The 1950s delivered a rise in low-budget B-movie entertainment and creature features. As more unconventional genre surfaces, it was thehorrorgenre that captured our collective imagination. While some titles are overshadowed today by more sophisticated spooky films, many classics from the decade retain their irresistible charm and are endlessly rewatchable.
What enablescertain 1950s horrorsto survive decades after their debuts is the fact that they are so deceivingly simple. From home invasions to monster mayhem, these movies manipulated the audiences’ primal fears and presented nightmares that were grounded in everyday terrors. Perhaps that’s why, even without gore and graphics, they delivered a bone-chilling impact.
In this list, we count down the 20 most rewatchable fright flicks from the 1950s. Each of these movies have a distinct capacity to provoke panic while also delivering peak entertainment. Their rewatch value endures because every repeated viewing unveils anew nightmare rooting in the current world. So without further ado, let’s take a quick look at some genuinely frightening vintage thrillers.
20The Mummy (1959)
InThe Mummy, three archeologists, John Banning, his father Stephen and his uncle Joseph, are searching for the tomb of Princess Ananka. They do find it, but after Stephen accidentally reads from the Scroll of Life, Kharis, the mummified priest of Karnak, awakens. Still obsessed with the Princess Ananka he loved and lost centuries ago, Kharis begins to hunt down and kill all those who desecrated Ananka’s tomb.
Known for Creating Atmospheric Unease
Directed with a sense of creeping dread by Terence Fisher,The Mummymakes excellent use of its setting of Ancient Egypt, shadows, and towering figures to terrify the audience. Peter Cushing delivers an astute performance, but it is Christopher Lee, whose embodiment of Kharis (using outstanding makeup work), that grounds the movie in supernatural intrigue. DefiningThe Mummyhas a tragic story and is quite accurate too, as it is ablueprint for slow-burning suspensefrom the ’50s.Rent on Apple TV.
19House on Haunted Hill (1959)
House on Haunted Hillhas a classic haunted house premise. In it, eccentric millionaire Frederick Loren and his fourth wife, Annabelle, have invited five strangers to spend the night in their house for a reward of $10,000 if they manage to survive. As soon as the guests arrive, strange happenings plague their subconscious. From doors locking by themselves to sounds amplifying in distance, from the promise of fortune to the fear of death, terrifying elements combine.
Peak Anxiety Inducing Cinema
Director William Castle pulls all the punches in this claustrophobic chiller, set entirely within a house’s twisting walls. Relying mainly on illusions and creating an environment where reality and memories of fear are blurred, the movie ratchets up tension to unbearable levels.Campy and creepy at the same time, it set standards for settings, becoming characters in the horror genre because no room or prop goes unused in creating an environment of sheer dread. And for that reason alone,House on Haunted Hillis highly rewatchable.Stream on Prime Video.
18The Blob (1958)
Set in a small Pennsylvania town,The Blobfollows teenager Steve Andrews and his girlfriend Jane Martin (Steven McQueen and Aneta Corseaut), who discover a strange, gelatinous mass beyond a hill. It turns out, as the entity consumes anything in its path, it absorbs the victim and grows larger. The seemingly unstoppable blob gains mass and momentum, leaving the terrified townsfolk to battle for survival.
Makes Simple Scares More Sublime Using Early CGI
It is impossible to talk about 50s horror flicks without the mention of this deceptive yet straightforward B-movie. Also passing as a creature feature, it uses its $110,000 budget to its finest effect.The Blobfeatures a lean direction from Irvin Yeaworth and Russell Doughten, who conjure terrors out of a minimalist menace.
The sheer inevitability of an alien force paired with the use of outdated CGI is howThe Blobretains its grip on viewers decades later.Stream on Max.
Related:40 Scariest Movies Ever Made, Ranked
17Horror of Dracula (1958)
An adaptation that stays faithful to the spirit of Bram Stoker’s original novel while holding its own,Horror of Draculabegins with Jonathan Harker accepting a job at Count Dracula’s castle under the pretense of a librarian. After learning the truth, Dracula kills Harker and pursues his family and fiancée next. When Harker’s friend, Professor Van Helsing, recognizes the threat, he works to hunt down and destroy the undead count.
Truly Influential in the Genre
Once again,Christopher Lee stuns all with his remarkable portrayalof the antagonist in Terence Fisher’s meticulously crafted movie. As Count, he possessed an untamed feral presence; his moody exterior aligned with the minimal sets and light.Horror of Draculabrought the villain into popular culture, showcasing the finest Gothic horror using elements like fangs, coffins, red contact lenses, and broodiness. Additionally, the movie shaped a new age of horror that is still considered elegant and influential.Rent on Apple TV.
16The Fly (1958)
Revolting but shockingly fun,The Flyis one of the greatest science fiction horrors to ever be committed to screen. The plot follows a brilliant scientist named André Delambre who discovers a way of transmitting objects through space. However, while experimenting his teleportation technique on himself, a fly gets trapped in the chamber with him. The insect’s DNA merges with his own, and his face transforms into an insect-human hybrid. Soon, the mutation takes its horrific toll.
