphere of its exotic locale.The Mummyis available to rent on Apple TV+.
The Invisible Man (1933)
Adapted from the H.G. Wells novel by director James Whale,The Invisible Mancontinues Universal’s Sci-Fi horror approach. The story tracks Dr. Jack Griffin (Claude Rains), an ambitious scientist attempting to make himself invisible. When his formula is successful, The Invisible Man finds himself in a Faustian Bargain as his mind and body are driven to commit murder. Thanks to the rich source material, stylish direction, and committed performance by Rains,The Invisible Mandrew some of the best reviews in the early history of Universal’s Monster movies. For example,TIME Magazine’s reviewstates that Rains is “almost as frightening when he is present as when he is not.“The Invisible Manis available to stream on IndieFlix.
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
The Bride of Frankenstein
Often regarded as thefirst official horror-comedyon record,Bride of Frankensteinis an absolute ball. Colin Clive returns as the hysterical Dr. Frankenstein, this time hell-bent on finding his lovable monster a suitable spouse. The result is a tour-de-force performance by Elsa Lanchester, who plays dual roles as Frankenstein’s bride and novelist Mary Shelly. With James Whale and Boris Karloff also reprising their roles from the original as well,Bride of Frankensteindrew universal acclaim for balancing satire with scares with a whole new tone and tenor for Universal’s monsters.Bride of Frankensteinis available to rent on Apple TV+.
Werewolf of London (1935)
Directed by Stuart Walker,Werewolf of Londonfinds botanical expert Wilfred Glendon on a trip to find a rare flower in Tibet. On his quest, Wilfred is attacked by wild animals and soon morphs into a bloodthirsty werewolf at night. While nowhere near as scary or influential asThe Wolf Manreleased six years later, the movie is worth a watch for Universal Monster movie completists who are interested in seeing Universal’s first fairly frightening foray into lethal lycanthropy.Werewolf of Londonis available to rent on Prime Video.
Dracula’s Daughter (1936)
Directed by Lambert Hillyard,Dracula’s Daughterhas been included in three of the five Universal Monster collections to date. The story finds Van Helsing on the run after he prosecutes Count Dracula, prompting a strange woman named Marya to steal Dracula’s corpse, cremate his body, and assume his evil mantle. Torn between her moral backbone and newfound bloodlust, Marya turns to a psychiatrist for help. Although not always included in Universal’s classic canon, Dracula’s Daughter remains eerie and unsettling.Dracula’s Daughteris available to rent on Prime Video.
Son of Frankenstein (1939)
Directed by Rowland V. Lee,Son of Frankensteinfollows the fiendish ambitions of Dr. Frankenstein’s son, Baron Wolf (Basil Rathbone), as he returns to his father’s castle to continue his legacy. When he arrives, Baron Wolf discovers that Frankenstein’s Monster (Boris Karloff) is still barely alive. Determined to follow in his father’s footsteps, Baron Wolf works to revive the monster again, which has terrifying consequences. Despite a three-year gap in Universal’s chronology, the casting of Bela Lugosi as Ygor remains one of the most memorable parts ofSon of Frankenstein.Son of Frankensteinis available to rent on Prime Video.
The Invisible Man Returns (1940)
From director Joe May,The Invisible Man Returnsis a bit of a misnomer. Rather than Jack Griffin (Claud Rains) returning, it’s Jack’s brother Frank (John Sutton) who gives the scientific formula to a man named Geoffrey Radcliffe, who becomes the Invisible Man and wreaks havoc before going mad. While nowhere near as inventive as the original, the movie stands out most for the performance of horror legend Vincent Price, who plays the title monster with delirious dedication.The Invisible Man Returnsis currently unavailable to stream.
The Mummy’s Hand (1940)
Directed by Christy Cabanne,The Mummy’s Handcenters on a pair of wise-cracking archeologists who stumble upon the tomb of Princess Ananka in Egypt. However, with Ananka’s resurrection comes the revival of Kharis, the bandage-wrapped mummy from the first film who joins forces with a bizarre magician and a sadistic priest to take the scientists out. In a page-one rewrite of the creature’s mythology,the classic Mummy moviemarked a period of transition for its classic monster movie formula, in which sequels would be favored over originals.The Mummy’s Handis available to rent on Apple TV+.
