The horror film has set the standard for what is considered beautiful artistry in moviemaking for over one hundred and twelve years. In 1896, Frenchman Georges Melies made a two minute film called Le Manoir du Diable, in which a bat transformed into Mephistopheles and produced fantastic objects and people from a cauldron. Melies painstakingly hand-tinted each frame, making his film not only the first horror movie but also the first moving picture in color. His techniques were widely copied, just as the most breathtaking visual techniques used in horror films today are copied by films from other genres. Here are some of the most visually stunning horror films through history, what makes them resonate today, and what makes them decidedly beautiful.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

Directed by Robert Wiene, this German film is one of the most unusual looking films even by today's standards. The black and white silent is framed by looming expressionistic sets: off-kilter buildings, tilted staircases and bizarre furniture pieces, all at rakish angles, fill the spaces. The actual lights and shadows of the movie are painted directly onto the sets. The effect is odd and unsettling, evoking a nightmare.

The story involves Dr. Caligari, who performs in a local carnival exhibiting a somnambulist, Cesare, who can answer any question posed to him. When Cesare predicts the death of a local man who then turns up dead, it is discovered that Caligari is carrying out a series of murders using Cesare, who is under his control. Cesare, clad in black tights with inches of deathlike black kohl beneath his eyes, poses disturbingly in and around the artistic structures in stark contrast to the rotund Caligari in his towering hat. If you've ever seen the mayor in The Nightmare Before Christmas, he seems to be directly influenced by Caligari, in fact, the whole film resembles a real-life cross between a Tim Burton film and an Escher painting.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari has to be seen to be appreciated. The look of the movie is so striking that even still photos will give you a clear idea of how groundbreaking it was. This film leaves no doubt that movies can be beautiful works of art.

Frankenstein (1931)

Director James Whale created a look for this movie that makes it the standout among the Universal classics. While Dracula is every bit as well-known, its scenes are distinctly flawed, falling well short of the beautiful imagery that Whale evokes in Frankenstein.

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