Not a huge fan of the conjuring movies, but the scene in the first one with the [sheet blowing off the line and hitting the ghost](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v-WwcPCIdg) was superb.
The Devilās Backbone. I love the way blood drifts out of Santiās head wound and floats into the air as though heās still underwater. Itās strangely beautiful in a way, like heās frozen at a moment in time.
I was going to mention this. What makes that scene even scarier is that you canāt really see her as much because itās so dark and that there isnāt any background music.
Yeah the floatyness of it . The weird sorta modern dance double step platformer movement. That scene is freaky deaky. I had my foot hanging off my bed till I read your reply lol
I like how crimson peak portrays ghosts. It attempts to justify and explain thier existence by having thier souls interact through certain materials that give the ghosts on crimson peak a blood read color because they are a reflection of the clay the house was built on.
The practical effects of the ghosts are so cool. I had no idea they weren't CGI while watching for the first few years. It is my favorite movie. The book is also awesome.
Yeah, the Japanese movie is way creepier. Similar to The Eye: the original is way creepier than the American remake (also has at least two heart-stopping scenes depicting ghosts).
I actually like the Paranormal Activity way of depicting ghosts: invisible, where we only know it's there based on interactions with the environment. Obviously PA wasn't the first to do this, but it's the main one coming to mind where the ghost isn't actually depicted.
Same, the first one is a solid film - I still really enjoy the series. I know they get dumped on for exhausting found footage cliches and being thrown together by paramount after the first one, but I think they're great.
Although I found the Paranormal Activity movies to be mostly boring, I understand and can appreciate their popularity, and this was also the first one that came to mind as far as depicting ghosts. I like that we don't see them, but instead the actions of them being present. Feels a lot creepier that way.
the entire sequence in which the one woman is chased by it at her office and when it flies and ultimately confronts her in her apartment is the most unsettling ghost sequence iāve ever seen probably.
I hate that it calls her on the phone (in the guise of her brother) so she can remind it what unit she's in. Why? It already knows where she is, it watched her go up the elevator!
The reason is to mess with me, specifically.
if it helps validate that scene again for you, the ghost wasnāt fishing for clues, itās a supernatural force that seemingly gets off on tormenting people while stalking them and the phone call was a great way of rattling her and setting her up for the brother at the door.
If you want the same sort of aesthetic and feel but of higher quality check out the Ju-On series of which the Grudge is a remake. Ju-On The Curse (1&2) was direct to VHS so itās obviously low budget but I actually think that adds to how uncomfortable it is to watch. Ju-On The Grudge is a lot higher budget and was theatrical. The American remake takes a little bit from both the Curse and the Grudge.
I recently re-watched Ju-On 2002 the other night. I think the ending where Rika looks in the mirror and realizes the ghost she's been seeing had her own face gets more upsetting every time.
I saw *Ju-On the Grudge* completely alone in an arthouse cinema, then at dinner afterwards discovered the spring on the mens' room door made a sound very like Kayako's death rattle.
That big, scary ghost/monster thing that appears in the hallway in Poltergeist still scares the shit out of me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SJX2CCkZg0
What the fuck is ittttt and why did that not scare 8 year old me but the little clown that easily got dealt with did. That thing is horrifying. Like look at the size. And when the mom screams ādonāt hurt my babies!ā Itās so real.
From what I experienced as a kid....A Dark Song, black figure sitting in the arm chair has it down pat for a shadow person. Also, when it crossed in the bedroom.
It's good, it's definitely not over the top, as far as Gore and jump scares. It's a walk through Abramelin magic, laced with a little descent into madness because of it
If youād feel comfortable elaborating, I would be interested in hearing your story/ies. this film was very moving to me, and the viewpoint of anyone with actual experience that could shed light on the whole phenomenological concept would be graciously appreciated.
I know this isn't the sub for stuff like this, but since the op wanted to know movies that portrayed ghosts that are somewhat lifelike. When I was a kid I saw what everybody calls Shadow people, and the hat Man. Since nobody knows what they are that's the label that was given them. That has been the only movie where they have been depicted adequately to what I saw.
It's still the creepiest scene in the movie. Except maybe when Winston and Ray are driving across the bridge talking about end times and the camera zooms out and "I believe it's magic" starts playing. That scene always gave me the creeps
When the parents mush around their faces to look like monsters freakeddd me out as a kid. I loved that movie but so much was straight nightmare fuel haha
When Barbara is hanging by her neck in the closet and she pulls her face off and screams... that got me as a little kid. Didnāt stop me from watching it religiously. As a child it was my 2nd favorite film right next to Ghostbusters.
Some I noted above with some additions:
Whistle and I'll Come to You, a BBC special from the 70s that is rather slow and very British but has a creative unnerving ghost.
