I personally love being scared and a spooky ghost movie works for me. Out of all the best horror movie genres out there like; vampires, zombies, killer tomatoes, the creepy, see-through demon that floats around the room and whispers warnings to you in the dark, ghost movies are the best!
The love of a good ghost movie came to me at a tender age…thanks to two cousins!
It was a crisp fall day when I, at the impressionable age of eight or nine, was dropped off at my grandparents’ farm for the weekend.
My two spoiled older cousins were also staying there. To sleep, the three of us shared two featherbeds in the open cellar of the old farmhouse.
That was where I lived my first ghost story. In the silent darkness, my cousins told me a chilling story that “really” happened not far away. A story worthy of being one of the best horror movies ever. They began in detail, a story about a boy, about my age, whose head was hacked in half by his crazy grandfather with an axe. The poor ghoulish boy with half his head bloody now roams the countryside.
That night I couldn’t sleep a wink. In fact, it was quite a while before I slept on my grandparents’ farm again.
Halloween is near, enough of the vampire genre! That’s why this article is about the creepiest and scariest ghost movies, twelve of them! Put in chronological order from oldest to newest and it’s worth watching in this order. See how older ghost movies were remade.
1) The Uninvited (1944)
A brother and sister move into an old mansion by the sea. Bought dirt cheap and came with a sinister past that is now haunted.
Starring: Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey, Donald Crisp, Gail Russell.
2009 – The new ghost movie has a very different story. However, straight hair is scary.
Cast: Emily Browning, David Strathaim, Elizabeth Banks.
2) House on Haunted Hill (1959)
An eccentric billionaire and his wife invite five unrelated strangers to a huge, secluded mansion. They offer $10,000 to each guest if they manage to stay the night (12 hours). The five arrive by hearse and in the morning the five will leave in the hearse, one way or the other.
Cast: Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Long.
The new 1999 The movie has the same story, slightly altered like a million dollars instead of 10,000 and of course better special effects.
Cast: Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Taye Diggs, Chris Katten.
3) 13 Ghosts (1960)) Of all the best horror movies, this ghost movie is one of the best. Uncle Zorba, an occultist, bequeaths a huge and unusual house to his needy nephew Cyrus and his family. This house came with three surprises; treasure, thirteen ghosts and special glasses to see these ghosts.
Cast: Charles Herbert, Donald Woods, Jo Morrow.
2001 The version has the same plot line, with well-done creative effects, and Cyrus is the guy’s name.
Starring: Tony Shalhoub, Shannon Elizabeth, F. Murray Abraham.
4) Carnival of Souls (1962)
A ghostly man appears through the mirrors at first only to an innocent church organist. Did someone or something in the deserted carnival cause this macabre image that continues to appear to this poor girl? Even though this is a low budget movie, it still deserves a decent level on the scare meter.
Starring: Candace Hilligoss, Frances Feist, Sidney Berger.
1998 The version was much more brutal with a not so funny circus clown.
Cast: Bobbie Phillips, Shawnee Smith.
5) The Curse (1963)
An old mansion called the Hill House gives a paranormal test to Dr. Markway and his guests. The good story made this a creepy movie.
Cast: Julie Harris, Richard Johnson, Claire Bloom.
1999 The movie has the same story, just its Dr. Marrow, a top-notch cast, and some great movie magic.
Starring: Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson, Lili Taylor.
6) The Fog (1980)
One hundred years ago, a ship carrying lepers crashed on purpose, drowning all on board. Now the ghoulish lepers are back with a vengeance and through the mists. John Carpenter can certainly put together a great ghost movie, not just once but twice.
Cast: Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, John Houseman.
2005– Very similar to the 1980 version but with better effects. Mr. Carpenter has also become more successful in the last twenty-five years.
Cast: Tom Welling, Maggie Grace, Selma Blair.
7) Board of Witches (1986)
The college students start playing with a Ouija board that turns evil. Meanwhile, everyone thought it was the spirit of a nice ten-year-old boy.
Cast: Todd Allen, Tawny Kitaen, Clare Bristol.
8) The Sixth Sense (1999)
In this subtle ghost film, nine-year-old Cole Sear is able to see, hear and speak to the dead just after they pass away. Dr. Crowe, a child psychologist, tries to help Cole with these… hallucinations. I love movies that have a good unexpected ending and this is one of them. Definitely one of the best horror movies.
Cast: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette.
9) The St. Francisville Experiment (1999)
In a small town in Louisiana there is a notorious haunted house. The house is haunted by the ghosts of the slaves who died enduring horrific torture. Four people are not prepared for the horrors that are about to occur.
Cast: Tim Baldini, Madison Charap, Paul Palmer.
10) What Lies Beneath (2000)
The wife of a university scientist begins seeing hauntings. Her husband thinks she’s crazy until he sees the images himself. Now, both must discover the truth and find out what lies underneath.
Cast: Michelle Pfeiffer, Katharine Towne, James Remar.
11) Ghost Ship (2002)
This is a ‘better prepare to hold on to something’ ghost movie. He would consider it as one of the best horror movies. An elite passenger ship from 1962 was suddenly found adrift by a salvage crew forty years later. Old, rusty, deserted, full of gold and ghosts.
Cast: Gabriel Byrne, Julianna Margulies, Ron Eldard, Isaiah Washington.
12) The Ring (2002)
A strange videotape with disturbing images that seems to kill the viewer in seven days. Seconds after the video ends, a phone call, a week later you die a horrible death. Originally a 1998 Japanese movie called ‘Ringu’. I had to add this movie to the list of best horror movies.
Cast: Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, David Dorfman, Jane Alexander.
Do you want to be scared this Halloween season? My recommendation for a great ghost horror movie is any one of these twelve movies. They are all worthy of being on the ‘best horror movies’ list.
So, after the costumed kids are done ringing the doorbell and threatening you with treats, grab a pillow to hold on to, turn off all the lights, and put on one of these scary movies. Great way to end Halloween.
Happy Halloween, Cinema Serge.