A Unique and Unsettling Metamorphosis
There are a lot of aspects ofThe Flythat influenced horror as a genre – for instance, the decent production effects to the superior elements of thrill. But what makes Kurt Neumann rewatchable even today is its commentary on science diminishing our control over nature in a way that is haunting and nauseating.
David Hedison, Patricia Owens, and Vincent Price give heart-wrenching performances in this fantastic pioneer about tinkering with the unknown and having to face the consequences.Rent on Apple TV.
15Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957)
One of themost celebrated “so bad, it’s good” moviesof all time,Plan 9 from Outer Spaceis a black-and-white indie sci-fi horror written, directed and produced by Ed Wood. The film’s storyline is nothing extraordinary: we follow a couple of aliens who want to prevent mankind from creating a weapon that could obliterate the entire universe. They come up with a plan to resurrect humans from the dead and form an army to fight the living.
Earned Cult Status with Time
The low-budget B-movie was a smashing failure at the box office and with the critics at the time of its release. It was given two Golden Turkey Awards for Worst Director Ever and Worst Film Ever. But in the decades that followed, the movie gained a massive cult following, with fans appreciating its absurd narrative, over-the-top acting, and terrible special effects. Ed Wood’s opus rounds out many movies in retaining its status as the last sincere exploitation epic before camp took over.Stream on The Roku Channel.
14The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
A darker, more horrific retelling of Mary Shelly’s classic 1818 novelFrankensteinarrived at a time when monster manias were slowly bidding adieu to the silver screens.The Curse of Frankensteinnot only revitalized the subgenre but also cemented Hammer Horror’s place in the industry as a distinctive brand of Gothic cinema. In the movie, scientist Victor Frankenstein tells the story of how he brought a hideous creature to life using extreme methods, only for the monster to misbehave.
Grand in Scope and Gory in Appearance
During the ’50s, Terence Fisher was just as prominent as Hammer. The horror scene became gorier, more visceral, and shadowy when the two collaborated.The Curse of Frankensteinis a classic example. It stars Peter Cushing in the lead role of a brilliant and detached scientist, and Christopher Lee brings to life a deeply unsettling Creature.
As the highest grossing horror movie of 1957 (earning $8,000,000 at the box office), the movie was a visually sumptuous take on a folklore that is still adapted in various forms.Rent on Apple TV.
13Night of the Demon (1957)
A British horror movie directed by Jacques Tourneur,Night of the Demonfollows Dr John Holden, an American professor, who travels to London to attend a conference about the existence of black magic. The gathering, which is held by Satanist Dr. Julian Karswell, turns out to be more than what Holden expects. Soon, he finds himself fighting to survive against the very demonic force he didn’t believe existed.
Masterclass in Claustrophobic Horror
Tourneur makes expert use of atmospheric dread in order tocraft a unique British form of horror. As the subtle evils close in on the isolated protagonist (played wonderfully well by Dana Andrews), there is a mounting sense of claustrophobia. Niall MacGinnis’ portrayal of antagonist Karswell is also intense and unbearable. Despite being criticized for its ending and weak special effects,Night of the Demonholds an approval rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.Rent on Apple TV.
Related:20 Unconventional Horror Movies That Scare You in New Ways
12The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
Director Jack Arnold put nuances into the science fiction horror genre by creatingThe Incredible Shrinking Man, which is the story of Scott Carey, a normal suburbanite who is exposed to a strange mist while vacationing with his wife Louise. Six months after the exposure, he begins to shrink. As his size decreases rapidly and household items become deadly foes to Scott, his reality wraps around his dwindling scale, and he finds himself growing mad.
Turns Existential Crisis into the Scariest Thing
By scaling the concepts of human drama and the terrifying philosophical questions of identity, Arnold presents a beautifully paced, subtle horror that secures its place as a classic horror. Overall bleak in tone and effective in visuals, its imaginative premise is anchored by a brilliant performance from Grant Williams, who plays the role of a man cut off from society for reasons beyond his control with precision.
The Incredible Shrinking Manwas radically conceived for its era, and it gave birth to foreign-language remakes, sequels and other adaptations.Rent on Apple TV.
11Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Another rewatchable horror movie from the ’50s, one that inspired critically acclaimed sequels and remakes,Invasion of the Body Snatchersplays with humanity’s primal fear – what if someone you have known your entire life turns out to be somebody else? Set in a small California town, it follows Dr. Miles Bennell greeting patients with the strangest concerns. After investigating the matter, he finds that certain alien plant-like organisms with the ability to reproduce like humans have been replacing humans without their consent.
A Timeless Classic
One of the simplest films in the genrethat’s so effectivethat it still continues to scare newer generations, the movie is directed by Don Siegel, who adapted Jack Finney’s 1954 science-fiction novelThe Body Snatchers. Having been released in the mid-’50s, it managed to instill dread in people with its allegory of post-war conformity and the isolating territory of knowing no one can be trusted.
The sparse use of score, tight close-ups, thought-provoking subtext, and a grounded performance from Kevin McCarthy, make the B-movie timeless.Stream on Prime Video.
