The Scariest Paranormal Movies of All Time

Horror movies are guaranteed to give you a fright—that's kind of the point—but some will have you hiding under the covers more than others. While realistic psychological thrillers can be very eerie, sometimes paranormal movies—with their jump scares and disturbing imagery—can be even more terrifying. Whether about ghosts, witches, or monsters, the scariest paranormal movies examine an evil force beyond human comprehension and how much of an effect its haunting has on an unsuspecting victim.

Whether you're a horror aficionado or prefer movies that even scaredy cats can watch, if you're in the mood to watch something spooky that will keep you at the edge of your seat, look no further for the best paranormal movies.

'The Autopsy of Jane Doe' (2016)

Like others on this list, this falls into the category of underrated scary movie. It follows a coroner and his son (Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch, respectively) who perform an autopsy on an unidentified woman and are increasingly terrified by what they find inside her.

'The Babadook' (2014)

The Babadook is a smart rumination on grief—but it's also beyond terrifying. A widow (Essie Davis) and her young son (Noah Wiseman) discover a book called The Babadook, and then the titular character decides to visit them. Their increasingly erratic behavior means that essentially no one believes them.

'The Blair Witch Project' (1999)

The Blair Witch Project was deliberately marketed as a true story, including insinuating that the actors were indeed "missing" after an ill-fated trip to the woods in search of a witch. So, it was quite a cinematic experience watching this found-footage film at the time and thinking it was real—and even still, it's extremely eerie.

'Candyman' (1992)

Don't believe in urban legends? Well, graduate student Helen (Virgina Madsen) didn't either, before she invoked the Candyman (Tony Todd) legend by speaking his name five times into a mirror.

'The Conjuring' (2013)

While this is considered a loose interpretation of the paranormal investigations by real-life figures Ed and Lorraine Warren, the story is still scary as heck. A family moves into a house, starts experiencing some scary stuff, and can't really move—they're literally and figuratively trapped.

'The Descent' (2005)

If you have claustrophobia, we'd strongly recommend you not watch this. Six adventuresome women decide to go spelunking as a part of their girls' trip and end up lost in an uncharted cave system—oh, and they're sharing the space with some humanoid inhabitants.

'Evil Dead' (1981)

This is a shining example of how a low-budget horror film can still be very scary. Despite the now-predictable premise (a group of college students goes out to a cabin in the woods and things go very, very badly), the film stays fresh—even now—by refusing to pull a single punch.

'The Exorcist' (1973)

The Exorcist is the original stellar paranormal film—and among the best movies of all time. Its efficacy hinges on how seriously it takes the premise about a girl (Linda Blair) possessed by a malevolent force and the religious leaders performing an exorcism on her to stop it.

'Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum' (2018)

Found-footage is an impressively rich genre for the paranormal movie. In this cool setup, a horror web series crew is enlisted to investigate an abandoned psychiatric hospital. Fun fact: This became the third most-watched horror film in South Korea after its release (and it remains one of the best Korean horror movies of all time).

'Hereditary' (2018)

This is one of those movies that benefits from a second and third watch; the clues are all there, but when you're watching Hereditary for the first time, you're too busy being terrified to notice. It also makes the argument that a whole family could be cursed.

'High Tension' (2003)

Whether or not this movie is about the paranormal is up for debate, but that's half of what keeps you at the edge of your seat. Without spoiling much of the plot or its impressive twist, High Tension follows a woman (Maïwenn Le Besco) and her friend/crush (Cécile de France) as they go away for the weekend—only to find themselves at the mercy of a vengeful, unkillable sociopath (Philippe Nahon).

'Host' (2020)

This brilliant film—which almost entirely takes place over Zoom—captures the experience of COVID-19 isolation but adds a paranormal twist. Several friends decide to conduct an online seance (already a terrible idea) and then unwittingly release something from the beyond.

'Insidious' (2010)

For parents, this one's particularly bone-chilling: a young boy (Ty Simpkins) goes into the attic of the family's new house, falls off the ladder, and goes into a coma. And then a whole bunch of supernatural stuff starts happening, with their son unable to wake up.

'It: Chapter One' (2017)

If you're familiar with the Stephen King book or its 1990 miniseries, you'll know that the "It" in question takes the form of what you fear most (but mostly presents at the terrorizing clown Pennywise). Thanks to incredible makeup aand CGI and an amazing young cast, the story was made even more frightening by this 2017 version.

'It Follows' (2015)

This film features a supernatural force that doubles as a fascinating analogy. Teenager Jay (Maika Monroe) hooks up with a guy—only for him to tell her that he's passed on an evil entity to her. However, whatever "It" is, it's invisible, making this paranormal game of cat-and-mouse especially chilling.

'Oculus' (2013)

The idea of a supernatural mirror that causes increasingly evil hallucinations could have made for a silly movie. But Oculus manages to turn the concept into an effective family drama, told partially in flashback to indicate how frightening circumstances became for the two kids (Karen Gillan and Brenton Thwaites) living under its influence.

