Summary

• Ghost movies offer innovative twists on familiar tales, drawing on folktales and religious beliefs.
• Japanese horror films inspire some of the scariest ghosts, adding depth to grief narratives.
• Animation and VFX technology enhance the visual storytelling of ghost movies in unique ways.

Whether they're horror movies or not, ghost movies have captured the attention of audiences for many years, and the best movies involving ghosts put an innovative twist on familiar tales of paranormal activity. No matter what kind of afterlife a film draws its inspiration from, there are plenty of folktales and religious philosophies to draw upon when making a movie about ghosts. Ghost movies differ from traditional horror and monster movies because they deal with the fear and mystery of an entity that might not be visible, capitalizing on the human fear of the unknown.

Outside of horror, ghosts can appear in films about grief and play an instrumental role in the healing process for the characters still alive onscreen.

Japanese horror movies are known for having the scariest ghosts in the horror genre, and many films on the list take direct inspiration from their style and stories. Outside of horror, ghosts can appear in films about grief and play an instrumental role in the healing process for the characters still alive onscreen. Similarly to other genres that deal with fantasy, ghost movies excel in animation because of the limitless opportunities for visual styles and effects. Conversely, live-action ghost stories have come a long way because of the innovation in VFX technology.

10 ParaNorman (2012)

Directed by Sam Fell

Stop-motion is well known for its contributions to horror, and ParaNorman is a criminally underrated addition to the stop-motion canon. The film follows the story of pre-teen Norman, voiced by Kodi Smit-Mhee, a boy who can commune with the dead. He's a shy boy who struggles to communicate with the living, so ParaNorman characterizes the ghosts as friendly and informative presences who are looking out for the land of the living. The antagonists of the movie are not the ghosts themselves but a witch's curse that was placed many years ago.

In this way, ParaNorman grapples with the history of the Salem Witch Trials and their violent legacy in the United States. ParaNorman is notable for its ability to convey a complex message about history within a traditional children's format and relate it to the ups and downs of childhood. It's not uncommon for children to turn to imaginary friends or ghosts when they feel that the living world doesn't understand them. The film is also notable for including the first openly gay animated character.

Watch ParaNorman on Starz.

9 Casper (1995)

Directed by Brad Silberling

Although there are sad facts about Casper's backstory, they only imbue Casper with more heart and emotion. Based on the character Casper The Friendly Ghost from the Harvey Comics series, Casper is just as friendly as his original name suggests. A young Christina Ricci moves into the home that the kindly ghost is haunting, and the two children, one living and one dead form a connection. They bond because Casper still feels a pull to the world of the living and has been lonely after all these years.

Additionally, Kat (Ricci) has recently moved and feels isolated while trying to build new friendships and adapt to her new environment. Though there are small elements of the scary ghost narrative, that's not really what Casper is about. It's about moving on and healing from past traumas by sharing them with a friend. Though Casper doesn't break boundaries in its discussion of childhood, it has a serious emotional message. The visual triumph of blending live-action and animation shouldn’t be overlooked, either.

8 Beetlejuice (1988)

Directed by Tim Burton

There are many reasons why Beetlejuice has become such an iconic piece of ghoulish filmmaking and why it has become a significant touchstone in popular culture. From the expert direction of Tim Burton to the stellar cast that includes Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Geena Davis, and Alec Baldwin, Beetlejuice was a case of a film being set up for success. Since its premiere, Beetlejuice has been adapted into a stage musical, and there's plenty more on the horizon for the source material. This kind of relevance so many years after the original indicates the quality of the film.

The use of ghosts and the conflict of Davis and Baldwin's characters trying to use their ghostly powers to scare a family away from moving into their house is rife with comedy. Beetlejuice excels by subverting the common tropes of how ghosts are supposed to act and framing through two newly minted spirits who have no idea how to be ghosts or how to cross into the afterlife. Additionally, the memorable and well-developed characters contribute to how easily viewers are sucked into the plot and can't look away.

7 Ghostbusters (1984)

Directed by Ivan Reitman

Few movies have become as definitive of the ghost genre as Ghostbusters. The many sequels that have come out since the original in 1984 have tried, but nothing compares to the first film or can capture its humor. Part of this is due to the original cast’s chemistry and also because audiences had never seen anything like it when it premiered. Using iconic buildings in New York City as its setting lends itself to the film’s timeless nature and the nostalgia that it already had in 1984.

Part parody of horror films about ghost exorcisms and part exploration into the intersection between science and the supernatural, Ghostbusters was an underdog when it hit the box office. It wasn't predicted to be the success that it was, and the theme song has become one of the most iconic featured songs in a comedic movie. There are many reasons Ghostbusters stands alone among similar films, and it's due to the witty dialogue and smart writing that don't rely on equally strong special effects to carry the narrative.

