Expectations vs. Reality: Watching the Universal Monsters movies for the first time

Even though I’d never watched a Classic Universal Monster movie before, I’d certainly seen plenty of clips, as well as remakes and parodies. They’re also ubiquitous in pop culture and have been my entire life, so I was (I thought) very familiar with them and their signature characters. But to check if I actually did know anything about these legendary Universal movies wrote down my general expectations for these films before I watched a single one. (I also wrote them down for each specific film right before hitting play.)

You can tell I genuinely did this because for the most part my expectation were laughably wrong.

• Mostly bleak/dark/sad endings
• More spooky and unsettling than actually scary
• Plenty of human villains and noble heroes
• Far more sensual than you’d expect from the era
• Very little dialogue

Hoo boy. Now to see exactly why I was so wrong. Here’s my experience, in the order I watched them, making my way through this important world of cinematic monsters.

Dracula (1931)

Pre-Watch Expectations: Sexy and dangerous with plenty of death.

I did not expect to love Dracula nearly as much as I did. It’s both funny and creepy. This movie is methodical and atmospheric, and minus some laughable creature effects looks amazing. The opening castle sequence is especially incredible. I also, despite him being a literal legend whose performance still defines how we think of the character, was not prepared for just how great Bela Lugosi is as the titular vampire. As is Dwight Frye. His Renfield is instantly one of my favorite performances ever. I even loved how this film is slow and music-less. The ambient white noise, though unintentional, works perfectly in this film, which wasn’t nearly as sexy as I thought.

That ended up being true. Despite every movie having a love interest or an object of affection, these movies are very safe when it comes to sensuality. I also didn’t put much thought into it beforehand, but it makes sense they’re also totally bloodless, even when they’re very deadly.

Dracula First Watch Reaction: Great in ways I didn’t expect. Will watch again.

Frankenstein (1931)

Pre-Watch Expectations:  I’ll basically already know this entire movie and it will be my favorite.

I did not know this entire movie. I certainly knew some sequences and plot points, but I was shocked to see other people present for the “It’s alive” moment. Just as I was shocked the monster wasn’t really alive for four more days. The only thing more surprising was how much I didn’t like this film. Maybe it was a victim of my expectations, but I found it to be slow and one of the strangest adaptations ever. (They make him Henry Frankenstein, but then name another character Victor!) I also didn’t like Colin Clive as the scientist.

To me this film gets by on two things. The first is Boris Karloff as the monster. I totally get it. He looks amazing and his performance is absolutely fantastic. The second is the sequence with the dad carrying his dead daughter through the town square. It’s brave and horrific in a way lots of horror films refuse to be.

Frankenstein First Watch Reaction: It was a let down, but I’m curious to see if I feel differently on a rewatch.

The Invisible Man (1933)

Pre-Watch Expectations: None! At all!

I’ve never been an “Invisible Man” man despite loving H.G. Wells. The premise just doesn’t do much for me, so I didn’t have any real hopes or worries going into this movie which was proved to be my favorite. This is a wonderfully weird, funny, dark movie anchored by a world-class, all-time great Claude Rains performance. The special effects also blow away many big budget modern movies. I especially loved that like most of these movies it also gets right in and out of its story without any needless filler. It’s beautifully economical. It also captures why this concept is so scary, as the Invisible Man’s madness leads him to mass murder.

Universal’s The Invisible Man finally turned me into a fan of the Invisible Man.

The Invisible Man First Watch Reaction: An absolute classic. The best of the Classic Universal Monster best.

The Wolf Man (1941)

Pre-Watch Expectations: Romantic and angry.

One thing about these films that was obvious immediately is they all feature amazing makeup and costumes. I wish most movies today had these kinds of practical effects. The monsters always look great, and that’s certainly true in this sad, tragic film. Lon Chaney, Jr.’s Larry Talbot is sympathetic in a way most Universal Monsters aren’t. He becomes a killing machine by accident when he tries to save a woman’s life. His descent into madness while no one, not even really himself, believes him is especially compelling. I also loved the nightmare-vision sequence, which felt cutting edge and original at this point in the franchise.

