Ghost stories are the ultimate in scary superstition. Unlike zombies and vampires, many people do believe in the existence of trapped souls who haunt the living long after their demise. Everyone knows a friend of a friend who lived in a haunted house. Ghost hunting experts make a living chasing down people’s fears, and capitalizing on more than a few over-active imaginations. In the entertainment industry, the tradition of ghost storytelling has taken these hushed tales and elevated them onto the big screen. We have compiled a list of the Top Ten Ghost Movies for you to watch with or without the lights on!
The Shining (1980)
Stanley Kubrick’s chilling masterpiece, based on a Stephen King novel, centers around a family isolated in a mountain resort hotel that is closed for the winter. The remote location, made unreachable by snow covered roads, is in need of a caretaker to maintain the facilities during the seasonal hiatus. Jack Torrance brings his wife and young son to take on the responsibility, but the job soon proves to be a challenge when the hotel’s former guests come back to make trouble.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
A child psychologist attempts to help a troubled young boy named Cole, who claims to see the spirits of those who have died. While coming to terms with this extrasensory phenomenon, Cole helps the psychologist make peace with tragic events in his own past. This film changed the game of ghost movies altogether when it was released, and made director M. Night Shyamalan a household name.
Paranormal Activity (2007)
Katie and Micah are a young couple who just moved into a pleasant suburban enclave. Things are going well, until a demonic presence begins to make itself known. Micah becomes obsessed with documenting the increasingly strange happenings, while Katie is reminded of traumatic events from her childhood.
The Others (2001)
Another tale of isolation, this time on the foggy island of Jersey in England. Nicole Kidman plays the mother of two small children who are allergic to sunlight. Their stately mansion must remain dark at all times to accommodate this photosensitivity. When the mother hires a group of servants to help around the house, she begins to suspect that her home is being haunted.
Insidious (2010)
When their son slips into a mysterious coma, the Lamberts enlist the help of a paranormal expert to try and get him back. They soon discover the reason behind this baffling condition is an inherited supernatural ability.
The Orphanage (2007)
After returning to her childhood home to open an orphanage for disabled children, Laura’s son Simón tells her about his new invisible friend. She doesn’t think much of it until unusual apparitions start occurring in the house and Simón goes missing. As far as ghost movies go, The Orphanage is one of the most visually stunning.
The Ring (2004)
A death in the family causes a single mother journalist to launch an investigation into a videotape that is rumored to curse anyone who views it. The legend goes that the viewer will die within one week of seeing the tape. After watching the tape herself, this terrified journalist must uncover the mystery before she and her son meet their own untimely demise.
Lake Mungo (2008)
The Palmer family experiences a terrible loss when their teenage daughter, Alice, drowns while swimming in a local dam. Strange events begin happening in their home which cause the family to hire a paranormal investigator who uncovers secrets hidden in Alice’s double life.
Ju-on: The Grudge (2002)
The Japanese certainly know what they’re doing when it comes to ghost movies, and The Grudge is no exception. In this foreign film that inspired an American remake, a young woman is relentlessly pursued by the vengeful spirits of a mother and son who were murdered. She made the mistake of entering their home and is now doomed to be followed by these evil ghosts, until they have claimed her as yet another victim of their curse.
What Lies Beneath (2000)
The wife of a scientific researcher begins to question her sanity when her beautiful lakefront home exhibits signs of being haunted. Her husband becomes concerned that her visions may be the result of a terrible car accident she was in a year earlier.