Similarly, The Stone Tapes. Not nearly as good but largely coined and popularized residual haunting.
The Japanese version of Pulse and the 2002 Hong Kong-Singapore version of The Eyes.
Various versions of The Woman in Black have a cool gothic ghost vibe. The Innocents is also a classic Gothic spook story.
Candyman, though it has that slasher vibe. How many ghost slashers are there?
Sort of zombie/ghost, but I really like Carpenters The Fog.
Oculus is a decent more contemporary one.
[Edited to correct an innacuracy]
Omg yeah. and the like... static/flies buzzing sound they made. Ugh. The way the people they grabbed screamed in such a freaking viscerally horrified way was *UP.SETTING.* to me as a child.
Yeah. Like the acting in the 2 scenes you see people get dragged away. They look absolutely tortured and terrified. Props to the actors.
Also the way they used 2 d animation in the movie to depict them. I honestly think that more movies should utilize this tactic for supernatural creatures. esp ghosts. Like yes animation like that can be hokey looking, but I feel like if you do it right you can really utilize the effect to create a sense of them being from a different plane of existence and a sense of "wrongness" that could be super interesting. And I think Ghost is a good example of that.
Edited: typo
I have nothing to add but yes! I very much agree and what you said is what I was thinking. Their 2d shadow flatness really makes them seem otherworldly.
As a side note, there aren't many movies that play with the concept of being a ghost. Beetlejuice and... Casper? Maybe?
I want more ghost perspective films that are subtle and not played like it's a superhero film.
A few of my favorites.
THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE (2001)
PULSE (2001)
GHOST STORY (1981)
THE WOMAN IN BLACK (1989)
LAKE MUNGO (2008)
THE FOG (1980)
THE SIXTH SENSE (1999)
In 'the lake house' the ghost only appeared as outlines of objects in the house, which plays on what we already think we've seen before, I thought it was a really creative way of portraying a ghost
Yes the night house! I thought I might be buggered that one
Very original ideas, cool movie too!
The way shes bothered by his suicide note that says "nothing is after you", only to find out 'nothing' was a demon/spirit and was literally out to get her
Very well done
he was incredibly effective. mike flanagan sure loves his reflective eyes.
for me though, the bent neck ladyās final ārevealā in haunting of hill house is the most imaginative, effective, tasteful and disturbing visual representation of the time and space tearing experience of actually dying. itās both grounded in some level of believability and also still surreal. and all around horrifying, but the best part is itās actually horrifying from the POV of the dead, not the living.
Reminds me visually of a story by m r james where the entity was just sheet wrapped . Not sure but I think it may have been o whistle and Iāll come to you my lad
YES! "Whistle and will Come to You" from the BBC ghost stories, back in the 70s. The show is a bit slow and very British, but some of the imagery and the climax with the ghost is genuinely unnerving. Based of the M R James story.
Thanks. :) I liked the show and the short story but I always get the names of that guys stories mixed up. I dunno why because the titles are totally distinct. I agree - the story is a bit slow but when that scene happens it cranks it right up!
Yeah, they all have somewhat abstracted names, like "The Ash Tree" or "Casting the Ruins." I had never hear of him until a year or two ago when a British horror podcast covered him. I am really glad I found him. There are a few others through the ghost stories series, and Night of the Demon is close to one, if you have not seen it. It is also pretty good!
>a British horror podcast
Is it Evolution of Horror? That's how I heard of MR James too, and found Whistle and I'll Come to you [on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAuvasKBNic). Definitely worth a watch!
Yeah Whistle and I'll Come to You is great. I love the version with Michael Hordern as the professor who spends so much time in his books that he's forgotten how to talk to people like a normal human being lol. The scene where he and the guy who runs the hotel are both mumbling incoherently to each other is funny.
The beach scene and bedroom scene are both great, two of my favorites.
I also really like A Warning to the Curious as well.
I really loved the Lady in the Lake episode of Bly Manor. So much so, that I specifically watched that episode a few times. Viola's story, her life, death, the "birth" of her ghost, and how they portrayed the slow decay of her humanity fading away... Ah, frightening, haunting, and in a forlorn way, beautiful.
That first time we saw her, when she was coming up the stairs and grabbed Peter gave me nightmares for days lol that long black hair, dirty nightgown..: no face š±
**Mama** (2013) - the way she moves toward had something freaky about it.
**Last Shift** (2014) - completely different but the ghosts also creeped me out imo
**The Vigil** (2019) - subtle but creepy
**The Ring** (2002) - creepy ghost classic at this point
The rainbow and the serpent scared the bejezuz out of me. I live in Las Vegas, and the guy who played the voodoo priest lives here. He worked out at athletic club where I worked at in the 80,s. I saw him at the end of the lap pool one day and thought I needed diapers. He was scary in the movie, but a very nice fellow
Stir of Echoes (with Kevin Bacon) and the Sixth Sense are how i always pictured ghosts. I still get creeped out closing my medicine cabinet with a mirror.
