Reviving The Classics: Saving Horror Movie Staples

Over the last year or so, there has been a complete renaissance within the horror genre. From breakout hits such as Maxxxine, and Cuckoo. Return of remarkable franchises such as Terrifier and the Omen franchises. But, the one thing I have loved seeing coming back on the rise, has been the resurgence of the classic monster movie.

Monster movies have always been a ever-present force within the horror genre. When I mean the classic monster movie, I am speaking of the boys, the usual suspects.  The horror movie monsters that are taking center stage whenever the genre is brought up.

Dracula, The Wolfman, Frankenstein, and the Mummy. I know that we have had some horrid attempts to revive the classics, like the Dark Universe. We try our best to forget that era of failure. It did not get off to a great start with Tom Cruise’s The Mummy flopping so hard that they pulled the plug on the entire idea altogether.

Failed attempts aside, the thought of bringing these monsters back to the silver screen has always excited me. The tried and true narrative that comes along with this type of storytelling is always a perfect film when executed properly. I started this because I recently sat and watched Nosferatu at the end of 2024. One of the trailers that stuck with me  was the new Wolf Man film coming out this year. It stirred something within me.

These movies are not a part of a bigger universe, or they will not converge in the same universe. These are two stand-alone films. I highly recommend you go see Nosferatu, I loved it. Bill Skarsgard gives a phenomenal performance as always. The entire cast is captivating in their roles. It was a classic telling of this story brought to life with modern techniques. The cinematography was top-tier. One thing I thought very interesting was that you could stop the movie a good chunk of the way in and turn on another Dracula/ Orlok story, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, then return to Nosferatu and see what happens as a whole story. Even though the two movies are not connected by the universe or studios. It is a testament to the art of beautiful classic storytelling that I would even suggest this.

Wolf Man comes out January 17th and it is a breathtaking adaptation of the werewolf story. I have found myself already anticipating the body horror to come out of this. I will be scarred in the best way. This had me wondering if we would get more adaptations within the same light for the remaining monsters.

I was searching around and I saw a movie I missed entirely that piqued my interest. Lisa Frankenstein came out February of 2024 and from the trailer I saw I would have enjoyed it. I do believe it is streaming somewhere and when I find it, I’ll report back.

But, as I was writing and researching for this topic, I discovered there will be another adaptation to the Frankenstein story. The Bride will be a new telling of the story for The Bride of Frankenstein. She has surged in popularity, especially since her involvement in the new DCU and the Creature Commandos. This will not be like that, but this will tell the story of The Bride of Frankenstein’s Monster and her relationship with him. The cast is stacked and Christian Bale will be playing the role of The Monster. Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal and slated around the end of 2025, we are all in anticipation of this film.

All I need now is a beautifully shot adaptation of a Mummy movie. I know, I know, the Dark Universe put an awful taste within our mouths, and nothing can truy live up to The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. We do not speak of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor movie in that trilogy. But if any time were primed to pull off a revived mummy movie, it would be now. But only time will tell.

With that being said, I will appreciate all of the great titles that are available now and step back into the theaters with the same excitement as the days of old. The wonderment and excitement has returned and taken grasp of audiences. What have been some of your favorite horror classics to watch? Let me know.