How to Watch the Universal Classic Monster Movies in Order

From 1931 to 1956, Universal Pictures produced a collection of horror movies referred to as Classic Universal Monster movies. The shared universe consists of 30 feature films that often revolve around such iconic horror movie monsters as Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, The Mummy, and the Wolf Man, terrifying and influential characters that remain a pop-cultural mainstay to this day.

Since 1991, the classic Universal Monsters movies have been canonized five times, including The Classic Collection, Classic Monster Collection, The Legacy Collection, Essential Collection, and Complete Collection. In the guide below, horror fans of every stripe will discover how to watch the Complete Collection of Classic Universal Monster Movies, which includes every chronological release and where to currently stream each film.

Dracula (1931)

Directed by Tod Browning and Karl Freund, Dracula kicked off the Universal Monster movie slate with a sleek and sinister style. Adapted from the timeless Bram Stoker tale, the movie traces the insatiable bloodlust of Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi), the dashing vampire from Transylvania who requires human blood to remain immortal. The movie established the mythology and iconography of cinematic vampires and solidified Lugosi’s status as Universal’s go-to horror player. Dracula is available to rent on Prime Video.

Frankenstein (1931)

James Whale’s universally acclaimed Frankenstein is the second Universal Monster Movie to watch. The film concerns the scientific experiments of the mad Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive), who seeks to reanimate human corpses by stitching together various body parts from the graves he robs. The result is Frankenstein’s Monster (Boris Karloff in an unforgettably haunting performance), a childlike monstrosity whose innocent naivety leads to a profound sense of tragic sympathy. Frankenstein became so popular and well-received that the monster would appear multiple times in Universal’s canon. Frankenstein is available to stream on Classix.

The Mummy (1932)

Directed by Karl Freund, The Mummy introduced the third consecutive Hall of Fame monster in Universal’s classic horror movie collection. Set in 1921 Egypt, the film concerns the resurrection of Prince Im-Ho-Tep (Boris Karloff), a mummified corpse that becomes animated and wreaks violent havoc before attempting to reunite with his long-lost love. While perhaps not as scary as Dracula or as involving as Frankenstein, The Mummy stood out most for the moody atmosphere of its exotic locale. The Mummy is available to rent on Apple TV+.

The Invisible Man (1933)

Adapted from the H.G. Wells novel by director James Whale, The Invisible Man continues Universal’s Sci-Fi horror approach. The story tracks Dr. Jack Griffin (Claude Rains), an ambitious scientist attempting to make himself invisible. When his formula is successful, The Invisible Man finds himself in a Faustian Bargain as his mind and body are driven to commit murder. Thanks to the rich source material, stylish direction, and committed performance by Rains, The Invisible Man drew some of the best reviews in the early history of Universal’s Monster movies. For example, TIME Magazine’s review states that Rains is “almost as frightening when he is present as when he is not.” The Invisible Man is available to stream on IndieFlix.

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Often regarded as the first official horror-comedy on record, Bride of Frankenstein is an absolute ball. Colin Clive returns as the hysterical Dr. Frankenstein, this time hell-bent on finding his lovable monster a suitable spouse. The result is a tour-de-force performance by Elsa Lanchester, who plays dual roles as Frankenstein’s bride and novelist Mary Shelly. With James Whale and Boris Karloff also reprising their roles from the original as well, Bride of Frankenstein drew universal acclaim for balancing satire with scares with a whole new tone and tenor for Universal’s monsters. Bride of Frankenstein is available to rent on Apple TV+.

Werewolf of London (1935)

Directed by Stuart Walker, Werewolf of London finds botanical expert Wilfred Glendon on a trip to find a rare flower in Tibet. On his quest, Wilfred is attacked by wild animals and soon morphs into a bloodthirsty werewolf at night. While nowhere near as scary or influential as The Wolf Man released six years later, the movie is worth a watch for Universal Monster movie completists who are interested in seeing Universal’s first fairly frightening foray into lethal lycanthropy. Werewolf of London is available to rent on Prime Video.

Dracula’s Daughter (1936)

Directed by Lambert Hillyard, Dracula’s Daughter has been included in three of the five Universal Monster collections to date. The story finds Van Helsing on the run after he prosecutes Count Dracula, prompting a strange woman named Marya to steal Dracula’s corpse, cremate his body, and assume his evil mantle. Torn between her moral backbone and newfound bloodlust, Marya turns to a psychiatrist for help. Although not always included in Universal’s classic canon, Dracula’s Daughter remains eerie and unsettling. Dracula’s Daughter is available to rent on Prime Video.