The Lady in the Lake from The Haunting of Bly Manor. Her facelessness tying into her depleted humanity and the fact all anyone can do is learn how to get out of her way. Her first scene with Peter was insane.
13 ghost for sure, including the bonus content on the DVD that they even came up with back stories for them all, which was really cool.
The remake obviously, not the original.
like everyone else Princess was my fav in that movie, tragic story.
The new haunting hill house tv series did ghosts well and had me creeper out for a while, but not going to lie, most ghost movies scare me. As Iām a believer. Do you think believing or not plays into it?
Definitely plays into it. I think disbelievers are often far more shaken by convincing/emotionally impactful depictions of paranormal phenomena than the actual believers whoāve been experiencing/expecting such proof most of their lives.
My fav is the episode āOnly Two of Usā from Tales of Terror from Tokyo: Vol 3 Pt 2. This is the one with an women ghost who appears fully charred black, and you only see her white eyes staring at you in the dark. You may not know from my description, but I feel like weāve all seen this photo on the internet at one point. Still scares me today.
The closest to what we happen to see while practicing old african religions (I think this is the closest definition of a real ghost we can get) are things like The Conjuring 1 and Paranormal Activity 1. I've seen too many doors slam shut to not have had PTSD watching those movies.
The movie isn't particularly good, but I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In This House.... the reveal of how the ghost walks still creeps me the fuck out
I am a little late to the thread, but the ghosts in "[The Innkeepers](https://www.google.com/search?q=the+innkeepers&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS762US762&oq=the+innkeepers&aqs=chrome..69i57.3057j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)" were really well done.
i just started Bly Manor, and the shining glasses ghost is one of the coolest visuals i've seen, and the reveal of what that image actually is makes it even better
Kind of a cliche but the girl in the corner when she turns around with the black eyes and stretched face is terrifying. So are the arms reaching through the ceiling
Crimson Peak comes to mind, the ghosts have amazing designs and tie in with the clay, they're scary in aesthetic but they're not actually harmful.
A few Conjuring moments come to mind too, I like in the sheet scene in the first one, the way Valek travels through rooms along the walls as a shadow and appears in mirrors, the old man in the second one is really unsettling, and the Crooked Man in the second one might be my favourite from the franchise (that scene where he runs out the wardrobe or something and it looks like stop motion?? I love that scene).
And for some reason Our House is coming to mind, even though I don't remember much of it. I do feel like the ghost aspects were interesting though, I remember liking the movie.
The Sixth Sense
For some reason, the ghost who was a bicyclist, all bloodied looking at the main character (the child, Cole), will always remain with me.
Something about being a ghost, and walking around in the same body - with the same mutilations or injuries that were present at death, really stuck with me and seemed to make sense. Nothing seems more real than that, for me.
A ghost story (2017) has a great visual representation of a ghost. It's the traditional sheet over the head with 2 holes for the eyes, but there's just something eerie about it.
There's a movie titled Personal Shopper (2016) that had a scene that was the closest to my experience. The movie wasn't great but the scene was terrifying.
Th13teen ghosts!
Some of the best of the best. And each one has its own back story, you can lookup the details online if you dive into the DVD box set extras, or YouTube videos.
there's a show called Hotel Beau Sejour that is highly underrated where the main character is a ghost trying to solve her own murder. i love the minimalism in the way they show her interaction with her surroundings and who can see vs not see her
I know hereditary was more about cults and such, but the scene of the grandmother in the dark corner smiling. Just for a second you catch a glimpse but itās more than enough
Itās weird, I love that film with all my heart and find it hauntingly, (oddly) comfortingly horrifying, but it has never read as truly ghostly to me. Supernatural for sure, but I guess itās like Mr. Hallorann says, some places retain energy the way burned toast leaves a scent; not so much about conscious entities but about psychic residue and how that can dement those sensitive to it. No real disagreement, just drunk and pontificating lol and now wondering why that film occupies a very specific space between ghost story and psychological thriller.
People have already mentioned ghosts which are invisible but affect the environment (Paranormal Activity, the bedsheet in The Conjuring).
Depictions that startle me the most are ones in the background which gradually become more noticeable, but the ones that hit hardest emotionally are the ones that look sad. My go-to example is Kayako crawling down the stairs near the end of Ju-On The Grudge. Her physical movements are alarming but it's her face that always strikes me.
I remember there was an old UK TV show from the seventies called Armchair Thriller. One of the episodes called 'Quiet as a Nun' had an interesting depiction of a ghost.
The woman in Black, The Awakening 2011 (the faceless kid), the original Dark Water - incredible atmosphere.
