The history of horror films was described by author Siegbert Solomon Prawer as difficult to read as a linear historical path, with the genre changing throughout the decades, based on the state of cinema, audience tastes and contemporary world events.
Poster for Le Manoir du diable (1896), sometimes described as the first horror film
A shrine dedicated to Mae Nak Phra Khanong, a ghost in Thai culture, that has been prominent in many Thai horror films. Legends from folklore of many cultures would go on to influence horror upon the development of film.
A film poster for Dracula (1931), the film that created a wave of American horror films in the 1930s
A film poster for Cat People (1942), the first film made by producer Val Lewton that created a new style of horror film
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes.
Max Schreck as Count Orlok in the 1922 film Nosferatu. Critic and historian Kim Newman declared it as a film that set the template for the horror film.
Mirrors are often used to create a sense of tension in horror films.
Filmmaker and composer John Carpenter, who has directed and scored numerous horror films, performing in 2016
Frankenstein's monster
