Just in time for the autumn spooky season, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles has officially opened “The Horror Show,” a comprehensive exhibition that explores the genre’s rich visual history. Spanning from classic black-and-white tales to modern psychological terrors, the exhibit features a vast array of costumes, props, sketches, and posters drawn from some of cinema’s most influential horror films.
The exhibition, which opened to the public on Saturday, offers a journey through various subgenres, including slashers, religious terror, ghost stories, and science fiction horror. Highlights include Bela Lugosi’s original cape from the 1931 classic “Dracula” and Gary Oldman’s elaborate armor from Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 gothic interpretation of the same story. More recent entries include Aunt Gladys’ pantsuit from the film “Weapons” and costumes from “Midsommar.”
Iconic figures such as Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, and Chucky are on display alongside artifacts from critically acclaimed titles like “Get Out,” “The Babadook,” and “Sinners.” The exhibit also features a recreation of a vintage living room where visitors can watch scary VHS tapes, as well as interactive photo opportunities, including a chance to pose with Mrs. Bates from “Psycho” or stand inside a coffin.
Amy Homma, director of the Academy Museum, emphasized the genre’s unique cultural significance during the Thursday preview. “Many different types of films can be considered horror filmmaking, from vampires to slashers to thrillers,” Homma said. “Horror has its own filmic history, it’s own origins through literature, culture and art and its own lineage.”
Jessica Niebel, the exhibit’s curator, framed the collection around a central question: why does horror resonate so deeply with audiences? “Horror reflects the anxieties of its time, but it also gives us a safe space to confront those anxieties, to look at the things that frighten us and that we desire,” Niebel explained.
For younger visitors or those sensitive to graphic content, the museum is offering an accompanying exhibit titled “Zombies!” which provides a less gruesome experience. Additionally, the Academy will screen a robust schedule of horror films to complement the exhibit, kicking off with a retrospective of John Carpenter’s work and a special screening of “Halloween” attended by star Jamie Lee Curtis and the director himself.
“The Horror Show” will remain on view at the Academy Museum through July 25, 2027.
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