(Photo by Universal/courtesy Everett Collection)
The Mummy celebrates its 25th anniversary!
Before your cinematic universes and extended galaxies and interconnected constellations, there were the Universal Classic Monster movies. A loose confederation of sequels and spinoffs, they were the biggest motion picture events in the early life of cinema. The 1920s kicked things off with The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera before the franchise moved into its 1930s golden era. Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, and The Invisible Man all released between 1931 and 1933, and they remain masterpiece staples of the horror genre.
In the 1940s, Universal ramped up production, frequently outpacing quality control. Among the sequels was the introduction of The Wolf Man in 1941, as well as Universal’s turn to self-parody with the arrival of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. The comedy duo would Meet Frankenstein in 1948, carrying well into the mid-’50s. Creature from the Black Lagoon was the final hurrah for the original line of Universal monster movies.
In 1999, The Mummy was revived in the summer blockbuster era, bringing in enough fans young and old to encourage two sequels. Van Helsing and The Wolfman also arrived in the decade or so after the Mummy relaunch, though the lackluster returns on those meant Universal was ready to try something new (read: what Marvel was doing).
2014’s Dracula Untold was to be the start of a so-called Dark Universe of connected monster movies. After that movie failed to draw much blood out of the box office, 2017’s The Mummy was going to be the “new” new start of the Dark Universe. Until that movie also bombed spectacularly.
And so we arrive at 2020’s The Invisible Man, which reportedly cost 30 times less than The Mummy to make, and with no aspirations to be tied to any larger universe. In 2023, the studio released a comedic follow-up to Dracula with Renfield, all about the Count’s poor beleaguered aide. Then the studio took a few bites: First with The Last Voyage of the Demeter in 2023, based on a chapter from the Bram Stoker Dracula novel, and then in 2024 with Abigail, a loose re-imagining of Dracula’s Daughter. Now, we rank all Universal Monster movies by Tomatometer! —Alex Vo
#1
Adjusted Score: 107863%
Critics Consensus: An eccentric, campy, technically impressive, and frightening picture, James Whale’s Bride of Frankenstein has aged remarkably well.
#2
Adjusted Score: 108000%
Critics Consensus: 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.
#3
Adjusted Score: 101053%
Critics Consensus: Bela Lugosi’s timeless portrayal of Dracula in this creepy and atmospheric 1931 film has set the standard for major vampiric roles since.
#4
Adjusted Score: 102993%
Critics Consensus: 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.
#5
Adjusted Score: 116819%
Critics Consensus: Smart, well-acted, and above all scary, The Invisible Man proves that sometimes, the classic source material for a fresh reboot can be hiding in plain sight.
#6
Adjusted Score: 97763%
Critics Consensus: Decades later, it still retains its ability to scare — and Lon Chaney’s performance remains one of the benchmarks of the horror genre.
#7
Adjusted Score: 96923%
Critics Consensus: 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.
#8
Adjusted Score: 96704%
Critics Consensus: 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.
#9
Adjusted Score: 96917%
Critics Consensus: Carrying off well-worn vampire tropes with a balletic flourish, Abigail dances around the familiarity of its premise with a game cast and slick style.
#10
Adjusted Score: 85008%
Critics Consensus: A solid, atmospheric creature feature that entertains without attempting to be deeper than it needs.
#11
Adjusted Score: 100263%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#12
Adjusted Score: 99343%
Critics Consensus: Boris Karloff’s final appearance as the Monster is a fitting farewell before the series descended into self-parody.
#13
Adjusted Score: 96536%
Critics Consensus: A heart-rending take on the classic book, with a legendary performance by Lon Chaney.
#14
Adjusted Score: 93932%
Critics Consensus: A zany horror spoof that plays up and then plays into the best of Universal horror cliches.
#15
Adjusted Score: 90612%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#16
Adjusted Score: 80851%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#17
Adjusted Score: 78769%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#18
Adjusted Score: 80523%
Critics Consensus: Though it lives beneath the 1925 version, Claude Rains plays title character well in this landmark color version of the classic tragedy.
#19
Adjusted Score: 73818%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#20
Adjusted Score: 67452%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#21
Adjusted Score: 66422%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#22
Adjusted Score: 67879%
Critics Consensus: Dracula’s Daughter extends the Universal horror myth in an interesting direction, but the talky script and mild atmosphere undermine its ambition.
#23
Adjusted Score: 63144%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#24
Adjusted Score: 66864%
Critics Consensus: 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.
#25
Adjusted Score: 62031%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#26
Adjusted Score: 62084%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#27
Adjusted Score: 60488%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#28
Adjusted Score: 74159%
Critics Consensus: Although it fails to take full advantage of its committed stars and killer premise, Renfield‘s batty horror-comedy blend sinks in just enough to leave an impression.
#29
Adjusted Score: 56380%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#30
Adjusted Score: 55686%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#31
Adjusted Score: 59039%
Critics Consensus: The Last Voyage of the Demeter finds a fresh angle on Dracula’s oft-told tale, although lackluster execution often undercuts the story’s claustrophobic tension.
#32
Adjusted Score: 50779%
Critics Consensus: In The Mummy Returns, the special effects are impressive, but the characters seem secondary to the computer generated imagery.
#33
Adjusted Score: 43170%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#34
Adjusted Score: 40595%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#35
Adjusted Score: 32000%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#36
Adjusted Score: 41933%
Critics Consensus: Suitably grand and special effects-laden, The Wolfman suffers from a suspense-deficient script and a surprising lack of genuine chills.
#37
Adjusted Score: 31680%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#38
Adjusted Score: 29157%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#39
Adjusted Score: 31079%
Critics Consensus: Neither awful enough to suck nor sharp enough to bite, Dracula Untold misses the point of its iconic character’s deathless appeal.
#40
Adjusted Score: 25608%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#41
Adjusted Score: 26467%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#42
Adjusted Score: 31423%
Critics Consensus: A hollow creature feature that suffers from CGI overload.
#43
Adjusted Score: 16753%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#44
Adjusted Score: 32427%
Critics Consensus: Lacking the campy fun of the franchise’s most recent entries and failing to deliver many monster-movie thrills, The Mummy suggests a speedy unraveling for the Dark Universe.
#45
Adjusted Score: 19860%
Critics Consensus: With middling CG effects and a distinct lack of fun, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor finds the series past its prime.
#46
Adjusted Score: 13072%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.