A Glean movie guide
Restless Spirits: The Scariest Ghost Movies
Don't watch these alone.
From modern hauntings to gothic classics, these films deliver pure supernatural terror.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Conjuring
A masterclass in building tension through a terrifying, real-life paranormal investigation.
Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives.
- 02
Hereditary
A deeply unsettling descent into a family’s ancestral trauma and malevolent supernatural forces.
Following the death of the Leigh family matriarch, Annie and her children uncover disturbing secrets about their heritage. Their daily lives are not only impacted, but they also become entangled in a chilling fate from which they cannot escape, driving them to the brink of madness.
- 03
Insidious
A relentless nightmare featuring a unique spirit realm and some of the decade's most effective jump scares.
A family discovers that dark spirits have invaded their home after their son inexplicably falls into an endless sleep. When they reach out to a professional for help, they learn things are a lot more personal than they thought.
- 04
Sinister
A chilling discovery of cursed home movies leads to a confrontation with a truly ancient evil.
True-crime writer Ellison Oswalt is in a slump; he hasn't had a best seller in more than 10 years and is becoming increasingly desperate for a hit. So, when he discovers the existence of a snuff film showing the deaths of a family, he vows to solve the mystery. He moves his own family into the victims' home and gets to work. However, when old film footage and other clues hint at the presence of a supernatural force, Ellison learns that living in the house may be fatal.
- 05
Talk to Me
A visceral modern horror where a party game involving spirit possession goes horribly wrong.
When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.
- 06
Paranormal Activity
The definitive found-footage haunting that turns a quiet suburban home into a site of escalating dread.
After a young, middle-class couple moves into what seems like a typical suburban house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be demonic but is certainly the most active in the middle of the night.
- 07
The Others
A masterfully atmospheric gothic tale where a mother becomes convinced her secluded home is shared with the dead.
Grace is a religious woman who lives in an old house kept dark because her two children, Anne and Nicholas, have a rare sensitivity to light. When the family begins to suspect the house is haunted, Grace fights to protect her children at any cost in the face of strange events and disturbing visions.
- 08
Poltergeist
The quintessential suburban ghost story that transformed everyday household items into objects of terror.
The Freelings' suburban home becomes the center of paranormal activity that opens a portal to the 'other side'. With help, they must cross over to get their daughter back.
- 09
The Sixth Sense
A hauntingly somber mystery about a boy who sees the dead and the psychologist trying to help him.
Following an unexpected tragedy, child psychologist Malcolm Crowe meets a nine year old boy named Cole Sear, who is hiding a dark secret.
- 10
Ju-On: The Grudge
A terrifying non-linear curse that ensures no one is safe once they enter a haunted house.
When a social worker is sent to check on a traumatized elderly woman whose family have moved in at the site of a notorious murder case, she unwittingly unleashes a cycle of terror that transmits via its victims.
- 11
The Orphanage
A heartbreaking and eerie Spanish ghost story about a mother searching for her son in a haunted estate.
A woman brings her family back to her childhood home, which used to be an orphanage, intent on reopening it. Before long, her son starts to communicate with a new invisible friend.
- 12
1408
A cynical writer's skepticism is shattered by the reality-bending horrors of a notoriously haunted hotel room.
A man who specializes in debunking paranormal occurrences checks into the fabled room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel. Soon after settling in, he confronts genuine terror.