Son of Frankenstein (1939)

Directed by Rowland V. Lee, Son of Frankenstein follows the fiendish ambitions of Dr. Frankenstein’s son, Baron Wolf (Basil Rathbone), as he returns to his father’s castle to continue his legacy. When he arrives, Baron Wolf discovers that Frankenstein’s Monster (Boris Karloff) is still barely alive. Determined to follow in his father’s footsteps, Baron Wolf works to revive the monster again, which has terrifying consequences. Despite a three-year gap in Universal’s chronology, the casting of Bela Lugosi as Ygor remains one of the most memorable parts of Son of Frankenstein. Son of Frankenstein is available to rent on Prime Video.

The Invisible Man Returns (1940)

From director Joe May, The Invisible Man Returns is a bit of a misnomer. Rather than Jack Griffin (Claud Rains) returning, it’s Jack’s brother Frank (John Sutton) who gives the scientific formula to a man named Geoffrey Radcliffe, who becomes the Invisible Man and wreaks havoc before going mad. While nowhere near as inventive as the original, the movie stands out most for the performance of horror legend Vincent Price, who plays the title monster with delirious dedication. The Invisible Man Returns is currently unavailable to stream.

The Mummy’s Hand (1940)

Directed by Christy Cabanne, The Mummy’s Hand centers on a pair of wise-cracking archeologists who stumble upon the tomb of Princess Ananka in Egypt. However, with Ananka’s resurrection comes the revival of Kharis, the bandage-wrapped mummy from the first film who joins forces with a bizarre magician and a sadistic priest to take the scientists out. In a page-one rewrite of the creature’s mythology, the classic Mummy movie marked a period of transition for its classic monster movie formula, in which sequels would be favored over originals. The Mummy’s Hand is available to rent on Apple TV+.

The Invisible Woman (1940)

More of a romantic farce than a horror movie, The Invisible Woman stars Virginia Bruce as Kitty Carroll. Kitty is a beautiful volunteer who agrees to be the guinea pig for Professor Gibbs, a quirky inventor who has created an invisibility machine. Upon using the device, Kitty finds that being sightless has far more problems than perks when gangsters come looking for her to settle old debts. Included in three of the five Universal Monster Movie collections thus far, the movie is as weird and wacky as can be. The Invisible Woman is currently unavailable to stream.

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The Wolf Man (1941)

The Wolf Man

Studio

Universal Pictures

Release Date

December 12, 1941

Director

George Waggner

Runtime

1h 10m

Directed by George Waggner, The Wolf Man remains a landmark achievement. The story follows Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) as he returns to his father’s estate. One night, Larry protects a woman he is in love with from a wolf attack and sustains a bite in the process. Soon, Larry morphs into the ferocious Wolf Man and begins terrorizing the countryside. Chaney Jr. was so convincing that he would go on to reprise the Wolf Man in four sequels. Meanwhile, the movie had a major influence on how Hollywood would depict the mythological legend of the werewolf in pop culture. The Wolf Man is available to rent on Prime Video.

The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)

Directed by Erle C. Kenton, The Ghost of Frankenstein finds Lon Chaney Jr. replacing Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s Monster. The story revolves around Dr. Frankenstein’s attempt to transplant the brain of the monster until Frankenstein’s assistant Ygor (Bela Lugosi) goes mad and tries to steal the glory for himself. Although Chaney Jr. and Lugosi give committed turns, the glaring absence of Karloff as the monster and the budgetary cutbacks by Universal left a lot to be desired. The Ghost of Frankenstein is available to rent on Apple TV+.

Invisible Agent (1942)

A loose sequel to The Invisible Man, Invisible Agent is an action-spy movie that feels out of place in Universal’s Classic Monster Movies. The story concerns Frank Griffin Jr., the grandson of the original Invisible Man, who uses the invisibility formula to spy on the Nazis in Germany. Although Universal was clearly making more war movies in response to World War II at the time, Invisible Agent remains one of the least memorable Classic Monster movies released in Universal’s classic era. Invisible Agent is currently unavailable to stream.