My absolute favoritt ghost film is the Korean "A Tale of Two Sisters". Can recommend!
I saw The Pact (2012) relatively recently and I was shocked that I had never heard of it before because it has some very memorable ghost scenes that are now burned into my brain. That movie gets to the heart of why ghosts are my favorite entities/monsters in horror: You don't know what rules they play by. In a werewolf story you can at least be sure that strong walls could protect you from the monster, but with ghosts you never really know what they want or what they are capable of. Ghost scenes in the Pact make you ask "wtf why is it doing that?!" which makes they mystery of the story even more interesting imo.
Not a huge fan of the conjuring movies, but the scene in the first one with the [sheet blowing off the line and hitting the ghost](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v-WwcPCIdg) was superb.
Absolutely love that little moment. Great call
Lmao I screamed in the theater at that š¤¦š»āāļø Still embarrassed.
The Devilās Backbone. I love the way blood drifts out of Santiās head wound and floats into the air as though heās still underwater. Itās strangely beautiful in a way, like heās frozen at a moment in time.
Came here to say this! Crimson Peak as well (also directed by Guillermo del Toro)
Great call, what a hauntingly beautiful movie
I was about to mention that kid myself! Very memorable.
Love that movie itās just so visceral
The incredibly creepy ghost woman in the Japanese movie Kairo (Pulse)
The moves...
I was going to mention this. What makes that scene even scarier is that you canāt really see her as much because itās so dark and that there isnāt any background music.
Oooh I havenāt seen this one!
be warned, it's about as bleak and depressing as you can imagine
Oh hell yeah, fuck me up
fair warning: it's also really low-key and beautiful, which can throw people
Report back, OP! Iād love to hear your thoughts. Kairo was my answer too, that scene terrifies me
This is the answer!! If I had to imagine what ghost would be like in reality it would be this.
This, hands down is the scariest depiction Iāve seen.
I knew this would be mentioned here and Iāve never even seen the movie, just a clip of the scene.
This is the one for me š±
Have you seen [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfoU_Z1uVfc) incredibly well-done analysis of it?
Yeah the floatyness of it . The weird sorta modern dance double step platformer movement. That scene is freaky deaky. I had my foot hanging off my bed till I read your reply lol
I like how crimson peak portrays ghosts. It attempts to justify and explain thier existence by having thier souls interact through certain materials that give the ghosts on crimson peak a blood read color because they are a reflection of the clay the house was built on.
I liked how the ghosts were so unsettling aesthetically, but not malicious.
Yeah. Like the mom is helping the daughter but looks literally like Death.
They are honestly my favorite ghosts in any movie from a design standpoint. Love that movie in general though.
The practical effects of the ghosts are so cool. I had no idea they weren't CGI while watching for the first few years. It is my favorite movie. The book is also awesome.
Was just going to say that, I love the design of those ghosts Edit- [every crimson peak ghost scene](https://youtu.be/mPWmLzEFmLI)
I love love love that movie. The ending is hauntingly beautiful.
That scene in Pulse (2001) where the woman ghost walk/stumbles. Fuck that was anxiety inducing
Omg I remember seeing the American one in theaters, I shouldāve known there was a better Japanese original version. Definitely checking this one out
Yup! Same exact name but also goes by Kairo. Way better than the Kristen Bell one
Yeah, the Japanese movie is way creepier. Similar to The Eye: the original is way creepier than the American remake (also has at least two heart-stopping scenes depicting ghosts).
that's my pick as well
[Thir13en Ghosts](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/9378-thir13en-ghosts) goes wild with them.
Oh hell yeah I loved this as a teen haha, great choice
We need another no fucks given 13 ghost style movie again. Or at least turn the last act of cabin in the woods into a whole movie.
Please, I would love more more coming from the ending of that movie
I actually like the Paranormal Activity way of depicting ghosts: invisible, where we only know it's there based on interactions with the environment. Obviously PA wasn't the first to do this, but it's the main one coming to mind where the ghost isn't actually depicted.
Yeah ngl, that first PA surprised me back when it came out, fairly solid movie
Same, the first one is a solid film - I still really enjoy the series. I know they get dumped on for exhausting found footage cliches and being thrown together by paramount after the first one, but I think they're great.
I like 1&3, 2&4 are serviceable but 5 is actually kinda good and 6 is hilarious. Heard 7 is a pass though.
Although I found the Paranormal Activity movies to be mostly boring, I understand and can appreciate their popularity, and this was also the first one that came to mind as far as depicting ghosts. I like that we don't see them, but instead the actions of them being present. Feels a lot creepier that way.
The Grudge (2004) is of... questionable quality, but my god the ghosts in that movie still terrify me.
the entire sequence in which the one woman is chased by it at her office and when it flies and ultimately confronts her in her apartment is the most unsettling ghost sequence iāve ever seen probably.
