Reading Frankenstein by the fireplace during a stormy night in a crusty, old library, wearing a blue turtleneck and fleece trousers. In case, you were wondering what the genre: Dark Academia looked like, well now you know. If you are fond of chasing learning, that too in serene, old libraries or comfortable little cafes, well consider yourself a dark academia movie enthusiast.
Enlisted in this article are the mysterious dark academia films that will quench your thirst for learning while refreshing the concepts of thrill, suspense, and hidden fears. All of these movies are clearly in accord with this genre’s aesthetic and simultaneously are not petrified of challenging it. If you’re really in the mood of filling your life with wisdom and suspense, you should go through this article.
However, before doing that, make sure you have access to an amazing channel lineup, so you can watch all the movies mentioned in this post. If you don’t have a decent one then get your hands on a cable provider like rcn en vivo that offers a great channel lineup, that too at affordable rates.
Dim those lamps, cover yourself with a cozy blanket and keep reading. You are about to feel a rush of adrenaline as you scroll through this article.
- Kill your darlings
This movie has a pinch of romance, drama, and suspense. Kill your darlings is a film based on the student life of Allen Ginsberg. During his time at Columbia University, he gets close to Lucien Carr and instantly falls in love with her. This movie is a perfect representation of the dark academia subject with a speck of peculiarity and a serene, lyrical atmosphere.
- Maurice
This movie revolves around the life of Maurice Hall. A boy who is uncertain of his identity. As he comes of age, he finds out that he has feelings for other men and hence is gay. He resides in London and according to the timeline shown in the film, gay men were shown no tolerance and acceptance.
Maurice becomes attracted to his class fellow, Clive Durham during his time at University and they both decide to hide their relationship. Clive after conducting proper research shows Maurice an extract from ancient Greek that talks about homosexuality. Maurice does not want to let go of Clive and tries to convince him to continue to have this secret relationship. Clive however marries a woman, hurting Maurice’s feelings and breaking his heart.
- Dead Poets Society
If you are fond of poetic and dreamy themes, well you have found the right movie. This poetic film discusses the story of John Keating who begins his job as a tutor in an all-boys school.
Mr. Keating implements unique teaching techniques and in a short time succeeds in winning the hearts of his students. He teaches them life lessons and shows up for them even beyond the classroom. The entire idea of the film is to take a grip on the day and live life to the fullest.
- Tolkien
If you are a fan of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Hobbit’, then you probably would have heard the name, Tolkien. This movie highlights the old times and narrates his early life story. Tolkien’s parents died when he was a child and so he had to live a very tough life. The film also discusses his time in the army during World War 1.
His life was a lesson for a lot of people and his encounters, difficulties, and lessons ultimately forced him to narrate his life story through fantasy books, which were later turned into movies. If you are a fan of Tolkien’s literature and yearning to explore his personality further, then you should watch this film.
- Mary Shelley
Have you ever heard the name of the book Frankenstein? If yes, then you would be familiar with Mary Shelly. This incredible woman is the writer of the medieval and mysterious novel Frankenstein. The novel was first issued in 1818.
The movie Mary Shelley is based on this incredible writer. This movie revolves around the life of Mary who during a voyage to Scotland, falls for Percy Shelly who is not a bachelor. Both fall in love with each other and decide to elope. Mary’s sister helps them in this process by letting them stay at Lord Byron’s place who one day asks his guests to narrate a scary story. This eventually leads Ms. Shelly to write her popular novel.
- Jane Eyre
If you are fond of long, puffy dresses, and small-town stories, then Jane Eyre is the perfect novel for you. Jane Austen is the author of this incredible book that very accurately highlights the struggles, devotion as well as desires of a woman living in the 19th century.
The graceful personality of Jane Eyre is a perfect representation of the difficulties a woman experiences throughout her life. The novel narrates a long, detailed story with descriptions of every single aspect; the movie, however, quickly narrates the story, highlighting only the very important aspects.
- School Ties
There is no denying that academic locations like schools and libraries provide the greatest settings for dark academia, and we can never have enough Harvard-themed films. The 1950s are depicted in this movie; David Greene is given a scholarship to a famous school so that he can hone his football abilities.
He wants to keep his Jewish heritage a secret from everyone in school. His darkest nightmares come true when his religion is revealed, and he experiences antisemitism’s animosity.
Wrapping up
We can all identify with and enjoy witnessing intellectual competitiveness, close friends dressed in vintage, and the artistic backdrop of a school with Gothic architecture. And when gritty subjects like murder, mystery, and existential dread are included, it results in a fantastic dark academic film. If you enjoy the aesthetics of the Dark Academia series, you should watch the films we have mentioned in this article.
