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Heaving bosoms, sweeping country estates, clandestine glances... Period dramas are all about those tied-down emotions, secret passions and, yes, impressive National Trust locations.
And when we say 'greatest', we really mean 'weirdest'. Here are some of the oddest, bloodiest and creepiest films set in past times...
The Mummy (1999)
The Period: It's a loose remake of the 1932 Universal monster movie, and Stephen Sommers' film sticks to that period, setting its action mostly in 1926.
Why So Weird? The threesome's quest sees them inadvertently resurrecting an ancient Mummy and going up against his undead army. Oh, and those terrifying, flesh-eating beetles.
The Conjuring (2012)
The Period: Inspired by the real-life investigations of Ed and Lorraine Warren, James Wan's chiller is set in 1971.
Why So Weird? Ed and Lorraine Warren are paranormal investigators who quickly establish that the Perron's home is haunted. Which is when things start getting really weird.
Outlander (2008)
The Period: Howard McCain's Viking era genre-splicer is set around 709 AD.
Why So Weird? Uh, we may have neglected to mention that Kainan crash landed his spaceship in Norway, where he accidentally unleashes the terrifying monster Moorwen. Sort of explains why he wants to track it down so badly.
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
The Period: Though it's loosely inspired by a short story from 1820, Tim Burton's film is set a little earlier in 1799.
Why So Weird? The one doing the head-lopping is none other than The Headless Horseman (Christopher Walken), a vengeful ghost who, as his name suggests, has no head.
Brotherhood Of The Wolf (2001)
The Period: Inspired by real-life killings in 18th century France, Christophe Gans' film is set in 1764.
Why So Weird? As if the mix of swashbuckling fights and martial arts wasn't weird enough, that 'wolf' part of the title is entirely apt, as we discover the scary beast is a monstrosity from Africa that has implants in its jaw and metal armour.
Army Of Darkness (1992)
The Period: The third film in Sam Raimi's Evil Dead saga is set in 1300 AD.
Why So Weird? So, Ash has actually time travelled from present day. He has a chainsaw for an arm and he fights evil deadites, which apparently existed in medieval times, too. Yeah, this is pretty much the weirdest period drama ever made.
Mary Shelly's Frankenstein (1994)
The Period: Though Mary Shelley's book is set in an unspecified time during the 18th century, Kenneth Branagh's gothic adap begins in 1794 before flashbacking to an earlier time.
Why So Weird? ...That idea is, to put it bluntly, raising the dead. Which he manages to do when he creates his jigsaw-puzzle monster (Robert De Niro).
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (2007)
The Period: Inspired by real events (plus Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's musical), Tim Burton's film takes place in 1846.
Why So Weird? The 'demon' part of the title isn't entirely accurate, but the horrific throat-slashing is pretty shocking as is Mrs Lovett's love of a fleshy pie.
The Woman In Black (2012)
The Period: Though the film's Edwardian setting is never explicitly dated, gravestones suggest it's set around 1916.
Why So Weird? It's not long before Arthur discovers strange things have been happening in the nearby village, and then he starts glimpsing a woman all in black...
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
The Period: The majority of the action takes place in 1897, though we do also get a flashback to 1462.
Why So Weird? Apart from the fact that the film stars Keanu Reeves as a British solicitor? Well, there's also the small matter of Dracula, who's basically king of vampires, plus all that wolf-y and coffins full of earth activity.
Deathwatch (2002)
The Period: Michael J. Bassett's war-torn drama is set during the First World War.
Why So Weird? The soldiers have a lot more to fear than Germans, it turns out, as they encounter mud that spews blood, rotting corpses, and something roaring inhumanly among them. Then the dead bodies start coming to life...
