(In September 2023, a co-worker asked me to put together a Top 10 ghost list. It was done on the fly, so this list is subject to change and I may have misremembered certain plot points.)
With ghost stories being around since the beginning of time, it would be easy to make a list of 20 or even 50 great movies about ghosts. If we include films that have ghosts as a secondary element, this even opens us up to such things as Shakespeare adaptations. But here are 10 ghost-centric films I think are absolutely essential.
Rebecca (1940). This is the only movie Alfred Hitchcock made that won Best Picture. Labeled a “psychological thriller” rather than a ghost story, and certainly it can be argued that the “haunting” that takes place isn’t what we think of as a haunting – no dishes flying out of cupboards. The Daphne du Maurier source novel feels centuries old, but in fact only came out in 1938 – a testament to her timeless writing ability. The writer and director would team up again for The Birds.
House on Haunted Hill (1959). Starring Vincent Price and directed by showman William Castle, this is the story of a group of people invited to stay in a house overnight for a chance to win some money (a premise that has been ripped off many times). When first released, theaters would have floating skeletons that seemed to “emerge” from the screen and fly over the audience’s head. You won’t get that experience, but you will see a classic. A big budget so-so remake came in 1999.
The Innocents (1961). Based on the novella The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, this is a very moody („atmospheric“) and psychological ghost story. A governess oversees some children i na house that she thinks is haunted, and further fears the kids are being possessed by these spirits. Is it real or all in her head? Fear doesn’t care if things are real or not – and sometimes what we THINK is scarier than what we KNOW. There was a remake, The Turning, which is absolute rubbish.
The Haunting (1963). Director Robert Wise and actor Russ Tamblyn teamed up for West Side Story and then teamed up again for this. Shirley Jackson may be the most underappreciated novelist of the 1900s. She’s come under reappraisal in recent years, but I think this may be the only movie made from her work in her lifetime. Luckily, it’s a good one. Did I forget to say anything about the movie itself? Oops. But definitely check it out.
The Changeling (1980). Not only a top ten ghost story, but a top ten horror film in general. Based on an alleged true Colorado haunting, we follow a grieving composer who moves into a mansion that has its own problems. This is what we call a “slow burn,” meaning its pace is slower but this pays off for the patient viewer. Director Peter Medak, sadly, never became a household name off of this one, but he should have… the film’s use of a wheelchair and rubber ball has become iconic.
The Fog (1980). Here’s a case of doing a lot with very little. Legendary horror director John Carpenter (Halloween) brings us leprous ghost pirates… and an impending sense of claustrophobia. With a smaller budget and B-list actors (e.g. Jamie Lee Curtis), this film creates its dread through pure atmosphere and setting. The fog makes everything feel smaller, and a principal location (a lighthouse) constricts things further still. A disappointing remake came out in 2005.
Ghost (1990). The pottery scene has been parodied many times, making this one a part of pop culture. But it’s also a good movie and well-rounded, which people often forget. Ostensibly a romance, there are moments of humor… and, yes, even a few scares. The “shadow people” who walk between life and the afterlife are creepy! Nominated for five Academy Awards (including Best Picture), this remains a strong story of loss and timeless love.
Casper (1995). If there’s one film on this list that I’m not firm on, here it is. I freely admit this one has a special place for me because of the era I grew up in, and may not impact older or younger viewers the same. It’s very much a 90s movie. That major caveat aside, it’s still a good movie with an all-star cast and camera work from the greatest living cinematographer, Dean Cundey. Best of all, it’s completely family-friendly, so it’s a good way to ease kids into the scary stuff.
Stir of Echoes (1999). Based off a 1958 novel from Richard Matheson (arguably the most influential horror author of the century) and starring Kevin Bacon, this movie has some genuinely creepy moments. It also ruined (or saved, depending on your view) the song “Paint It Black.” Released around the same time as The Sixth Sense, and therefore often lumped together, I don’t think this one should be overlooked.
Crimson Peak (2015). Guillermo del Toro’s most underrated film. He dealt with ghosts before (see his Spanish Civil War film, The Devil’s Backbone) but here he really embraces them. Fans expected to see a horror film and were disappointed to find out they were watching a gothic masterpiece. Going in with the right mindset (or no pre-conceived notions) will make this a fulfilling experience. Is it horror? Yes, just not in the modern sense where we expect a certain intensity.
Honorable mentions: Of course, Ghostbusters (1984) and Beetlejuice as essential ghost stories. But despite both having plenty of ghost action, they feel out of place on this list. Another contender is Spirited Away, but I don’t like anime, so I couldn’t include it. Lastly, The Others or The Orphanage could be switched out with Casper if you’re looking for a more traditional scary story.