75 Terrifying Horror Tattoos by Some of the World’s Best Artists

In 1886, the same year the Statue of Liberty was dedicated, the first horror movie was released by French film director Georges Méliès called Le Manoir du Diable. Translated to “The Haunted Castle,” Méliès’ film was the first of its kind to explore horror on film, however, it inspired a number of literary adaptations of Poe and Dante.

By 1910, Edison Studios released the first film adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which helped to define the genre through the macabre nature of the film. Yet, horror did not truly come into its own until the 1930s and 1940s, with the release of Dracula, The Mummy, The Wolf Man, Freaks, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Body Snatchers.

By the late 1960s and early 1970s, horror was pushing audiences even further with supernatural suspense through the extreme success of films such as Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist, Psycho and Night of the Living Dead.

Slasher flicks such as Halloween, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street dominated the late 1970s and 1980s—spawning a number of sequels throughout the 1990s. Psychological horror ruled the 1990s, with films like The Silence of the Lambs, Misery, The Sixth Sense and Audition earning critical acclaim.

When horror entered the 2000s, many earlier subgenres were explored such as slasher and supernatural, however, the new millennium also inspired a number of new themes in horror to be explored. Torture porn brought audiences in droves, as seen through the Saw, Human Centipede, and Final Destination franchises. 1999’s The Blair Witch Project had a powerful influence on the found footage subgenre, leading to the Paranormal Activity franchise and Cloverfield. Zombies made a powerful mark on this decade in horror as well, introducing fan favorite films such as 28 Days Later, I am Legend and Quarantine.

By the time horror reached it’s current era, the 2010s, dystopian films such as The Purge and A Quiet Place hit huge success at the box office. Additionally, supernatural and occult features made a comeback through the Insidious, Conjuring and Amityville Horror franchises. And let’s not forget the impact clowns have had on horror over the past several years, with films like It, Terrifier and the American Horror Story television series terrifying audiences worldwide.

But, no matter which era of horror you favor, everyone can admit that these films make excellent inspiration for tattoos. Take a look at 75 of our favorite horror tattoos from eight extremely talented tattooers in the gallery below and let us know which tattoo on our list knocked your socks off in the comments section on Facebook. That is, unless you’re too scared to take a peek at these seriously terrifying tattoos.