Classic Horror Films of the 1950s

The 1950s was a transformative decade for the horror genre, marked by a unique blend of post-war anxieties, scientific curiosity and cinematic innovation, with films of this era reflecting the societal fears of nuclear annihilation, alien invasion and the rapid advancement of technology.

While the Gothic horror of the 1930s and 1940s focused on supernatural elements, the 1950s embraced science fiction as a primary vehicle for terror. Where the 1930s had given audiences Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolf Man, it was the 1950s that would introduce a new breed of monster. These creatures often symbolize humanity’s hubris, as seen in 1958’s The Fly, where a scientist’s experiments goes horribly wrong, transforming him into a grotesque hybrid. Similarly, Creature from the Black Lagoon played with the idea of man’s encroachment on nature, depicting a prehistoric amphibian fighting to survive against invasive researchers.

“Get out of my pool!”

Advances in space exploration and a growing fascination with extraterrestrial life made alien-themed horror a cultural touchstone as well. Films like 1953’s It Came from Outer Space and George Pal’s War of the Worlds captured the duality of wonder and fear associated with space exploration. This era also saw an emphasis on mistrusting authority and societal norms, which reflected a broader skepticism toward government and institutions. The creeping terror of the “other,” whether in the form of aliens, monsters, or hidden subversives, spoke to a collective fear that the enemy could be among us—or within us.

“Is that a communist?”

These films were more than mere escapism; they were mirrors reflecting the anxieties and aspirations of a rapidly changing world. By combining spectacle with substance, the horror films of the 1950s set a standard for the genre, one that endures to this day. Below you will find a collection of reviews that run the gamut of these classic tales of horror in an age of science and paranoia. Simply click on the links or posters below to dive into this world of terror and science run amok.

The Thing from Another World (1951)

Scientists and American Air Force officials find an alien organism buried in the ice while stationed at a remote arctic outpost. It wakes up hungry and not in the best of moods.

The Man from Planet X (1951)

As a mysterious planet hurls itself toward Earth and an enigmatic extraterrestrial scout arrives on a remote Scottish island with unknown intentions.

War of the Worlds (1953)

A small town in California is attacked by Martians, beginning a worldwide invasion in this George Pal adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic.

House of Wax (1953)

Vincent Price stars in this excellent remake, playing the vengeful artist who survives a horrible fire to then create a macabre house of horrors in a wax museum

The Maze (1953)

An abruptly broken engagement leads to a dark mystery surrounding a Scottish castle, its enigmatic maze and an ancient family secret.

The Mad Magician (1954)

Vincent Price plays a stage magician who is betrayed professionally and romantically and becomes homicidal when his best-kept magic secrets are stolen by his rival.

Gojira (1954)

American nuclear weapons testing results in the creation of a seemingly unstoppable dinosaur-like beast that ravages Japan and kicks off a decades long kaiju franchise.

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

A strange prehistoric beast lurks in the depths of the Amazonian jungle and a group of scientists try to capture the animal and bring it back to civilization for study. Things don’t go as planned.

Them! (1954)

Early atomic tests in New Mexico caused common ants to mutate into giant man-eating monsters that went on to threaten civilization. This is a film that James Cameron lifted a few elements from when he made Aliens.

Target Earth (1954)

Giant robots from Venus invade Chicago. Stranded in the deserted city, a small group of survivors must evade this alien invasion, not to mention a psychotic gun man to make matters worse.

Creature with the Atom Brain (1955)

An ex-Nazi mad scientist uses radio-controlled atomic-powered zombies in his quest to help an exiled American gangster return to power. As business plans go it gets points for originality.

Tarantula (1955)

A spider escapes from an isolated Arizona desert laboratory experimenting in gigantism and grows to tremendous size as it wreaks havoc on the local inhabitants.

It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955)

A giant, radioactive octopus rises from the Philippine Trench to terrorize the North American Pacific Coast, another Ray Harryhausen classic.

Revenge of the Creature (1955)

Men capture the Creature from the Black Lagoon and then make him an aquarium attraction, from which he quickly escapes from and goes on the required rampage. 

The Mole People (1956)

A party of archaeologists discovers the remnants of a five-millennia-old Sumerian civilization living beneath a glacier atop a mountain in Mesopotamia.

The Black Sleep (1956)

Basil Rathbone plays a mad scientist who kidnaps his victims and cuts open their brains in an effort to discover a means to cure his wife’s brain tumour.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

A small-town doctor learns that emotionless alien duplicates are replacing the population of his community, and with this film the 50s paranoia kicks into high gear.

The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)

In this third outing, a scientist captures the creature and turns him into an air-breather, only for him to escape and start killing again. Who didn’t see that coming?

It Conquered the World (1956)

A well-meaning scientist guides an alien monster to Earth from Venus to help rid mankind of feelings and emotions, but only death and sorrow result. What did he expect?