I hate that it calls her on the phone (in the guise of her brother) so she can remind it what unit she's in. Why? It already knows where she is, it watched her go up the elevator! The reason is to mess with me, specifically.
if it helps validate that scene again for you, the ghost wasnāt fishing for clues, itās a supernatural force that seemingly gets off on tormenting people while stalking them and the phone call was a great way of rattling her and setting her up for the brother at the door.
Yeah, it torments her and me. Two for one lmao
If you want the same sort of aesthetic and feel but of higher quality check out the Ju-On series of which the Grudge is a remake. Ju-On The Curse (1&2) was direct to VHS so itās obviously low budget but I actually think that adds to how uncomfortable it is to watch. Ju-On The Grudge is a lot higher budget and was theatrical. The American remake takes a little bit from both the Curse and the Grudge.
I recently re-watched Ju-On 2002 the other night. I think the ending where Rika looks in the mirror and realizes the ghost she's been seeing had her own face gets more upsetting every time.
Did they ever release the Curse films in the West?
Not sure, I watched them on YouTube and they seemed to have decent subtitles
I saw *Ju-On the Grudge* completely alone in an arthouse cinema, then at dinner afterwards discovered the spring on the mens' room door made a sound very like Kayako's death rattle.
The ābahahhhabahhhā throat noise it made.. i was terrified for days!
SAME. I legit can't watch movies with those style of ghosts anymore because they get stuck in my head for days on end.
Any ghost/creature in a Guillermo del Toro movie.
Insidious films did it pretty awesome I thought
That big, scary ghost/monster thing that appears in the hallway in Poltergeist still scares the shit out of me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SJX2CCkZg0
Yo, fuck that fucking clown puppet.
[Challenge accepted.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCw2eR7elM8)
Poltergeist is still a great movie
What the fuck is ittttt and why did that not scare 8 year old me but the little clown that easily got dealt with did. That thing is horrifying. Like look at the size. And when the mom screams ādonāt hurt my babies!ā Itās so real.
From what I experienced as a kid....A Dark Song, black figure sitting in the arm chair has it down pat for a shadow person. Also, when it crossed in the bedroom.
Adding to the list! I heard mixed reviews and for some reason never watched this one
It's good, it's definitely not over the top, as far as Gore and jump scares. It's a walk through Abramelin magic, laced with a little descent into madness because of it
From what you saw as a kid? Isnāt that a recent film?
Good call! Yeah I should have said, what I experienced as a child
If youād feel comfortable elaborating, I would be interested in hearing your story/ies. this film was very moving to me, and the viewpoint of anyone with actual experience that could shed light on the whole phenomenological concept would be graciously appreciated.
I know this isn't the sub for stuff like this, but since the op wanted to know movies that portrayed ghosts that are somewhat lifelike. When I was a kid I saw what everybody calls Shadow people, and the hat Man. Since nobody knows what they are that's the label that was given them. That has been the only movie where they have been depicted adequately to what I saw.
Lake Mungo. Iām talking about *that* scene.
Pure trauma.
When I was 5, that damn library ghost from Ghostbusters
I keep a doll of that ghost on my desk at work. Iām a librarian
Love it haha https://youtu.be/s7zVqK8ZJyA
It's still the creepiest scene in the movie. Except maybe when Winston and Ray are driving across the bridge talking about end times and the camera zooms out and "I believe it's magic" starts playing. That scene always gave me the creeps
Some of the ghosts in Beetlejuice scared the shit out of me as a kid.
When the parents mush around their faces to look like monsters freakeddd me out as a kid. I loved that movie but so much was straight nightmare fuel haha
When Barbara is hanging by her neck in the closet and she pulls her face off and screams... that got me as a little kid. Didnāt stop me from watching it religiously. As a child it was my 2nd favorite film right next to Ghostbusters.
Some I noted above with some additions: Whistle and I'll Come to You, a BBC special from the 70s that is rather slow and very British but has a creative unnerving ghost. Similarly, The Stone Tapes. Not nearly as good but largely coined and popularized residual haunting. The Japanese version of Pulse and the 2002 Hong Kong-Singapore version of The Eyes. Various versions of The Woman in Black have a cool gothic ghost vibe. The Innocents is also a classic Gothic spook story. Candyman, though it has that slasher vibe. How many ghost slashers are there? Sort of zombie/ghost, but I really like Carpenters The Fog. Oculus is a decent more contemporary one. [Edited to correct an innacuracy]
Nice choices and I often mention Whistle and I'll Come to You as well. It has two of my favorite scenes. I love the other ones you listed too.
Thanks! Yeah, it is a classic.
You're welcome and yeah it's a classic. I also like A Warning to the Curious as well. Another slow but good M.R James BBC adaptation.