This is also the movie that most lived up to my expectation for dark, bleak endings. These eight signature Classic Universal Monster movies mostly feature a lot of death and pain, but they end with the monster defeated. But that’s really sad and bleak here since Larry is a good guy we want to see saved.

The Wolf Man First Watch Reaction: I really liked this one, including how it leans into the real psychological origins of lycanthropy mythology. It grounds the movie and gives it real depth.

The Mummy (1932)

Pre-Watch Expectations: This will be the scariest of them all.

I would have nailed my pre-watch expectations if I changed “scariest” to “most boring.” Oh mummy mia this convoluted film is boring outside of an amazing opening scene when the titular ancient Egyptian monster awakens. Karloff is, no surprise, compelling as the creature who despite being 3,700 years old learns English and adopts a secret identity in just ten years. But watching the interesting way he physically moves and talks can’t make up for bad story that isn’t scary in anyway.

The Mummy First Watch Reaction: The most dreadful of these eight films.

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Pre-Watch Expectations: This is going to be hokey and silly.

Got one! This is hokey and silly. It features a much more monster-like version of Karloff’s creature. He’s not nearly as sympathetic as he is in his first film. This is the terrible killing machine most people think of. This film also fetaures a lot of the scenes people associate with the character, in a story that is much bigger/less intimate than its predecessor. It’s also misnamed. This is really Frankenstein 2, as the Bride in the title doesn’t appear until 1:10 minutes into a 1:15 minute movie.

I did not expect to only get five minutes of her! Considering she’s instantly the best part of the movie—a wonderful character with a truly memorable introduction and design—this didn’t work for me at all. I like Frankenstein a lot more, and I didn’t even like that.

Bride of Frankenstein First Watch Reaction: The Invisible Man features Three Stooges style slapstick and I love it, so I’m not exactly anti-silliness in these movies. The problem was this feels schlocky, like a funny little B-movie, in a way the other seven don’t. I really hated the tiny people in jars scene. If you don’t vibe with that sequence I don’t see how you can like this at all.

Someday I’ll rewatch Bride of Frankenstein fully aware of what it’s doing and how it’s a different kind of entry in this series. Maybe I’ll like it a lot more then. But for now it wasn’t for me.

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

Pre-Watch Expectations: Good and scary.

The last chronological entry in my personal horror festival ended up being “the most fine” film in the bunch. It’s also unlike the others in that it trades gothic horror for ’50s monster sci-fi, something very obvious from the aesthetics, music, and setting. Creature from the Black Lagoon is a good entry in the post-atomic monster genre thanks to its impressive underwater sequences and yet another great creature costume. It’s far from perfect, though. Those action scenes do go on too long, though. It also features too many characters and needless conflict. And the movie looks a little too slick. But it works because the premise and nightmare river creature are still plenty scary.

Creature from the Black Lagoon First Watch Reaction: I enjoyed what it does well more than I disliked what it does poorly.

The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

Pre-Watch Expectations: I have no idea what is about to happen and if I’ll enjoy it.

I definitely enjoyed it. I loved it both as an important historical film and on its own merits. Lon Chaney’s makeup as the mad Phantom is still amazing. The story is also upsetting and creepy, with grand sets and action scenes. It’s just a fascinating watch in every way and reminded me why I should watch more silent era movies.

The Phantom of the Opera First Watch Reaction: Everyone who loves movies, not just horror, should watch this.

Final Thoughts After My First Classic Universal Monsters Watch

I went into these films more intrigued than excited. It’s not that I didn’t expect to like them, it’s that I had a vague feeling they’d be “interesting” as important historical documents far more than they’d be genuinely good. I was so wrong even if I didn’t love all of them. While obvious elements are incredibly dated, other aspects have proven ageless. Lugo, Karloff, Raines, the Chaney boys, the makeup, and the sets are still great.

I spent my whole life knowing about these movies and that they are important without truly appreciating why they’ve endured. For those who already did I’m sure the fact that it took me this long to find out why is frustrating. For those who still don’t, learn from my mistake and don’t wait nearly as long to do your own first watch.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He’s ready for you to yell at him about never seeing these films. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.