Were all living in one big dark room; might as well put a movie on.
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And were not just talking about Tim Burton here.
Its simultaneously dramatic, romantic, subversive, and foreboding.
Were all living in one, big, dark room; might as well put a movie on.
All that collaboration and detail meansBram Stokers Draculais transportive, every single time.
(And if you want a better goth-Keanu performance,Constantineis right there.)
If your goth flavor is ruffled shirts and smoldering stares, this is the film for you!
Labyrinth(1986)
Jim Henson gave us the Muppets.
Its one of the most feminist works on this list.
stories, andPacific Rims face-off scene between Raleigh and Mako Mori isincredibly sexy.
Its del Toros most straightforward exploration of the cost of love, especially the forbidden kind.
The original is of course inimitable on its own terms.
Plus, Udo Kier is here, and his spookiness automatically helps pushSuspiriainto goth territory.
What is infamy if not that?
And it made for a real one-two Proyas punch with its predecessorThe Crow, another seminal goth film.
Tim Burton carried that torch to the big screen with his massively successfulBatman.
We all know what Michelle Pfeiffer looked like in fetish gear as Catwoman.
Let us all remember that fondly.
The Cell(2000)
Eiko Ishioka just couldnt miss.
Wearing PVC pants, a corset, and too many accessories?
That tragedy will always hang over the film like a shroud.
Its goth excellence, and Lee makes it so.
Blade(1998)
The blood-rave scene.
What else is there to say?
Night of the Demons(1988)
Night of the Demonswalked soThe Craftcould run.
Its energetic without being too self-serious, and Angelas fishnet-and-lace outfits are still aspirational.
Black-and-whitestripes
Minimalist visual contrast, maximalist imagination, for German expressionists and weirdo teens alike.
Sandwiched betweenBeetlejuiceandSleepy Hollowis their crowning achievement, 1990sEdward Scissorhands, which made Depp and Ryder goths reigning couple.
Hot Topic has stayed in business for decades onEdward Scissorhandsmerch alone!
(Selick also directed 2009sCoraline, a must-watch; Burtons 2012 animated effortFrankenweenieis fine.)
Once youve seen it, youll never unsee it.
The Addams Family(1991)
When goth got cuddly.
All of them brought a lovable eccentricity to this story about resisting the pressure of normalcy.
Plus, Rose McGowans haircut is pretty killer.
Return of the Living Dead 3(1993)
Bride of FrankensteinmeetsRe-Animatorin a delightful bit of shlock.
Theres something so right about Bowie playing a seductive vampire, isnt there?
To think, this came out three years beforeLabyrinth.
Thank you to Tony Scotts directorial debut for giving us this enduring image of hotness.
