Ghost Stories

“I will see the life run out of you”

I intended this list for ghost stories—not just films with ghosts in them, but horror films about hauntings.  However, for now, I’ve included all tales with ghosts, even comedies and romances (though my choices for the “ten best” don’t include those lighter films).  One of my favorite sub-genres, many of these films are not only enjoyable, but of high quality.

Like most sub-genres, there is a standard storyline that most of the films touch on.  In it, several heroes, who appear to have nothing to do with the cause of the haunting, find themselves in a haunted house or with a person who is haunted.  They decide they must find what tragic event happened to cause the haunting.  When they do, they confront the ghost, at which point it vanishes (sometimes happily, sometimes not), or our heroes realize that the secret means the ghost will always be there and attempt to leave themselves.

Ghost Stories:

• Arang (2005)
• Below (2002)
• Between Two Worlds (1944)
• Beyond Tomorrow (1940)
• Black Sabbath (1963)
• Burnt Offerings (1976)
• Candyman (1992)
• Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh (1995)
• The Canterville Ghost (1944)
• The Canterville Ghost (1986)
• Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman (2007)
• A Christmas Carol (1938)
• A Christmas Carol (1951)
• A Christmas Carol (1999)
• A Christmas Carol: The Musical (2004)
• The Crow (1994)
• The Crying Woman {La Llorona} (1933)
• The Curse of the Cat People (1944)
• Darkness Falls (2003)
• Dark Water (2002)
• Dark Water (2005)
• The Devil’s Backbone (2001)
• The Eye “Jian gui” (2002)
• Field of Dreams (1989)
• The Fog (1980)
• The Forgotten One (1990)
• The Ghost Breakers (1940)
• The Ghost Goes West (1935)
• A Ghost Story (2017)
• Ghostbusters (2016)
• Ghostbusters Afterlife (2021)
• Ghost Story (1981)
• Gotham (1988)
• Gothika (2003)
• The Grudge (2004)
• Haunted (1995)
• The Haunted Mansion (2003)
• The Haunted Palace (1963)
• The Haunting (1963)
• The Haunting (1999)
• The Heirloom {Zhaibian} (2005)
• The House by the Cemetery (1981)
• House on Haunted Hill (1959)
• House on Haunted Hill (1999)
• The Innocents (1961)
• Ju-On 1 & 2 (2000)
• Ju-On: The Grudge (2003)
• Kill, Baby… Kill! “Operazione paura” (1966)
• Kuroneko (1968)
• Lady in White (1988)
• The Legend of Hell House (1973)
• Lost Voyage (2001)
• The Maid (2005)
• A Name For Evil (1973)
• Night of Dark Shadows (1971)
• Nine Lives (2002)
• Nomads (1986)
• One Missed Call {Chakushin Ari} (2003)
• One Missed Call (2008)
• The Orphanage (2007)
• The Others (2001)
• Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
• Portrait of Jennie (1948)
• Pulse {Kairo} (2001)
• Pulse (2006)
• Reincarnation {Rinne} (2005)
• The Ring (2001) / Ringu (1998) / The Ring Virus (1999)
• Rings (2005)
• The Ring Two (2005)
• Ringu 0: Birthday (2005)
• Ringu 2 (1998)
• R-Point (2004)
• The Ghost {Ryeong} (2004)
• Scrooged (1988)
• Scrooge (1935)
• Shikoku (1999)
• Silent Hill (2006)
• Silk (2003)
• The Sixth Sense (1999)
• Sleepy Hollow (1999)
• Stir of Echoes (1999)
• The Terror (1963)
• Thir13en Ghosts (2001)
• The Time of Their Lives (1946)
• Topper Returns (1941)
• Topper Takes a Trip (1938)
• The Uninvited (1944)
• What Lies Beneath (2000)
• Whispering Corridors {Yeogo Goedam} (1998)
• Whispering Corridors 2 {Yeogo Goedam II} (1999)
• Whispering Corridors 3: Wishing Stairs (2003)
• The Wraith (1986)
• Wuthering Heights (1939)

Ghost Stories Sorted by Year:

• The Crying Woman {La Llorona} (1933)
• The Ghost Goes West (1935)
• Scrooge (1935)
• A Christmas Carol (1938)
• Topper Takes a Trip (1938)
• Wuthering Heights (1939)
• The Ghost Breakers (1940)
• Beyond Tomorrow (1940)
• Topper Returns (1941)
• Between Two Worlds (1944)
• The Canterville Ghost (1944)
• The Uninvited (1944)
• The Curse of the Cat People (1944)
• The Time of Their Lives (1946)
• Portrait of Jennie (1948)
• A Christmas Carol (1951)
• House on Haunted Hill (1959)
• The Innocents (1961)
• Black Sabbath (1963)
• The Haunting (1963)
• The Haunted Palace (1963)
• The Terror (1963)
• Kill, Baby… Kill! “Operazione paura” (1966)
• Kuroneko (1968)
• Night of Dark Shadows (1971)
• A Name For Evil (1973)
• The Legend of Hell House (1973)
• Burnt Offerings (1976)
• The Fog (1980)
• The House by the Cemetery (1981)
• Ghost Story (1981)
• The Canterville Ghost (1986)
• The Wraith (1986)
• Nomads (1986)
• Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
• Gotham (1988)
• Scrooged (1988)
• Lady in White (1988)
• Field of Dreams (1989)
• The Forgotten One (1990)
• Candyman (1992)
• The Crow (1994)
• Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh (1995)
• Haunted (1995)
• Whispering Corridors {Yeogo Goedam} (1998)
• Ringu 2 (1998)
• The Ring (2001) / Ringu (1998) / The Ring Virus (1999)
• The Haunting (1999)
• House on Haunted Hill (1999)
• Sleepy Hollow (1999)
• A Christmas Carol (1999)
• Whispering Corridors 2 {Yeogo Goedam II} (1999)
• Shikoku (1999)
• The Sixth Sense (1999)
• Stir of Echoes (1999)
• What Lies Beneath (2000)
• Ju-On 1 & 2 (2000)
• The Devil’s Backbone (2001)
• Thir13en Ghosts (2001)
• Pulse {Kairo} (2001)
• The Others (2001)
• Lost Voyage (2001)
• Below (2002)
• Dark Water (2002)
• The Eye “Jian gui” (2002)
• Nine Lives (2002)
• Darkness Falls (2003)
• The Haunted Mansion (2003)
• Gothika (2003)
• Whispering Corridors 3: Wishing Stairs (2003)
• Silk (2003)
• One Missed Call {Chakushin Ari} (2003)
• Ju-On: The Grudge (2003)
• The Ghost {Ryeong} (2004)
• The Grudge (2004)
• A Christmas Carol: The Musical (2004)
• R-Point (2004)
• Arang (2005)
• Dark Water (2005)
• The Heirloom {Zhaibian} (2005)
• Rings (2005)
• Reincarnation {Rinne} (2005)
• The Ring Two (2005)
• Ringu 0: Birthday (2005)
• The Maid (2005)
• Silent Hill (2006)
• Pulse (2006)
• Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman (2007)
• The Orphanage (2007)
• One Missed Call (2008)
• Ghostbusters (2016)
• A Ghost Story (2017)
• Ghostbusters Afterlife (2021)