The history of horror movies spans more than a century. Designed to provoke feelings of fear, they often startle audiences with combinations of supernatural and macabre forces. These films provide safe methods for viewers to examine their inner fears.

Often, the plots are centered around evil events, people or forces. Central themes are often based upon supernatural beings and events. Serial killers, disease outbreaks, zombies, curses, haunted houses, vampires, ghosts and werewolves are common elements in these films.

Georges Melies is credited with pioneering the genre in the 19th Century with his silent films. His 1896 release, The House of the Devil, is considered the world\’s first thriller. His follow-up film was the 1898 release, The Cave of the Unholy One.

Gothic literature provided the themes for the early thrillers. The Phantom of the Opera, Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde, Frankenstein and Dracula were among the earliest releases. A spine-tingling version of Frankenstein was released in 1910.

Studios in Hollywood began to release thrillers during the early 1920s. The 1923 release of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and the 1925 release of The Monster featured actor, Lon Chaney, Senior. He\’s considered the genre\’s first American movie star. Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff followed were among the other early actors from America who built successful careers on their roles in thrillers.

The genre gained wide popularity in the 1930s. A famous set-designer and monster make-up artist was Jack Pierce. He is regarded as the pioneer in the masterful development of iconic monster costumes and masks.

Frankenstein and Dracula were released in 1931. These releases were very successful. They were followed by The Invisible Man in 1933. This film is notable for blending Gothic terror with science fiction. These themes gained their inspiration from the German expressionist films from the 1920s. Their plots thrilled audience members while incorporating more serious concepts.

The technological growth during the 1950s influenced the genre. Two sub-categories evolved, films based on demonic themes, and those centered on Armageddon. Producers believed these themes had more relevance to their audiences.

In the 1950s, studios in Japan began to release a series of low-budget films. The themes were influenced by the terrors experienced in the country following World War II\’s nuclear bombing. The main elements centered on challenges from alien forces as well as deadly mutations to insects, animals, plants and people.

During the 1960s, film-makers continued incorporating monsters and ghosts, but they began to expand the science fiction components. The Haunting (1963) and Rosemary\’s Baby (1968) were early examples of this shifting trend.

Alfred Hitchcock, the well-respected British film producer, began to incorporate contemporary back-drops in his films. His prolific career included many notable films, including Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958) and Psycho (1960). The 1963 release, The Birds, is an early example of his thematic incorporation of nature-gone-mad.

Today\’s horror movies have a rich and lengthy history. With the evolution of time, the themes tend to develop in order to remain meaningful to audiences. Although modern films incorporate more special effects and advanced film-making techniques, the themes are still designed to provoke chills and thrills from viewers.

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