Gothic Horror

Gothic horror has a long, interesting history. The Gothic horror film genre comes from Gothic novels which were written in the 19th century and earlier, famous examples are Frankenstein's Monster and Dracula which became popular in the 19th century. The setting of most Gothic horror movies have not changed since it became popular in the 1800s. Gothic horror movies all have historical settings, typically during the Victorian era; they also usually have elements of romance or sexual desire which are considered taboo, and also contain strong elements of the supernatural, for example, vampires, ghosts and witchcraft.
Due to the era Gothic movies are based on, character costume and the language they use must be appropriate according to the time period. The location of many Gothic horror movies are at secluded, dark mansions surrounded by the woods, cut off from the rest of the world, and/or the streets of Victorian England.

Victorian Gothic

Gothic literature was the dominant literary genre during the Victorian Era, which may be why all media texts of the Gothic genre are usually based in the 19th century, and have not changed. The first Gothic novel was actually published in 1764, though claimed to be a translation of a work printed in Naples in 1529. The genre truly set off in the 1790s and carried on well into the 1800s when it was at its peak in popularity.

Films

Dracula
Frankenstein

Nosferatu (1922)

Sleepy Hollow (1999)

Crimson Peak (2015)

Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
The Woman in Black (2012)