The Mummy’s Tomb (1942)

Directed by Harold Young, The Mummy’s Tomb marks the return of Kharis, the mummified monster from Egypt who is transported from Africa to America and terrorizes a quaint family in Massachusetts. Although the titular terror takes over a new setting, Lon Chaney Jr. replaced Boris Karloff from the original Mummy movie. Despite the casting changes and a middling result, The Mummy’s Tomb strips away all the campy humor of the original and takes on a much darker tone. The Mummy’s Tomb is available to rent on Apple TV+.

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)

In the first of many entertaining monster mash-ups, Universal pitted Frankenstein against the Wolf-Man in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man and never looked back. Directed by Roy William Neil, the entertaining franchise crossover finds Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) on the hunt for a remedy for his lycanthropy. His search leads him to Dr. Frankenstein’s daughter and a harrowing encounter with the monster (this time played by Bela Lugosi). While the campy novelty of Universal’s monster mashes would eventually run its course, this marked a newfangled formula for the studio. Rent Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man on Apple TV+.

Phantom of the Opera (1943)

Directed by Arthur Lubin, Phantom of the Opera remains one of Universal’s most timeless monster movies. The story concerns Enrique Claudin (Claude Rains), a vengeful violinist whose face is badly scarred by acid. Under a masked identity, Anatole ascends from the sewers beneath Paris into an opera house to sabotage the conductor who did him wrong. Marked by high production values across the board, Phantom of the Opera remains the only Universal Monster Movie to win an Oscar, nabbing two awards for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography. Phantom of the Opera is available to stream on IndieFlix.

Son of Dracula (1943)

Directed by Robert Siodmak from a script by his brother Curt, Son of Dracula finds the bloodsucking Count Alucard (Dracula spelled backward) moving from Budapest to the American South, where he becomes entangled with an occult-obsessed woman named Karherine on an eerie plantation. Beyond the unsettling performance by Lon Chaney Jr. as the immortal Count, the obscure Dracula movie stands out most for its moody Southern Gothic atmosphere, breathing new life into the timeless Universal monster’s reign of terror. Son of Dracula is available to stream on Tubi.

The Invisible Man’s Revenge (1944)

Directed by Ford Beebe, The Invisible Man’s Revenge stars John Carradine as mad scientist Dr. Peter Drury. Upon discovering the invisibility formula, Dr. Drury agrees to give it to Robert Griffin (John Hall) a fugitive on the run to escape the law. In return, Griffin agrees to exact murderous revenge upon Dr. Drury’s enemies. Despite the lack of big-named movie stars under Universal’s contract, the movie remains one of the most underrated Invisible Man movies in the studio’s monster collection. The Invisible Man’s Revenge is currently unavailable to stream.

The Mummy’s Ghost (1944)

Reginald Le Borg directs The Mummy’s Ghost, a movie that finds the classic Mummy Kharis (Lon Chaney Jr.) imbibing an immortality potion before searching for his long-lost love, Princess Ananka. Although the movie hardly veers from the tried-and-true monster movie formula, The Mummy’s Ghost drew decent reviews for its polished production values and Chaney Jr.’s effective performance. Despite ranking as a middling affair compared to the other memorable Mummy movies, a sequel was produced just a few months later. The Mummy’s Ghost is available to rent on Prime Video.

House of Frankenstein (1944)

Directed by Erle C. Kenton, House of Frankenstein rounds up the most iconic Classic Universal Monsters and unleashes them on the audience at once. The plot picks up when the mad scientist, Dr. Niemann (Boris Karloff), escapes from prison and promises to build his friend a new human body. Niemann’s experiments lead to encounters with Dracula (John Carradine), The Wolf-Man (Lon Chaney Jr.), and Frankenstein’s Monster (Glenn Strange). Apart from delivering thrice the scares of a standalone monster movie, the film drew plaudits for its elaborate sets, lighting, costumes, and makeup. House of Frankenstein is available to rent on Apple TV+.

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The Mummy’s Curse (1944)

A direct sequel to The Mummy’s Ghost, The Mummy’s Curse marks Lon Chaney Jr.’s final time portraying the classic monster Kharis. The story continues Kharis’ lovelorn quest to find his beloved Princess Ananka in the swamps of Louisiana. However, the glaring continuity error of moving the story from Massachusetts (where The Mummy’s Ghost ended) to Louisiana led to a critical backlash. As such, it’s one of the worst-reviewed Mummy movies in Universal’s Complete Collection. The Mummy’s Curse is available to rent on Apple TV+.

