Universal Monster Movies Ranked Worst to Best
Universal Studios may be chasing contemporary trends in launching its Dark Universe with the Tom Cruise-starring Mummy reboot, but Universal Monsters have been around for long before all this MCU, DCEU, DDS stuff…near 100 years, in fact! In this week’s gallery, we’re sorting every Universal Monster movie that has at least 20 reviews (qualifying it for a Critics Consensus, included with each image), ranked worst to best by Tomatometer!
With middling CG effects and a distinct lack of fun, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor finds the series past its prime.
A hollow creature feature that suffers from CGI overload.
Neither awful enough to suck nor sharp enough to bite, Dracula Untold misses the point of its iconic character’s deathless appeal.
Suitably grand and special effects-laden, The Wolfman suffers from a suspense-deficient script and a surprising lack of genuine chills.
Action adventure doesn’t get much cheesier than The Scorpion King.
In The Mummy Returns, the special effects are impressive, but the characters seem secondary to the computer generated imagery.
It’s difficult to make a persuasive argument for The Mummy as any kind of meaningful cinematic achievement, but it’s undeniably fun to watch.
Though it lives beneath the 1925 version, Claude Rains plays title character well in this landmark color version of the classic tragedy.
It Came From Outer Space is a pulpy-but-effective psychological sci-fi picture, with a provocative message about xenophobia.
A solid, atmospheric creature feature that entertains without attempting to be deeper than it needs.
Making the most of its Karloff-Lugosi star pairing and loads of creepy atmosphere, The Black Cat is an early classic in the Universal monster movie library.
A zany horror spoof that plays up and then plays into the best of Universal horror cliches.
A curiously sensitive and spiritual addition to the Universal Monsters line-up, tacking on deep questions about a story who is shrinking to death.
Decades later, it still retains its ability to scare — and Lon Chaney’s performance remains one of the benchmarks of the horror genre.
Bela Lugosi’s timeless portrayal of Dracula in this creepy and atmospheric 1931 film has set the standard for major vampiric roles since.
Boris Karloff’s final appearance as the Monster is a fitting farewell before the series descended into self-parody.
Relying more on mood and atmosphere than the thrills typical of modern horror fare, Universal’s The Mummy sets a masterful template for mummy-themed films to follow.
A handsomely told tale with an affecting performance from Lon Chaney, Jr., The Wolf Man remains one of the classics of the Universal horror stable.
A heart-rending take on the classic book, with a legendary performance by Lon Chaney.
James Whale’s classic The Invisible Man features still-sharp special effects, loads of tension, a goofy sense of humor, and a memorable debut from Claude Rains.
An eccentric, campy, technically impressive, and frightening picture, James Whale’s Bride of Frankenstein has aged remarkably well.
Still unnerving to this day, Frankenstein adroitly explores the fine line between genius and madness, and features Boris Karloff’s legendary, frightening performance as the monster.