The Amazing Colossal Man (1957)

A military officer survives a nuclear blast, only to begin to uncontrollably grow into an increasingly unstable giant, and finding pants his size is the least of his problems.

The Abominable Snowman (1957)

A kindly English botanist and a gruff American scientist led an expedition to the Himalayas in search of the legendary Yeti. What follows is a lesson in why it’s best to leave botany to the professionals.

The Black Scorpion (1957)

Volcanic activity frees giant scorpions from the earth that wreak havoc in the rural countryside and eventually threaten Mexico City.

From Hell It Came (1957)

A wrongfully accused South Seas prince is executed but soon returns as a walking tree stump. He then terrorizes a group of idiot white people for some reason.

The Brain from Planet Arous (1957)

An evil alien brain from the planet Arous hijacks the body of an Earth scientist in order to control our planet, and only a rival brain can put an end to his evil plans.

Not of this Earth (1957)

An alien agent from the distant planet Davana is sent to Earth via a high-tech matter transporter. He then terrorizes Southern California in an attempt to acquire blood for his dying race, the result of their own devastating nuclear war.

The Deadly Mantis (1957)

A giant prehistoric praying mantis, recently freed from the Arctic ice, voraciously preys on the American military at the DEW Line but quickly works its way south.

Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957)

Scientists become trapped on a shrinking island with intelligent, murderous giant crabs that are hellbent on taking over the world.

Voodoo Island (1957)

Boris Karloff plays debunker of the supernatural, and he is asked to investigate the possible island site for a large resort hotel, which is rumoured to be infested with zombies.

The Giant Claw (1957)

Global panic ensues when it is revealed that a mysterious UFO is actually a giant bird that flies at supersonic speed and has no regard for life or architecture.

The Monster That Challenged the World (1957)

An earthquake releases a group of radioactive giant mollusks that attack the residents of the Salton Sea area. Worse, no one thinks to bring sauce and chowder along.

Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957)

Aliens equipped with venomous claws invade a small town but, lucky for us, the town’s teenage population is mobilized to fight the menace.

Night of the Demon (1957)

An American professor arrives in London for a parapsychology conference, only to find himself investigating the mysterious actions of Devil-worshipper.

Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957)

Evil aliens attack Earth and set their terrible “Plan 9” into action and as the aliens resurrect the dead of the Earth, the lives of the living are in danger.

The Brain Eaters (1958)

The inhabitants of a small Illinois town begin disappearing after a strange cone is found sticking out of the ground nearby. Could and evil force be controlling the populace? Is it Leonard Nimoy?

Fiend Without a Face (1958)

A scientist’s thoughts materialize as an army of invisible brain-shaped monsters, who then terrorize an American military base and a nearby town

The Crawling Eye (1958)

A series of decapitations on a Swiss mountainside appear to be connected to a mysterious radioactive cloud. And there’s a chance it could be cover for the evil machinations of an alien invasion.

The Fly (1958)

A scientist has a horrific accident when he tries to use his newly invented teleportation device and a housefly enters the mix. This is film that illustrates why it’s best to double check things before you start you experiments.

The Blob (1958)

A meteorite brings an alien lifeform to Earth that quickly begins to consume everything in its path as it grows and grows. Steve McQueen stars in this pulsating sci-fi monster movie.

It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958)

The first manned expedition to Mars is invaded by an unknown life form, which stows away on the rescue ship. Ridley Scott may denies this but his Alien has some staggering similarties.

The Monster on Campus (1958)

The blood of a primitive fish exposed to gamma rays causes a benign research professor to regress to an ape-like, bloodthirsty prehistoric hominid.

Return of the Fly (1959)

The now-adult son of the original “The Fly” does some transportation experimentation of his own and with the same disastrous result.

War of the Colossal Beast (1958)

Glenn Manning, “The Amazing Colossal Man,” who was believed dead after falling from the Hoover Dam, now reemerges in rural Mexico, brain damaged, disfigured, and very hungry

The Wasp Woman (1959)

The head of a major cosmetics company experiments on herself with a youth formula made from royal jelly extracted from wasps, but the formula’s side effects have deadly consequences.

The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959)

A sleepy seaside town is rocked by brutal killings performed by a creature that is mysteriously tied to the lighthouse keeper. As this has to be a very boring job, can you really blame him?

Invisible Invaders (1959)

Invisible aliens invade the Earth by occupying the bodies of recently deceased humans but one small group of heroes stand in their way.

House on Haunted Hill (1959)

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.

Not only did the horror films of the 1950s lay the groundwork for many modern genre conventions they also demonstrated the genre’s ability to evolve, adapting to cultural shifts and technological advancements while retaining its core mission to thrill and terrify. By tackling universal fears and embracing innovation, the horror films of the 1950s continue to resonate, proving that the genre’s golden age was as much about timeless storytelling as it was about reflecting the anxieties of its time.