'The Omen' (1976)

Skip the remake and go straight to the 1976 original starring Gregory Peck. Imagine, if you will, that you slowly start to suspect there's something wrong with your young son...only to have someone tell you he's the Antichrist. "Look at me, Damien! It's all for you!" It's a classic for a reason.

'Onibaba' (1964)

Onibaba is a classic Japanese horror movie about two women (Nobuko Otowa and Jitsuko Yoshimura) who murder and loot the bodies of deserting soldiers as a means of survival. Their plans go awry when one of the women is seduced by a soldier, and while much of the film is focused on their shift in dynamic, there is a malevolent force at play.

'The Others' (2001)

This is one of the more restrained paranormal films on this list, but no less terrifying (thanks to a stellar performance by Nicole Kidman). All you need to know is that it follows a young mother and her two children as they're haunted by mysterious spirits—and that it results in one of the best twists in movie history.

'Paranormal Activity' (2007)

This movie was shot for about only $15,000 before it spawned a whole franchise of films; its premise and execution were just that good. Katie and Micah move in together, with Katie insisting she's been haunted by evil forces since she was a kid. Micah decides he should film them while they're sleeping to see if they can capture them. You can bet that doesn't turn out to be the best idea.

'Poltergeist' (1982)

"They're heeeeere!" If you grew up in the '80s, you'll remember this Steven Spielberg-written horror movie. A family moves into a seemingly bucolic home, only to find that their white picket fence comes with some strange, supernatural entities...and they're obsessed with the kids.

'[•REC]' (2007)

[•REC] is a Spanish found-footage horror movie (later remade into a not-as-great English-language version). A reporter (Manuela Velasco) and her cameraman (Pablo Rosso) shadow a bunch of firefighters as they follow an emergency call into a building—only to become sealed inside and quarantined because of a mysterious virus. As you might expect, it's no ordinary virus.

'The Ring' (2002)

This is a rare case in which the original Japanese movie Ringu and the American adaptation Ring are just as compelling. If you don't know much about the film, don't spoil it for yourself, and give yourself over to the idea that there's a haunted videotape out in the world. Be prepared for the jump scare of your life.

'Rosemary's Baby' (1968)

Everybody's had bad neighbors, but Rosemary (Mia Farrow) has the worst. This classic is equally terrifying and depressing while being surprisingly subversive and funny. It also pulls off a wild premise: Is the creepy couple in your building just nosy, or are they more sinister? Very much the latter, as it turns out.

'The Shining' (1980)

This movie isn't gory or plagued by jump scares; instead, it relies on mounting dread to scare you half to death. A man (Jack Nicholson), with a history of violence and alcoholism, is stuck with his family for months in a remote and abandoned hotel—which just so happens to be evil.

'Sinister' (2012)

An author (Ethan Hawke) moves his unsuspecting family into a house that was previously the site of something gruesome. The sinister entity starts exerting influence over him and his family. Unlike many other paranormal movies, you get to know what's behind everything, to terrifying effect.

'Skinamarink' (2022)

This movie is experimental and not for everyone (certainly not for horror fans who prefer jump-scare-ladden movies). But it's a moody, eerie piece that became a word-of-mouth hit, with a frightening premise: a girl (Dali Rose Tetreault) and a boy (Lucas Paul) wake up to find their parents, along with all the windows and doors in their house, gone.

'Suspiria' (1977)

The Luca Guadagnino-helmed remake goes in interesting directions, but Dario Argento's original 1977 film is creative, visually stunning, and horrifying. A young ballet dancer (Jessica Harper) attends a dance academy in West Germany, only to find it an increasingly terrifying experience.

'The Taking of Deborah Logan' (2014)

This is a smaller indie with a gripping premise that's worth watching. It centers on a documentary crew as they follow Deborah Logan (Jill Larson), a woman in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, and her caretaker daughter (Anne Ramsay). But is the old woman really experiencing dementia? Or is something way, way worse happening?

'Talk to Me' (2022)

If you fell into possession of a severed, embalmed hand, and you discovered that you could use it to contact the dead, would you play around with it? That's exactly what a bunch of teenagers do in Talk to Me—and, unfortunately, things start to go as badly as you expect.

'The Thing' (1982)

While this is a sci-fi-horror hybrid, it remains one of the most tense watches you'll ever experience. Scientists in Antarctica come across Norwegian scientists who appear to have gone mad. However, they discover that whatever they found out there in the snow and made them grow insane is more insidious than expected—and determined.

'The VVitch' (2015)

Once you acclimate to the Puritan English, Robert Eggers' debut feature is a taut and terrifying story. After being expelled from their community in colonial New England, a family goes out into the woods....where something begins to target them. Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), their teenage daughter, is increasingly blamed for the occurrences—leaving you to question what's really unfolding.