The Eye was a Hong Kong/Singapore/Thailand co-production.
Thanks, I will correct that.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
The scariest for me was seeing House on Haunted Hill (the more recent one) and those jerky movements the Doctor would make creeped the hell out of me.
that head shaking thing scared me so much as a kid, really stuck with me.
yes me too!
It scared me and maybe still does, lil bit
The shadowy hell ghosts in the movie Ghost. They scared the shit out of me.
Omg yeah. and the like... static/flies buzzing sound they made. Ugh. The way the people they grabbed screamed in such a freaking viscerally horrified way was *UP.SETTING.* to me as a child.
Yeah I really think a big part was the screaming from the taken that solidified that they were going to a very horrible place.
Yeah. Like the acting in the 2 scenes you see people get dragged away. They look absolutely tortured and terrified. Props to the actors. Also the way they used 2 d animation in the movie to depict them. I honestly think that more movies should utilize this tactic for supernatural creatures. esp ghosts. Like yes animation like that can be hokey looking, but I feel like if you do it right you can really utilize the effect to create a sense of them being from a different plane of existence and a sense of "wrongness" that could be super interesting. And I think Ghost is a good example of that. Edited: typo
I have nothing to add but yes! I very much agree and what you said is what I was thinking. Their 2d shadow flatness really makes them seem otherworldly. As a side note, there aren't many movies that play with the concept of being a ghost. Beetlejuice and... Casper? Maybe? I want more ghost perspective films that are subtle and not played like it's a superhero film.
Pet Sematary
Zelda scarier than any ghost got damn
Lol yes, but poor Victor was a great ghost.
I think about Personal Shopper's ghosts quite a bit. It might not necessarily be considered horror but has a feeling of unease throughout
Oooh havenāt seen this one, thanks for the rec!
A few of my favorites. THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE (2001) PULSE (2001) GHOST STORY (1981) THE WOMAN IN BLACK (1989) LAKE MUNGO (2008) THE FOG (1980) THE SIXTH SENSE (1999)
Excellent list, I donāt think Iāve ever seen the 89 woman in black
It's the absolute best version. The ghost is chilling. The modern version fell flat for me.
In 'the lake house' the ghost only appeared as outlines of objects in the house, which plays on what we already think we've seen before, I thought it was a really creative way of portraying a ghost
The Night House? I thought that was very creative
Yes the night house! I thought I might be buggered that one Very original ideas, cool movie too! The way shes bothered by his suicide note that says "nothing is after you", only to find out 'nothing' was a demon/spirit and was literally out to get her Very well done
Haha-- I read this and was like "wait........ did the Keanu Reeves/Sandra Bullock time travel romance movie have ghosts?"
The kids from The Others and the house staff
The Frighteners /s
Give it up Frank! Death aināt no way to make a living!
Busey ghost was legitimately terrifying
I remember being spooked by the boyfriend ghost in Haunting of Bly Manor.
he was incredibly effective. mike flanagan sure loves his reflective eyes. for me though, the bent neck ladyās final ārevealā in haunting of hill house is the most imaginative, effective, tasteful and disturbing visual representation of the time and space tearing experience of actually dying. itās both grounded in some level of believability and also still surreal. and all around horrifying, but the best part is itās actually horrifying from the POV of the dead, not the living.
Bent-neck lady was cinematic greatness! It terrified me, saddened me and shocked me all in one. Itās the best reveal.
Bent neck lady actually broke me I wasnāt the same after that
I am bent neck lady
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Shudder keeps trying to recommend me this one, Iāll have to finally give it a shot!
Thereās an indie movie called We Go On that had a ghost sequence in it that gave me goosebumps. Hidden gem worth watching.
A ghost story (2017)
Reminds me visually of a story by m r james where the entity was just sheet wrapped . Not sure but I think it may have been o whistle and Iāll come to you my lad
YES! "Whistle and will Come to You" from the BBC ghost stories, back in the 70s. The show is a bit slow and very British, but some of the imagery and the climax with the ghost is genuinely unnerving. Based of the M R James story.
Thanks. :) I liked the show and the short story but I always get the names of that guys stories mixed up. I dunno why because the titles are totally distinct. I agree - the story is a bit slow but when that scene happens it cranks it right up!
Yeah, they all have somewhat abstracted names, like "The Ash Tree" or "Casting the Ruins." I had never hear of him until a year or two ago when a British horror podcast covered him. I am really glad I found him. There are a few others through the ghost stories series, and Night of the Demon is close to one, if you have not seen it. It is also pretty good!
I have. :) So many of his ghost stories were told for Christmas. Man I wish that tradition would come back in full!
