Those who refuse to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. But sometimes, certain parts of history just meant you were doomed from the start.
It's horrifying to imagine a time without air conditioning, cars, and the internet, but there are far more terrifying things lurking in the annals of the past than just a lack of comforts. And if you were hoping to take in a period piece with an extra dose of terror, we've got just the thing.
From vampires in the Jim Crow south to cannibals during the Mexican-American War, here are seven terrifying historical horror films you can watch tonight.
The Witch
Set in New England in the 1630s, this gripping folk horror film follows a Puritan family that is exiled over religious disagreements. In their isolation, the family begins to crumble beneath the forces of dark withcraft and unspeakable tragedy.
Sinners
The best horror movie of 2025 (and perhaps the decade), Sinners is set in Mississippi in 1932.
A pair of Black twins, Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan), with a rough past return home to set up a juke joint, featuring their cousin Sammie (Miles Caton) as a blues musician. But Sammie's incredible gift draws the attention of a deadly evil.
Ravenous
Set in 1840s California, the film follows Captain John Boyd (Guy Pearce) and his regiment as they set out on a rescue mission during the Mexican-American War. But their heroic acts are diverted when they're ambushed by a sadistic cannibal.
Pan's Labyrinth
Spain, 1944. When a young girl named Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is sent to live with her cruel stepfather, she makes a remarkable discovery.
One night, strange creature tells her that she's really a princess. However, in order to prove her royalty, she must survive three horrific tests.
The Wind
In the late 1800s, Lizzy Macklin (Caitlin Gerard) and her husband Isaac (Ashley Zukerman) travel to the untamed lands of New Mexico to begin a settlement. But the harsh conditions and brutal isolation of the area inflict Lizzy with a crushing sense of paranoia—made worse by the odd happenings around the plains.
Nosferatu
Set in 1838 in Transylvania and the German town of Wisburg, Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) has just married Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult). However, the newlyweds must be separated when Thomas is sent on a perilous journey for work to meet with the mysterious Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård).
Little does Thomas know, Orlok is the malevolent creature who has bonded itself to his new wife. And denying his dark desires brings torment upon all who are close to Ellen.
Black Death
England, 1348. During the first deadly wave of the bubonic plague, a young monk is tasked with investigating reports of people being brought back to life in a small, isolated village.
What awaits him there is a darkness that will mar him forever.
