Belief in the souls of the dead, which for various reasons may persecute the living, has been characteristic of people since ancient times. Even in ancient times, people began to worship the spirits of the dead and in every possible way appease them. From here came the tradition of burial, the main purpose of which was to calm the soul of the deceased.
Belief in ghosts is characteristic of all the peoples of the world. And today there are a huge number of people who believe that ghosts are not a figment of fantasy or fiction.
A ghost is a frightening phenomenon, which is why ghost stories are so attractive. With the advent of cinema and genres such as horror and mysticism, the popularity of stories of vengeful souls haunting the living does not cease.
List of the worst ghost horror movies : selection criteria
Ghosts and other otherworldly entities are frequent guests of the cinema. In horror films and mystical films, they are the heroes of most paintings. Evil spirits and demons or instilling in unhappy victims, or trying to kill them, are the second most popular viewers after ghosts.
The TOP scariest films about ghosts included paintings that received high marks from the audience and showed good results at the box office. The opinion of critics was also taken into account, although the genre of horror and mysticism is not particularly popular among venerable film reviewers.
The Call (2002)
The list of the scariest ghost films opens with a picture that has become a classic in the horror genre. This is a collaboration between American and Japanese filmmakers, a remake of one of the highest grossing films in Japan. The created film is in no way inferior in atmospheric to the original. The American version of The Call was liked by critics, and the picture received the Saturn Award in the nomination for Best Horror Movie.
Journalist Rachel Keller begins an investigation into the mysterious deaths of a group of teenagers. The surviving girl says that they watched a videotape, then a phone call followed, and an unknown person informed the children that they would die in seven days. As predicted, teenagers died. Rachel finds that cassette. Having found a film at home, her son watches the tape and soon begins to see a girl with black hair. Realizing that the curse really exists, the journalist turns to the boy’s father for help. They have only a few days to save their son from a terrible fate.
“Woman in Black” (2012)
The scariest films about ghosts are presented by the following picture from the list. It is unusual for two reasons. Firstly, the film has an unexpected ending. Secondly, in “Woman in Black” was played by Daniel Radcliffe, known to the viewer as a performer of the role of Harry Potter.
The young lawyer arrives in a small town to tidy up the papers of the deceased owner of the mansion standing on the island. The road connecting the mainland with the house is under water every day at high tide. In place of a lawyer, visions of a woman in black begin to torment. He finds out that this is a relative of the owners of the mansion, whose young son drowned in the swamps surrounding the house. Having become a vengeful spirit after death, she makes the children kill themselves. The main character also has a small son, and he understands that the woman in black chose him as the next victim.
The Curse (2004)
The scariest horror films about ghosts can not do without another famous remake of the Japanese tape. The idea of the picture is based on the story of the house, which was gaining strength, where a terrible crime once happened. Such places, in which the souls of the dead live, never calm down and patiently wait for a new victim. Gradually, the curse of restless souls becomes stronger and spreads further. The peculiarity of this film is that its creators strictly adhered to the Japanese worldview regarding the inevitability of the curse of the dead.
Astral (2010)
The scariest horror films about ghosts are presented in the review by a picture directed by the creator of other, no less frightening films - James Van.
The film has a classic beginning of history - a family with children moves to a new home. Immediately around them inexplicable events begin to occur: things are not in their places, strange sounds are heard. One of the children, Dalton, climbs into the attic and falls from there. The boy falls into a coma. After a few months, his parents, exhausted by the ongoing supernatural phenomena, decide to move. But the ghosts haunting the family appear in the new house.
Dalton's parents turn to specialists in such phenomena for help. Strong psychic Alice Reiner explains to them that Dalton has the gift of communicating with ghosts and can go to the astral plane. The last time he went too far, and now the inhabitants of the other world are trying to take over the body of the boy.
Seekers of the Graves (2011)
The scariest films about ghosts are taught: do not disturb the peace of the dead. The heroes of the film, the creators of the paranormal show "Seekers of the Graves", are sent to shoot in an abandoned psychiatric clinic. Locals pass this frightening place, because they believe that the ghosts of patients live in the hospital. The film crew hopes to make contact with them and locks up overnight indoors. Half an hour before the doors were supposed to open, one of the expedition members disappears. After several hours of unsuccessful searches, the group discovers that there is no way out. At the same time, the ghosts of patients and doctors of the former hospital begin to haunt them. The film was named the most terrible picture of 2011.
“Mom” (2013)
Two little girls as a result of a car accident are alone in a forest hut. Miraculously, they survive, and after a few years they are found. The sisters are given up to their relatives for upbringing, but the adoptive parents do not know that the girls already have a mother, a ghost who has been taking care of them all these years.
The Spell (2013)
The scariest films about ghosts are presented in the article by another work by James Wang. The picture was awarded the Saturn Award as the best horror film. The ghost of a dead girl Annabelle infuses a doll. She falls into the hands of a married couple - psychics Warren. They store it in a glass cabinet, not giving the spirit the opportunity to go out.
A few years later, the Warren come to the aid of the Perron family. After moving to a new home, they are haunted by ghosts. Psychics are investigating and finding out the scary story of the house. Now they are in danger, and they - one of the evil ghosts penetrates their home and uses the Annabel doll to attack.
The Ghost Ship (2002)
The scariest ghost films are designed not only to scare the viewer. The main idea of the picture, its message is very important. The “ghost ship” speaks of the dangers of such feelings as greed. Having succumbed to a thirst for profit, members of the rescue team of the tug “Arctic Warrior” receive a tempting offer from a stranger - to go in search of a drifting vessel that does not respond to radio signals. Sailors discover the liner Anthony Grazia that disappeared many years ago in the ocean. Climbing aboard, they encounter ghosts who are not going to let them go from the ship.
The scariest films about ghosts and ghosts presented in the article were created at a high professional level and are worthy of the attention of the viewer. And although they are united by one topic, each of the pictures in the list looks at one go. They tell stories about the spirits of the dead, who for some reason did not leave the living world. Most often, they are embittered creatures who avenge past grievances to everyone who is close to them.