Top 10 Public Domain Horror Movies

With Halloween approaching, it’s essential to share a collection of horror films available for online streaming. If you know of any public domain movies that others might enjoy, feel free to share them with us. Wishing you a spooky Halloween from the List Universe team!

10. Dementia 13 1963, Francis Ford Coppolla

After John Haloran dies from a heart attack, his wife Louise realizes she won’t inherit anything unless she deceives his family. She fabricates a letter claiming John is away on business and travels to Castle Haloran, his family’s Irish estate, to secure her share of the inheritance. The family is haunted by the tragic drowning of John’s sister Kathleen seven years prior, marked by a chilling annual ritual. As dark secrets about her death surface, the family and their guests face a series of terrifying events.

In the Paris Opera, a shadowy phantom terrorizes the renowned soprano Carlotta, compelling her to relinquish her starring role as Marguerite in Faust to the unknown Christine Daae. Christine encounters this enigmatic, masked figure in the catacombs beneath the opera house, where he resides. What drives him? What mysteries does he hide?

Dr. Robert Morgan (Vincent Price) stands as the sole survivor of a global pandemic, thanks to an unexplained immunity he developed during his time in Central America. Believing himself entirely alone, he soon discovers otherwise. When night falls, the plague’s victims rise from their graves, forming a ghastly legion of the undead, all craving one thing—his blood.

Fredrick Loren, a wealthy playboy, throws a party for his fourth wife, Annabelle Loren, at the infamous 'House on Haunted Hill,' a location notorious for seven gruesome murders. He invites five guests: Lance Schroeder, a pilot; Ruth Bridges, a journalist; Watson Prichard, the house's owner; Nora Manning, an employee of Loren’s company; and David Trent, a psychiatrist. Loren promises each guest $10,000 if they survive a night in the haunted house. Eager for the reward, they agree. At midnight, the caretakers lock the doors, and the nightmare unfolds.

Inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale, Dr. Henry Jekyll theorizes that every man harbors dual natures—one good and one evil. He aims to liberate humanity by separating these two sides through scientific experimentation. Using a chemical concoction, he achieves his goal, transforming into the monstrous Mr. Hyde, who indulges in unspeakable acts of violence.

In this iconic black-and-white, low-budget film, the deceased rise from their graves with an insatiable hunger for the living. A group of survivors takes refuge in a secluded farmhouse, desperately trying to endure the night. Outside, an unyielding swarm of slow-moving zombies lurks, with only a strike to the head capable of stopping them.

Following a perilous journey through the Carpathian Mountains in Eastern Europe, Renfield arrives at Dracula’s castle to complete the transfer of Carfax Abbey in London to the Count. Unbeknownst to him, Dracula is a vampire who hypnotizes and drugs Renfield, transforming him into a loyal servant. During their voyage to London, Dracula preys on Lucy Weston, turning her into a vampire, and then sets his sights on her friend Mina Seward. Mina’s father, Dr. Seward, enlists the help of Dr. Van Helsing, who identifies Dracula as a vampire. Van Helsing prepares Mina’s fiancé, John Harker, and Dr. Seward for the grim measures needed to save Mina from becoming one of the undead.

A groundbreaking horror film that stands above the rest. Alan recounts the tale of Dr. Caligari, a traveling magician, and his somnambulist, Cesare. Their arrival in a small town coincides with a series of brutal murders. Unbeknownst to the townsfolk, Caligari is an asylum director who uses hypnosis to control Cesare and commit the crimes. The film’s final twist shatters the audience’s perceptions, challenging their moral convictions and leaving them questioning the very nature of reality. This is the essence of its horror—stripping away certainty and leaving viewers exposed and unsettled.

This film is an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s work, as the legal heirs denied permission, necessitating changes to character names. Despite this, Bram Stoker’s widow won lawsuits in 1924 and 1929, demanding the destruction of all copies. Fortunately, the film had already spread too widely to be eradicated. Eventually, Universal Studios overcame her objections. The story follows Count Orlok’s relocation to Wisburg (a stand-in for Wismar), bringing a plague linked to his interactions with realtor Thomas Hutter. Orlok’s fixation on Hutter’s wife, Ellen, who holds the key to stopping his reign of terror, drives the narrative.

A deranged child killer terrorizes a city, evading capture despite an intense police investigation fueled by public panic and demands for justice. The police crackdown, however, disrupts the operations of the city’s criminal underworld. Determined to remove the pressure, the organized crime syndicate takes matters into their own hands, deciding to hunt down the murderer themselves. After all, his actions are tarnishing their reputation.

Text Sources: IMDB