A shadow in the corner of your eye and things that go bump in the night – whether you believe in the paranormal or not, there’s bound to be a ghost story that chills you to your core. Whether it be that terrifying camp tale told around the fire or an urban legend that haunted your neighborhood, the past never stays dead thanks to these spooky stories.
On the big screen, this year we’ve been treated to Steven Soderbergh’s Presence from the perspective of a ghost, and on the opposite end of the spectrum, Good Boy told through the eyes of canine star Indy. New installments in The Conjuring, V/H/S, and Hell House franchises made us scream, while we were introduced to several new supernatural icons in Until Dawn. But if you want to celebrate spooky season from the (dis)comfort of your own sofa, we’ve rounded up 7 of the most chilling paranormal movies you can stream right now as Halloween approaches.
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Under The Shadow
UNDER THE SHADOW (Credit: XYZ Films) Boasting a near-perfect 99% Rotten Tomatoes rating, Under the Shadow is beloved by critics and horror fans alike following its release in 2016. The Persian-language psychological thriller, set in 1980s Tehran, follows Shideh (Narges Rashidi) and her daughter Dorsa (Avin Manshadi) after a missile hits their building during the Iran-Iraq war. Afterward, Dorsa begins acting increasingly strange, and Shideh believes that a malevolent force is attempting to possess her daughter.
Where to watch: Netflix and Hoopla
Shutter
SHUTTER (Credit: GMM Tai Hub) You can always rely on the 2000s to produce some of the most skin-crawlingly memorable ghost movies. Directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom – and remade several times since – Thai horror film Shutter centers on Jane (Natthaweeranuch Thongmee) and her photographer boyfriend Tun (Ananda Everingham), who, after hitting a woman with their car, begin noticing a mysterious figure haunting Tun’s photos.
Jane begins to suspect that the figure is the vengeful spirit of the woman they hit, and uncovers a shocking secret as she delves into her past.
Where to watch: Kanopy, Hoopla, and Fandango at Home
Ghostwatch
GHOSTWATCH (Credit: BBC) Ghostwatch is one of the most notorious ghost films in British history, never being shown on TV in the UK since its original BBC broadcast. Written by Stephen Volk and directed by Lesley Manning, the mockumentary is presented as a live broadcast hosted by TV icon Michael Parkinson, who attempts to present evidence of the paranormal. They do this by reporting “live” from the fictional Foxhill Drive in London, where a family is allegedly being tormented by a poltergeist that they have named Pipes.
Where to watch: Shudder, AMC+, and Philo
Terrified
TERRIFIED (Credit: Aura Films) Demián Rugna shot to public attention in 2017 with the release of his truly nightmare-inducing paranormal hit, Terrified. The film ties together several interconnected stories on one street in Buenos Aires, where otherworldly beings are viciously haunting families.
Paranormal researchers come to the area to investigate, and as you may expect, all hell breaks loose. From a slowly moving body (or is it?) to a specter hiding under the bed, there’s something in Terrified for everyone to make sure you’ll never sleep again.
Where to watch: Apple TV+, Shudder, AMC+, and Philo
Kwaidan
KWAIDAN (Credit: Toho) Some of the best-known ghosts in horror cinema hail from Japan, and the anthology film Kwaidan gives us four terrifying tales that will stick with you past spooky season. Roughly translated to mean “ghost story”, Cannes Film Festival jury prize winner Kwaidan tells tales of a penniless samurai and their tragic wedding, a man saved from a blizzard, a blind musician forced to perform for ghosts, and an author tormented by a reflection in their teacup.
Where to watch: HBO Max and the Criterion Channel
Ghost Stories
GHOST STORIES (Credit: Lionsgate) Based on the 2010 stage play of the same name, British anthology film Ghost Stories is a twisty, spine-chilling tale with a bombshell ending like no other. It is written and directed by Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman, the latter of whom reprises his name role from the stage show as Phillip Goodman, a professor devoted to debunking fraudulent psychics.
Through the film, he is tasked with solving three unexplained paranormal events brought to him by three separate people – night watchman Tony Matthews (Paul Whitehouse), occult-obsessed teenager Simon Rifkind (Alex Lawther), and financier Mike Priddle (Martin Freeman).
Where to watch: Shudder, AMC+, Philo, Sundance Now, Kanopy, Pluto TV, Vix, and Plex
The Conjuring
THE CONJURING (Credit: IMDB) How can we possibly compile a list of paranormal horror movies without including one of the most successful genre franchises of all time? Especially with the final installment, Last Rites, making waves at the box office. James Wan unleashed The Conjuring into the world in 2013, spawning a franchise comprising four main films and several spin-offs, with a TV series in development.
The first film introduced us to Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as Ed and Lorraine Warren as they take on one of their most infamous cases – that of the Perron family haunting.
Where to watch: HBO Max
