10 Scariest Supernatural Horror Movies

Supernatural horror films have existed since the invention of the film roll. In the first decades of the 18th century, adaptations of supernatural horror fiction novels flooded the market and the genre found its golden age and officially became a permanent fixture for cinema. Fear of the unknown is one of humanity’s most primitive instincts, and the best horror films explore this in the form of scares and scary stories. While technological advances have improved the texture of horror films to appear more realistic and therefore more terrifying, perhaps the most exciting change over the years has been the revival of monsters.

Ghost stories remain the most common sources of inspiration as directors and screenwriters unearth increasingly obscure folklore and myths, but supernatural horror films aren’t always about ghosts. While spirits and apparitions provide the simplest premise for supernatural horror, distortion of nature is often a common source of inspiration for filmmakers also. But, the scariest supernatural horror films sometimes don’t even feature a tangible entity to instill fear in viewers, relying instead on the horrific nature of violent and threatening occurrences, often based on curses and superstition.

10

Hereditary (2018)

Directed by Ari Aster

Featuring one of the scariest deaths ever committed on screen, Hereditary bases its horror on the inexplicable phenomena that haunt a grieving family after a freak accident kills the youngest of them. Her daughter’s death leads the mother to seek consolation in the idea of ​​summoning her daughter’s spirit, but the summoning goes wrong because it is interrupted in the middle. During the next few days, the family is plagued by inexplicable occurrences that destroy their mental stability and repeatedly push them to the brink of death.

Based on a version of the Devil from folklore Hereditary’The most frightening aspect is perhaps the indifference of the film’s atmosphere, where people burned to death and decapitated are explained through mythological references. It proceeds at a gradual, almost meditative pace towards Hereditary final, where the fearsome omen wreaks havoc and ends the family. The pacing provides space for exposition to be introduced without revealing enough for the film to become predictable and creates the atmosphere where horrific visuals can assault the viewer’s mind.

9

Terrified (2017)

Directed by Demián Rugna

Set in a suburb in Argentina Terrified tells the story of an interdimensional paranormal infestation that makes life difficult for three different families on the same street. Paranormal investigators are called in to find out what is going on and possibly get rid of the great danger, only to be eliminated. Although the plot and concept are little explored, Terrified is a solid horror film with a running time of approximately 90 minutes.

Terrified It feels like a test of patience in its second half as the story shifts to the narrative about paranormal investigators because the pacing is disappointingly broken and the exposition is paper thin. But if for nothing else, Terrified will always be memorable for the opening sequences. There is no context, no build-up, and no mental preparation for the horrific images the film throws at viewers from the start. It’s rare for horror films to dive into the scares without first creating an atmosphere or a location, but Terrified achieves with superior style.

8

The Mutant (1980)

Directed by Peter Medak

A classic haunted house story of a disgruntled ghost seeking revenge for his murder and wrongful omission of a fortune, The Mutant It’s a cross between horror and mystery. While the plot is driven by the spooky atmosphere of the mansion the protagonist rents, the main story unfolds like a mystery thriller about tracking a cold murder case from the past.

A slow burn from start to finish, The Mutant rewards viewers for their patience by providing them with a meticulously constructed mysterious atmosphere. A sense of sadness hangs over every frame of the filmwhich uses slow zooms and puppetry along with shadow play to build the terrifyingly scary haunted mansion setting, where danger lurks around every corner but seems to be taking its time to strike. Victorian architecture provides the perfect backdrop for the spooky angles and handheld POV shots that make each space The Mutant feel haunted.

7

Ringu (1998)

Directed by Hideo Nakata

A remake of the made-for-TV film of the same name released three years before its release Ringu It ended up being remade by Gore Verbinski, giving rise to two separate but conceptually connected franchises, one in Japanese and the other in English. In total, there are 14 films in The ring franchise that was not released in order of events.

Based on an urban legend about a videotape that causes its viewers to die within a week of watching it, Ringu is one of the most influential horror films of all time. This made the horror genre explode in Asia and generated a craze that would lead to many remakes, reboots and sequels that have gathered cult followings. Although many of the parodies, remakes, and parodies have taken a toll on their reputation, anyone who watches Ringu For the first time he faces a scare that could cause permanent fear of television screens.

6

The Lighthouse (2019)

Directed by Robert Eggers

Based on the unfinished story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe The Lighthouse tells the story of two lighthouse keepers, a veteran sailor and the young man he supervises. While the lack of human contact outside of each other is reason enough to lose each other’s minds, the two of them are tormented by supernatural phenomena that make them question their reality. One of them even encounters a mermaid and becomes seduced by her, despite being warned by the other to stay away from them.

