Looking for a thrilling night in? Black and white scary movies deliver classic chills and spine-tingling suspense. Here’s a list of the top 10 best Black and White scary movies that masterfully blend darkness and light to haunt your dreams.
Nosferatu (1922)
- IMDb Rating: 7.9
- Director: F.W. Murnau
- Cast: Max Schreck, Gustav von Wangenheim, Greta Schröder
- Plot Summary: A classic vampire tale based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula, where Count Orlok expresses interest in a new residence and real estate agent Hutter’s wife, Ellen.
- Official Trailer:
Psycho (1960)
- IMDb Rating: 8.5
- Director: Alfred Hitchcock
- Cast: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles
- Plot Summary: A secretary embezzles money, goes on the run, and checks into a remote motel run by a disturbed young man under the domination of his mother.
- Official Trailer:
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
- IMDb Rating: 7.9
- Director: George A. Romero
- Cast: Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea, Karl Hardman
- Plot Summary: A group of people hide from bloodthirsty zombies in a farmhouse.
- Official Trailer:
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
- IMDb Rating: 8.1
- Director: Robert Wiene
- Cast: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Friedrich Feher
- Plot Summary: A man named Francis relates a story about his best friend Alan and his fiancée Jane, who are visiting a fairground. There they meet Dr. Caligari, who exhibits a somnambulist, Cesare, who can predict the future.
- Official Trailer:
Carnival of Souls (1962)
- IMDb Rating: 7.1
- Director: Herk Harvey
- Cast: Candace Hilligoss, Frances Feist, Sidney Berger
- Plot Summary: A young woman becomes drawn to a mysterious abandoned carnival after a traumatic accident.
- Official Trailer:
The Innocents (1961)
- IMDb Rating: 7.8
- Director: Jack Clayton
- Cast: Deborah Kerr, Peter Wyngarde, Megs Jenkins
- Plot Summary: A young governess of two children becomes convinced that the house and grounds are haunted.
- Official Trailer:
The Haunting (1963)
- IMDb Rating: 7.5
- Director: Robert Wise
- Cast: Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson
- Plot Summary: A scientist researching the paranormal invites two women to a haunted mansion. One of the participants soon starts losing her mind.
- Official Trailer:
House on Haunted Hill (1959)
- IMDb Rating: 6.9
- Director: William Castle
- Cast: Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Long
- Plot Summary: A millionaire offers $10,000 to five people who agree to be locked in a large, spooky, rented house overnight with him and his wife.
- Official Trailer:
The Phantom Carriage (1921)
- IMDb Rating: 8.0
- Director: Victor Sjöström
- Cast: Victor Sjöström, Hilda Borgström, Tore Svennberg
- Plot Summary: On New Year’s Eve, the driver of a ghostly carriage forces a drunken man to reflect on his selfish, wasted life.
- Official Trailer: N/A
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
- IMDb Rating: 8.0
- Director: Charles Laughton
- Cast: Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish
- Plot Summary: A religious fanatic marries a gullible widow whose young children are reluctant to tell him where their real daddy hid $10,000 he’d stolen in a robbery.
- Official Trailer:
Conclusion:
Whether you’re a seasoned horror fan or just dipping your toes into the spooky waters, these black-and white gems, the 10 best Black and White scary movies, will send shivers down your spine and keep you peeking through your fingers until the credits roll. Happy haunting.