House of Dracula (1945)

A spiritual successor to House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula rounds up Universal’s most esteemed movie monsters and puts them under one roof. This time, Dracula and The Wolf Man want desperately to rid their murderous cravings. As such, they turn to the mad Dr. Edelman for a cure, only for Dracula to seduce Edelman’s hunchbacked assistant. Frankenstein’s Monster takes issue with Dracula’s motives, prompting an epic showdown between all three monsters in the end. A fun and fiendish delight, the movie marked the final time famed makeup artist Jack Pierce did work on the monsters. House of Dracula is available to stream on IndieFlix.

She-Wolf of London (1946)

Directed by Jean Yarbrough, She-Wolf of London finds a young heiress named Phyllis (June Lockhart) unaware of who is killing a spate of grisly murders in London. When Phyllis’ aunt tells her that werewolf blood runs in their family and that Phyllis is responsible for the deaths, she grapples with her newfound lycanthropy while attempting to keep her fiancé free of harm. Despite barely cracking 60 minutes, the obscure werewolf movie was dismissed for being too long, boring, and drawn out to warrant a rivalry with The Wolf Man. She-Wolf of London is available to rent on Apple TV+.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

In the first of three Bud Abbott and Lou Costello monster movie mashups made by Universal, the comedic duo encounters Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula, and The Wolf Man. The gimmicky horror-comedy was added as part of Universal’s Complete Monster Movie Collection for the first time after being excluded from the four previous studio compilations. Praised for its novel premise and genuinely funny scenarios, it’s no surprise the film spawned two sequels. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is available to rent on Prime Video.

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet The Invisible Man (1951)

In Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet The Invisible Man, the comedic duo plays a pair of dimwitted investigators hired to prove a boxer was wrongly accused of murdering his manager. While out to find the real killer, Bud and Lou discover that the killer has used Jack Griffin’s invisibility serum to remain undetected. While not quite as novel or star-studded as Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, the movie proved to be funny and charming enough to warrant one more sequel in 1955. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man is available to rent on Prime Video.

Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954)

Jack Arnold’s Creature from the Black Lagoon remains a towering achievement. Set in the exotic locale of the Amazon Jungle, the story finds several scientists out to capture Gill-Man, a frightening man-fish hybrid that continually preys on them, one by one, while romantically falling for a woman named Kay (Julie Adams). Despite making two middling sequels, the movie has become so iconic that it has inspired many filmmakers, including Guillermo Del Toro’s Best Picture-winning creature feature The Shape of Water. Creature From the Black Lagoon is available to rent on Apple TV+.

Revenge of the Creature (1955)

Directed by Jack Arnold, Revenge of the Creature is a 3D movie that finds the creature from the black lagoon captured by scientists and taken to an aquarium for observation. When the creature escapes and wreaks bloody terror nearby, it’s up to the human survivors to prevent the creature from capturing a woman named Helen (Lori Nelson). Apart from the novelty of being the only 3D movie released in 1955, the movie is best known for marking the film debut of a young Clint Eastwood. Revenge of the Creature is available to rent on Apple TV+.

Abbott and Costello Meet The Mummy (1955)

In the comedic duo’s final encounter with Classic Universal Monsters, Abbott and Costello Meet The Mummy marked the end of an era. The film stars the comedians as a pair of bumbling explorers in Cairo who unwittingly excavate a mummy while digging for buried treasure. Hilarity, horror, and hijinks ensue in what became the 48th and final movie Abbott and Costello made for Universal while under contract. While not quite on par with their other monster movies, Abbott and Costello’s fond farewell is easy to enjoy. Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy is available to rent on Prime Video.

The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)

The final movie released under Universal’s Complete Monster Movie Collection belongs to The Creature Walks Among Us. Directed by John Sherwood, the story involves a scientist who captures the Gill-Man and puts him under an experiment that allows him to breathe air on land. Alas, when the creature escapes captivity, it goes on an indiscriminate death march and causes mass hysteria. Although the film may lack the directorial flourishes of Jack Arnold, the movie puts a tidy bow on a collection of monster movies produced by Universal from 1931 to 1956. The Creature Walks Among Us is currently unavailable to stream.