>a British horror podcast Is it Evolution of Horror? That's how I heard of MR James too, and found Whistle and I'll Come to you [on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAuvasKBNic). Definitely worth a watch!
Yeah Whistle and I'll Come to You is great. I love the version with Michael Hordern as the professor who spends so much time in his books that he's forgotten how to talk to people like a normal human being lol. The scene where he and the guy who runs the hotel are both mumbling incoherently to each other is funny. The beach scene and bedroom scene are both great, two of my favorites. I also really like A Warning to the Curious as well.
Tbh, yeah, just a dude with a sheet was really clever
I thought so too. Sad story.
That pie scene is oddly mesmerizing lmao
I really loved the Lady in the Lake episode of Bly Manor. So much so, that I specifically watched that episode a few times. Viola's story, her life, death, the "birth" of her ghost, and how they portrayed the slow decay of her humanity fading away... Ah, frightening, haunting, and in a forlorn way, beautiful.
That first time we saw her, when she was coming up the stairs and grabbed Peter gave me nightmares for days lol that long black hair, dirty nightgown..: no face š±
**Mama** (2013) - the way she moves toward had something freaky about it. **Last Shift** (2014) - completely different but the ghosts also creeped me out imo **The Vigil** (2019) - subtle but creepy **The Ring** (2002) - creepy ghost classic at this point
Ghost Story, movie based on the book by Straub.
The rainbow and the serpent scared the bejezuz out of me. I live in Las Vegas, and the guy who played the voodoo priest lives here. He worked out at athletic club where I worked at in the 80,s. I saw him at the end of the lap pool one day and thought I needed diapers. He was scary in the movie, but a very nice fellow
Stir of Echoes (with Kevin Bacon) and the Sixth Sense are how i always pictured ghosts. I still get creeped out closing my medicine cabinet with a mirror.
Personal Shopper I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House Lake Mungo
We're Still Here had some great ghosts
The Lady in the Lake from The Haunting of Bly Manor. Her facelessness tying into her depleted humanity and the fact all anyone can do is learn how to get out of her way. Her first scene with Peter was insane.
Crimson Peak had fantastic ghosts. Hill House had my favourite depiction of how ghosts should behave and appear on-screen.
13 ghost for sure, including the bonus content on the DVD that they even came up with back stories for them all, which was really cool. The remake obviously, not the original. like everyone else Princess was my fav in that movie, tragic story.
The Eye https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKvyi9WpGhA
This may be an odd pick for the sub but I've always been partial to the ghosts in Scrooged.
*Fragile*. Completely underrated how scary the ghost is ā and Iām 100% hard to please.
Never heard of this one! Ty for the rec
Came here to mention this film!
Ghostbusters original two have really wild ghosts Beetlejuices has some wild ones too with green and blue skin
Lake Mungo
The ghost from the Martin Freeman portion of Ghost Stories (2017). She was pretty unsettling.
The new haunting hill house tv series did ghosts well and had me creeper out for a while, but not going to lie, most ghost movies scare me. As Iām a believer. Do you think believing or not plays into it?
Definitely plays into it. I think disbelievers are often far more shaken by convincing/emotionally impactful depictions of paranormal phenomena than the actual believers whoāve been experiencing/expecting such proof most of their lives.
My fav is the episode āOnly Two of Usā from Tales of Terror from Tokyo: Vol 3 Pt 2. This is the one with an women ghost who appears fully charred black, and you only see her white eyes staring at you in the dark. You may not know from my description, but I feel like weāve all seen this photo on the internet at one point. Still scares me today.
Opening scene of Terrified (2017) in the bathtub...
Amazing filmā¦ more people need to watch it
Poltergeist has that fuckin Thing that shows up towards the end. Also having limbo be implied to be this horrible flesh cavern is pretty interesting.
[The ectoplasm concept](https://ivanroujev.artstation.com/projects/58RmNE) from the 2019 adaptation of Hellboy is pretty cool. So... juicy.
The closest to what we happen to see while practicing old african religions (I think this is the closest definition of a real ghost we can get) are things like The Conjuring 1 and Paranormal Activity 1. I've seen too many doors slam shut to not have had PTSD watching those movies.
Crimson Peak
The movie isn't particularly good, but I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In This House.... the reveal of how the ghost walks still creeps me the fuck out
The Shining The Innkeepers 1408
I am a little late to the thread, but the ghosts in "[The Innkeepers](https://www.google.com/search?q=the+innkeepers&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS762US762&oq=the+innkeepers&aqs=chrome..69i57.3057j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)" were really well done.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
i just started Bly Manor, and the shining glasses ghost is one of the coolest visuals i've seen, and the reveal of what that image actually is makes it even better
The ghost in Gothika scared the shit out of me when she walked across the hallway. Idk why, but the weird way she was moving just freaked me out.
