Since the dawn of time, people have been sharing ghost stories around campfires, in the soft glow of candlelight, and writing them in the pages of age-old books. Humans have an innate fascination with the unknown and the afterlife.
Unsurprisingly, this fascination found its way into the world of cinema. From chilling apparitions floating down dim hallways to vengeful spirits seeking justice, spectral stories are a popular subgenre of horror. This year’s The Nun 2 is only the newest of ghoulish entries to the genre.
Quench your thirst for supernatural thrillers with this hand-picked selection of ghastly films to give your goosebumps goosebumps.
The Conjuring (2013)
- Director: James Wan
- Starring: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ron Livingston
Official synopsis: The Perron family’s move to a dilapidated Rhode Island farmhouse takes a terrifying turn as they confront a demonic haunting. Their only hope lies with paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who face the spectral menace with their skills and spiritual strength.
The Shining (1980)
- Director: Stanley Kubrick
- Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd
Official synopsis: The Shining tells the unnerving story of writer Jack Torrance who takes his family to live at the secluded Overlook Hotel. His son, Danny, discovers his psychic abilities as unsettling events unfold, threatening Jack’s sanity and turning the quiet retreat into a prison of horrors.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
- Director: M. Night Shyamalan
- Starring: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette
Official synopsis: Child psychologist Malcolm Crowe is assigned the baffling case of a young boy who communicates with spirits. As Crowe delves deeper into the boy’s world, he learns truths that challenge his professional and personal life.
Candyman (1992)
- Director: Bernard Rose
- Starring: Virginia Madsen, Xander Berkeley, Tony Todd
Official synopsis: Helen Lyle is a student exploring myths and legends for her thesis. Her curiosity leads her to the tale of the Candyman, sparking a series of terrifying events that question the boundary between myth and reality.
Paranormal Activity (2007)
- Director: Oren Peli
- Starring: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Fredrichs
Official synopsis: A young couple’s life turns upside down when they move into a suburban house. Soon, they are threatened by a mysterious presence that turns their nights into a spine-chilling confrontation with the supernatural.
The Ring (2002)
- Director: Gore Verbinski
- Starring: Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, Brian Cox
Official synopsis: An investigative journalist probes into a bizarre videotape linked to multiple teenager deaths. With the ominous countdown of seven days, she must defy an urban myth to save her life.
His House (2020)
- Director: Remi Weekes
- Starring: Sope Dirisu, Wunmi Mosaku, Malaika Wakoli-Abigaba
Official synopsis: His House follows a refugee couple’s journey from war-ravaged South Sudan to an English town. Their struggle to adapt to new surroundings intensifies as they confront an evil presence lurking inside their new home.
The Woman in Black (2012)
- Director: James Watkins
- Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Janet McTeer, Ciarán Hinds
Official synopsis: Solicitor Arthur Kipps investigates Eel Marsh House in Crythin Gifford where he encounters a ghostly vengeance that haunts the mansion. He uncovers a tragic tale of loss and revenge that grips the local community.
1408 (2007)
- Director: Mikael Håfström
- Starring: John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack
Official synopsis: Based on a Stephen King novel, 1408 follows a skeptical writer famous for debunking supernatural tales who confronts the unexplainable in the Dolphin Hotel’s cursed room 1408. His one-night stay turns into a struggle for survival in a room with a dark history.
Crimson Peak (2015)
- Director: Guillermo del Toro
- Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston
Official synopsis: Edith Cushing’s life takes a dark turn when she marries the mysterious Thomas Sharpe and moves to his remote mansion. As she navigates her new life in an isolated mansion, spectral presences reveal shocking secrets.
Insidious (2010)
- Director: James Wan
- Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins
Official synopsis: A family’s need to save their son, Dalton, from a mysterious coma pulls them into the enigmatic realm of the paranormal. Their journey to uncover the past becomes crucial to bringing Dalton back.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
- Directors: Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez
- Starring: Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, Joshua Leonard
Official synopsis: Three film students venture into Burkittsville’s Black Hills Forest to uncover the myth of the Blair Witch. Their disappearance leaves behind only raw footage, hinting at a chilling encounter with the supernatural.
The Curse of La Llorona (2019)
- Director: Michael Chaves
- Starring: Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz, Patricia Velasquez
Official synopsis: A social worker and her children dismiss a distressed mother’s warning and find themselves in a supernatural nightmare. As they face La Llorona’s mortal fury, a priest’s offbeat mysticism becomes their only hope.
Poltergeist (1982)
- Director: Tobe Hooper
- Starring: JoBeth Williams, Heather O’Rourke, Craig T. Nelson
Official synopsis: Poltergeist centers on a family visited by seemingly friendly ghosts in their home. However, the spirits quickly turn sinister as they terrorize the family and mysteriously kidnap the little girl.
The Orphanage (2007)
- Director: J.A. Bayona
- Starring: Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Príncep
Official synopsis: Former orphan Laura raises her adopted son in her childhood home, only for him to disappear after mentioning his invisible friends. Laura’s pursuit of the truth leads to a haunting confrontation with the orphanage’s chilling past.
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