What is Gothic Horror?
Gothic horror is a whole new level of horror in the genre.
This kind of horror holds a special place in my heart, because of how dark this horror can be.
Gothic horror is associated with the darkest forms of disturbing stories, mixed with romance and death. I really do admire this kind of storytelling, because of how incredible the stories can be.
I've seen so many kinds of gothic horror, and it's awesome to see the dark setting come to life with its characters, as we watch these poor people try to navigate the world they live in. One of my favorite movies and examples is the recent remake of Nosferatu.
I could not get over how messed up the story was to this film.
We follow the story of a young woman named Ellen, who becomes the main obsession of a powerful vampire that is determined to do whatever it takes to have her. This beast kills multiple people to get to her, arrives to the city where she lives, bringing his own plague to her home, and tortures her husband in a sick way when they first meet.
He even murders her best friend, including her friend's entire family, leaving the father alive. The father goes insane later, and while he is visiting the graves of his daughters and wife, he proceeds to kiss the corpse of his dead wife, that also leads to his death.
The ending is also super disturbing, when Ellen realizes there is only one way to defeat this evil monster.
(Spoiler territory if you don't want to continue reading this article).
Ellen tricks her husband and his new sidekicks to venture on a quest to locate the lair of the vampire in the city. Meanwhile, Ellen prepares to get ready to spend a night with the beast, putting on her wedding gown that she had worn to marry her husband.
The vampire and Ellen spend a night together, and he drinks her blood the whole night, right until morning comes along. Once the beast realizes that he has doomed himself with the power of the sun, Ellen holds onto him, as he dies in fear. It was heavily implied that Ellen did harbor some feelings for him, since he was the only one who knew of her dark side.
Her husband and his friends find her body in the bed with the vampire, and her husband watches her last breathe leave her body. The film ends with a closeup of Ellen's body intertwined with the vampire.
This movie is the definition of what gothic horror is.
There is always tragedy involved, and you will feel so awful for the characters who are experiencing such horrors, knowing they are going to suffer through whatever horrible ordeal is awaiting them.
I do consider this horror to be so damn ballsy, because it takes a certain kind of writer to pull off something this dark.
I hope to read or watch more Gothic horror in the future. There is just something so special about watching such evil plague these characters we come to love. I know that sounds a little crazy to say, but I love the kind of horror that never shows any mercy.
Nosferatu was one of the few films that straight-up killed two kids in one scene, right in front of Ellen's best friend. I couldn't believe that she witnessed such horror, and the way that she watched the vampire walk up to her, knowing that she was going to die next was fantastic horror.
I love Gothic horror, and I'm so happy that it has such a huge fanbase!
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