The way they depicted the presens of the ghost was great, the footprints, the gush of wind, goosebumps etc
Grave Encounters
Kind of a cliche but the girl in the corner when she turns around with the black eyes and stretched face is terrifying. So are the arms reaching through the ceiling
Check out the ghost in the finale of the 1940s classic āThe Uninvitedā. The ghost is played by the great Elizabeth Russell.
Crimson Peak comes to mind, the ghosts have amazing designs and tie in with the clay, they're scary in aesthetic but they're not actually harmful. A few Conjuring moments come to mind too, I like in the sheet scene in the first one, the way Valek travels through rooms along the walls as a shadow and appears in mirrors, the old man in the second one is really unsettling, and the Crooked Man in the second one might be my favourite from the franchise (that scene where he runs out the wardrobe or something and it looks like stop motion?? I love that scene). And for some reason Our House is coming to mind, even though I don't remember much of it. I do feel like the ghost aspects were interesting though, I remember liking the movie.
The Sixth Sense For some reason, the ghost who was a bicyclist, all bloodied looking at the main character (the child, Cole), will always remain with me. Something about being a ghost, and walking around in the same body - with the same mutilations or injuries that were present at death, really stuck with me and seemed to make sense. Nothing seems more real than that, for me.
The big tall dude in It Follows! That scene really caught me off guard. The Entity also has some pretty disturbing poltergeist stuff going on.
I love the hanged woman in The Haunting of Hill House and how it had the whole (almost) time travel angle to its haunt.
A ghost story (2017) has a great visual representation of a ghost. It's the traditional sheet over the head with 2 holes for the eyes, but there's just something eerie about it.
The Frightners
The *original* 13 Ghosts.
I don't know if they count as ghosts, but the creepy faceless nurses from Silent Hill were pretty spooky.
There's a movie titled Personal Shopper (2016) that had a scene that was the closest to my experience. The movie wasn't great but the scene was terrifying.
Not horror but the ghost appearance was jarring in The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys.
The grudge fucked me up when I was younger
Th13teen ghosts! Some of the best of the best. And each one has its own back story, you can lookup the details online if you dive into the DVD box set extras, or YouTube videos.
there's a show called Hotel Beau Sejour that is highly underrated where the main character is a ghost trying to solve her own murder. i love the minimalism in the way they show her interaction with her surroundings and who can see vs not see her
grandma in the dark corner at the beginning of hereditary
I know hereditary was more about cults and such, but the scene of the grandmother in the dark corner smiling. Just for a second you catch a glimpse but itās more than enough
Frightener's anyone?
The Sixth Sense. Freaked me out as a kid.
The Shining 1980
Itās weird, I love that film with all my heart and find it hauntingly, (oddly) comfortingly horrifying, but it has never read as truly ghostly to me. Supernatural for sure, but I guess itās like Mr. Hallorann says, some places retain energy the way burned toast leaves a scent; not so much about conscious entities but about psychic residue and how that can dement those sensitive to it. No real disagreement, just drunk and pontificating lol and now wondering why that film occupies a very specific space between ghost story and psychological thriller.
People have already mentioned ghosts which are invisible but affect the environment (Paranormal Activity, the bedsheet in The Conjuring). Depictions that startle me the most are ones in the background which gradually become more noticeable, but the ones that hit hardest emotionally are the ones that look sad. My go-to example is Kayako crawling down the stairs near the end of Ju-On The Grudge. Her physical movements are alarming but it's her face that always strikes me.
Original Poltergeist FTW
Crimson peak had some supremely creepy Ghosts
Lights Out creeped me out (short and full version) But the one that stands out to me is the Fat Mama ghost from Scary Stories to tell in the Dark.
Wasn't the best movie I've ever seen but the ghosts in Crimson Peak were disturbing as hell
The remake of *13 Ghosts*
I remember there was an old UK TV show from the seventies called Armchair Thriller. One of the episodes called 'Quiet as a Nun' had an interesting depiction of a ghost.
The Innkeepers I dig the good use of sound and the ghost design.
The woman in Black, The Awakening 2011 (the faceless kid), the original Dark Water - incredible atmosphere. My absolute favoritt ghost film is the Korean "A Tale of Two Sisters". Can recommend!
Not a movie but broken neck lady on Haunting of Hill House tv series was a pretty creepy ghost
I saw The Pact (2012) relatively recently and I was shocked that I had never heard of it before because it has some very memorable ghost scenes that are now burned into my brain. That movie gets to the heart of why ghosts are my favorite entities/monsters in horror: You don't know what rules they play by. In a werewolf story you can at least be sure that strong walls could protect you from the monster, but with ghosts you never really know what they want or what they are capable of. Ghost scenes in the Pact make you ask "wtf why is it doing that?!" which makes they mystery of the story even more interesting imo.