6 The Sixth Sense (1999)

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

The director, M. Night Shyamalan, is known for making films with incredible twists that are nearly impossible to predict. He gained this reputation through films like The Sixth Sense, which always leaves first-time viewers stunned when they realize that the entire film's meaning has changed in the final few moments. For this reason, watching The Sixth Sense only once is almost impossible because it's just as fun to watch knowing how it ends. Having insight into the twist allows the audience to truly appreciate the foreshadowing and the hints that are dropped along the way.

Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) is a child who sees ghosts, and he delivers the famous line, "I see dead people." However, The Sixth Sense is much more than this iconic and frequently parodied line of dialogue. Bruce Willis gives a show-stopping performance as Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a man trying to help Cole. Despite the dramatic elements, there are still many scary scenes in The Sixth Sense. Though many films have explored what happens when someone can see the dead, few have done it better than The Sixth Sense.

5 Spirited Away (2001)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Spirited Away is one of the best anime movies of all time because of its gorgeous visual style, the moving story, and the brilliant director from Studio Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki. Though Spirited Away stands out not only in animation but in filmmaking in general, ghosts are more a means to an end in telling the story, which is why it doesn't rank higher on the list. Spirited Away is more concerned with folklore and legends of Japanese mythology than ghosts. However, this makes the story even more impactful because of its ability to translate long-held beliefs into the modern era.

The protagonist, Chihiro, is a young girl transported to the spirit realm and starts working at a supernatural spa/bathhouse after her parents are transformed into pigs. Like all children in Miyazaki movies, Chihiro is uncommonly brave and goes through more than many children her age. However, Spirited Away understands that the emotions of children should be taken as seriously as adults and communicates this within a beautifully realized world. Though the spirit world is different from reality, in some ways, it captures the human experience more fully because of this.

Watch Spirited Away on Max.

4 Poltergeist (1982)

Directed by Tobe Hooper

Based on the creative team behind the original Poltergeist, it's unsurprising that it's one of the best-known ghost movies and one of the scariest. Steven Spielberg collaborated on the script with Tobe Hooper directing due to his work on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a film that has come to embody the modern definition of a slasher film. Poltergeist is an exceptionally frightening film, and even with the technology of the 1980s, that doesn't stop it from being terrifying to this day. When viewers think of ghosts in a horror context, the first thing that comes to mind is often Poltergeist.

Outside the scares, Poltergeist is also a well-made film that was nominated for three Academy Awards. This achievement is no small feat since the horror genre is habitually overlooked and underrepresented during the mainstream awards season. However, Poltergeist transcended this because it told a compact and intriguing story and knew better than to lean too far into special effects. Aspects of the thriller genre are implemented, making the moments between scares feel just as high-stakes as when the ghosts are onscreen.

3 A Ghost Story (2017)

Directed by David Lowery

Fantasy, reality, and grief come together to weave a story that spans centuries in David Lowery's A Ghost Story. Even with a microbudget of $100,000, via Box Office Mojo, the film managed to feel both enormous in scope and painfully intimate in its storytelling. A Ghost Story takes the question of what happens after death and takes it to the extreme when a man comes back as a ghost and is unable to move on because he left behind his wife in the living world. He remains on the fringes of reality until he finds closure.

Starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara, A Ghost Story is not an easy watch and can border on harrowing for the audience and performers. There is a scene consistently of a single take of Mara eating an entire pie by herself. Haunting takes on many forms in A Ghost Story, and the audience can't help feeling as if their own regrets and unfinished business are lingering behind them. Despite its limited release, the film generated decent returns but deserves much more popularity than it has.

2 Rebecca (1940)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock may be the king of thriller movies, but he rarely dipped his toe into the supernatural outside his 1940 film Rebecca. The film is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Daphne du Maurier. Though it has paranormal elements, Rebecca is still wholly a Hitchcock film, and all the marks of his work are present. The ghost of Rebecca, the first wife of the man that Mrs. de Winter (Joan Fontaine) marries, haunts her throughout the film, and though Rebecca is never seen, she is a persistent presence in every scene.

Rebecca also boasts the legendary actor Laurence Olivier performing in the film as her husband, Maxim de Winter. He and Fontaine play off each other brilliantly as she becomes sucked into his web and find out the truth behind Rebecca's death. There isn't a second of respite in the film, and the sense that there's something hidden in the shadows permeates the story. If not for one other film, it would be the best ghost story ever told.

1 The Shining (1980)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

The Shining is arguably Stanley Kubrick's best film and the best ghost movie ever made. The film is the benchmark that all horror movies aim to hit, but few compare with the iconic story. Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall devote everything to giving fantastic performances, and without them, the movie wouldn't be half as compelling. As Jack (Nicholson) slowly unravels before the eyes of his wife and child, the audience feels themselves slipping away along with him.

Although it wasn't an immediate hit at the time of its release, The Shining has come to be recognized as an incredible contribution to the horror genre and filmmaking in general. As critics and audiences have realized the importance of the film, many negative reviews have been rescinded. Arthouse horror has always had a difficult time being properly appraised, and though The Shining suffered from this, it's now an example of true excellence in the genre. Kubrick was a master of his craft, and The Shining was no exception.