Gothic

1986
R
1h 27m

IMDb RATING

5.7/10

9.3K

YOUR RATING

Natasha Richardson and Kiran Shah in Gothic (1986)

Play trailer2:18

1 Video

83 Photos

Drama Fantasy Horror Mystery

The Shelleys visit Lord Byron and compete to write a horror story.The Shelleys visit Lord Byron and compete to write a horror story.The Shelleys visit Lord Byron and compete to write a horror story.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.7/10

9.3K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 wins & 2 nominations total

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The painting that Mary Shelley sees on the wall, and that subsequently comes to life in her dream, is Henry Fuseli's "Nightmare."

Goofs
Claire Clairmont (Myriam Cyr) falls out of the rowboat in the opening scene, but just a few seconds later, as she's running with Percy toward the house, her clothes and hair are totally dry.

Quotes
[first lines]
Tour Guide: And there, ladies and gentlemen, on the other side of the lake we have the famous Villa Diodati where Lord Byron, greatest living English poet, resides in exile. Romantic, scholar, duelist, best-selling author of Childe Harold, he was forced to leave his native land after many scandals including incest and adultery with Lady Caroline Lamb. "Mad, bad and dangerous to know" she called him.
[the guide squeezes a lady's hand and points]
Tour Guide: Bedroom - top right.

Alternate versions
American versions contain a title-card before the credits. This title card contains Mary Shelley's quote from the foreword to Frankenstein where she discusses the night the movie centers around. A brief explanation is then provided mentioning that both Frankenstein and Dracula were born on that night.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Project X/Wild Thing/Heaven/Gothic (1987)

One of the most interesting horror films ever made!

I've only seen two of Ken Russell's films (Gothic and Lair of the White Worm), but if they are anything to go by, he is one of the best horror directors of all time. It is so nice to see someone going against the mould and not making predictable slasher films or Hollywood 'Sixth-Sense' style horror-thrillers.

It is about the weird night that Mary Shelly and her poet brother spent with Lord Byron, which supposedly inspired her to write Frankenstein.

It is filled with hallucionations and erotic weirdness which bridges it much closer to the work of David Lynch or Cronenberg than to the traditional horror film.

I absolutely loved this film and can't recommend it enough. Even if you hate it, you can't deny that it's an experience! 5/5