Done in black and white, The Lighthouse employs high contrasts and shadows with masterful precision to create a drab world devoid of emotion beyond the occasional call of seagulls and sirens. The descent into madness that the characters experience is also perfectly paced, driven by unbelievably good performances. It’s one of Willem Dafoe’s best horror film performances. The terrifying climactic sequence simply employs close-ups of facial expressions, and that’s The LighthouseThe strongest selling point of – the horror is in the minds of the characters and it crosses the screen to torment the minds of the viewers.

5

Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)

Directed by Jung Bum Shik

Popularized by The Blair Witch ProjectThe found footage horror subgenre featuring people trapped in one place has really become a niche with a cult following in the years following its release, with Netflix home to some incredible found footage horror films, and Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum is proof of that. While it doesn’t add anything new to the genre and the techniques its films often employ, the film makes use of elements common to the genre to create truly frightening visual images.

Following a group of ghost hunters who want to document suspected paranormal activity in an asylum for their show Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum It takes time to pick up the pace. But when it’s running at full speed, especially in the film’s final half hour, the rate of jumpscares per minute is incredibly high, and each jumpscare is terribly effective because they really do come out of nowhere. The highlight of the film, however, is the particularly scary ghost girlwhose appearance is enough to forget Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum It’s a movie and I feel personally haunted.

4

Pulse (2001)

Directed by Kyoshi Kurosawa

Pulse is a rare crossover of science fiction and horror, using techno themes to create the terror. Different Ringuwhere a videotape causes unexplained deaths, the horror element of Pulse it is on the screens themselves, which begin to leak into reality. The lines between, behind, and beyond the screen become blurred as ghosts start appearing all over the place and terrorizing the characters, causing them to meet some gruesome ends.

While there is a compelling mystery narrative that is satisfyingly developed and unfolds to completion throughout its running time, PulseIts strength lies in the atmosphere in which it takes place. As the screens break down the boundary between the virtual and the real, the entire film seems set in a metaworld where every dark corner, of which there are many, hides a ghost that could emerge at any moment. Despite the obviously sinister vibe, each jumpscare is effective because of the patient’s rhythm this relaxes the viewer’s mind enough to not expect any of them when they happen.

3

Possession (1981)

Directed by Andrzej Żuławski

A cult classic with a terrifying performance by Isabel Adjani, Possession, tells the story of a woman who descends into mental chaos, exhibiting inexplicable erratic behavior. The plot’s resolution could be read as a feminist take on the concept of monstrosity and hysteria, but to explain it would be to spoil it. It must be experienced in its true chaotic and confusing form to fully understand the relevance of Possession. Interestingly, a remake starring Robert Pattinson is in development, showing that there is still a lot of interest in the film’s themes.

The iconic scene on the subway, where Adjani shows what a good body gender actress she is, has been played at a million horror conventions and studied for years, receiving critical and academic attention for its revisionist take on female hysteria. The exploration of female sexuality and the implications of the supernatural element that increasingly possesses her body as the film progresses makes Possession an exclusively anti-establishment film, as addresses the topic of human toxicity in building a dysfunctional marriage.

2

The Descent (2005)

Directed by Neil Marshall

Considered one of the best monster films of all time, The Descent follows a group of six thrill-seekers who descend into an unknown cave system for a spelunking adventure. A few minutes after getting down and finding a place to gather, they are caught in a cave-in when the cave entrance collapses and traps them inside. Unbeknownst to them, one of the group members led them to a different cave than the one they originally planned to explore, making it virtually impossible for them to search or hope for rescue.

Forced to face an unknown space through which they will have to advance if they want to survive, the group moves forward and dies one by one as monsters begin to kill them over time. The monsters are clearly present, but are impossible to see in the darkness through night vision goggles. The use of POV shots with the green darkvision filter adds to the terrifying atmosphere of The Descent. Monsters are designed to instill paralyzing fear, but the scariest part The Descent and the claustrophobia he creates using tight framing and echoing sound design.

1

When Evil Lurks (2023)

Directed by Demián Rugna

When evil lurks is horror maestro Rugna’s crowning achievement. It is based on a supernatural myth about a local demon who possesses a body while awaiting its birth, feeding parasitically on the host’s body. When evil lurks follows two brothers whose lives are disrupted by the discovery of a corpse that leads them to the possessed man. They initially assume that he is merely sick and not possessed, a suspicion that is validated by the local authorities’ disdain for the rumored myth, dismissing it as superstition.

When evil lurks doesn’t give viewers a break from the horror once it begins. The first twenty-odd minutes set up the ticking time bomb nature of the plot, as it is revealed that the demon possessing the man is simply waiting for the opportune moment to manifest itself in its true form. The initial rejection of his condition sets up the horrific events that follow, as his presence brings evil into the lives of everyone around him. From dogs biting faces to people hurting themselves in the face, When evil lurks features a relentless barrage of masterfully composed scar images.