5 Best Ghost Movies Of All Time, According To Horror Fans

1. “The Shining” (1980)

Taking the crown as our number one pick is Stanley Kubrick’s nightmarish vision, “The Shining.” This psychological horror masterwork transforms a Colorado mountain resort into a pressure cooker of madness and malevolence. “Often considered one of the greatest horror films of all time, Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novel — about an aspiring writer named Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) who becomes the caretaker at an isolated hotel — delivers on all the psychological horror and ghostly terror,” says Good Housekeeping‘s Hannah Jeon.

The film chronicles the devastating winter experienced by the Torrance family as they serve as caretakers for the sprawling Overlook Hotel. “Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s bestseller makes early use of the Steadicam to thrust the viewer into the vast emptiness of the hotel, where the ghosts of a previous caretaker’s murdered family await. If you’re making a list of the creepiest specters in film history, no one would argue if you placed the Grady twins right at the top,” writes YardBarker’s Jeremy Smith.

Additional Facts:

• The iconic room number was changed from 217 (as in Stephen King’s novel) to 237 at the request of Oregon’s Timberline Lodge, which served as the exterior location. The hotel didn’t want guests avoiding Room 217, and since Room 237 didn’t exist at the property, it was the perfect substitute.
• Young actor Danny Lloyd, who played the film’s child protagonist, didn’t know he was making a horror movie until years after filming. Kubrick told him it was a drama to protect him from the frightening content.
• Kubrick hired Garrett Brown, the inventor of the Steadicam, to operate the camera system for the film. The famous shot of Danny riding his Big Wheel through the hotel corridors required flipping the Steadicam upside down and positioning it just 2-3 inches off the floor while Brown rode in a specially designed wheelchair.

2. “Poltergeist” (1982)

Claiming second place is the suburban nightmare that is “Poltergeist,” a film that proved nowhere is safe from supernatural invasion. This 1982 thriller turned television static into every child’s worst nightmare. “Screen time never looked scarier than it does in ‘Poltergeist,’ the 1980s thriller that left its mark on a generation. This prime example of Steven Spielberg’s knack for horror begins on a rather benign note, as the ghosts that the Freeling family encounter through their TV appear to be, well, kind of fun and friendly. Suffice it to say, said spirits show their true colors by the end of the film, and it’s downright terrifying,” explains PureWow’s Emma Singer.

Directed by Tobe Hooper with Steven Spielberg’s producing touch evident throughout, the film perfectly balances everyday family life with mounting supernatural horror. “In the time since its release, this movie has become something of a blueprint for haunted house movies and still manages to be scarier today than most modern horror movies. The moment Caroline mutters the phrase, ‘They’re here…’ marks the moment when the audience isn’t sure whether to be scared of ghosts or creeped out by this adorable little girl,” notes ComicBook.com‘s Chris Killian.

Additional Facts:

• Real human skeletons were used in the swimming pool scene, as they were cheaper than fabricating artificial ones. Actress JoBeth Williams wasn’t informed about this until after filming had wrapped.
• The film initially received an R rating from the MPAA, but Spielberg and Hooper successfully appealed and changed it to PG. The PG-13 rating didn’t exist yet in 1982 and wouldn’t be created until 1984.
• Both “Poltergeist” and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” originated from Spielberg’s abandoned project “Night Skies” and were released just one week apart in June 1982, earning that summer the nickname “The Spielberg Summer.”

3. “Ghost” (1990)

In the third position sits “Ghost,” a film that redefined what a supernatural movie could be. Yes, we can already hear “Unchained Melody” playing! “A rromantic drama and a supernatural ghost story? Adds to queue immediately. After Sam is murdered, he’s left to roam the earth as a spirit, and tries everything he can to get through to the love of his life, Molly, and protect her from the people who killed him,” writes Seventeen’s Leah Campano.

Director Jerry Zucker crafted a genre-blending masterpiece that combines romance, thriller elements, and supernatural phenomena. The chemistry between Swayze and Moore, combined with an Oscar-winning performance from Whoopi Goldberg, created something truly special. “Goldberg steals the show as a psychic who acts as the translator between the natural and spirit worlds. All three work together to find the ghosts’ killer and put their soul to rest,” adds Country Living‘s Leah Hall.

Additional Facts:

• “Ghost” became the highest-grossing film of 1990, earning over $505 million worldwide against a modest budget of $22-23 million, making it one of the most profitable films of its era.
• Patrick Swayze strongly advocated for Whoopi Goldberg to be cast as Oda Mae Brown when producers were hesitant. His support was instrumental in her getting the role, for which she went on to win an Oscar.
• During cold night shoots in New York City, Patrick Swayze had to chew ice to prevent his breath from being visible on camera, since his character was a ghost who shouldn’t show signs of life.

4. “The Conjuring” (2013)

Our fourth selection goes to “The Conjuring,” which breathed fresh life into paranormal horror for modern audiences. James Wan’s frightfest reminds us that true stories can be the most terrifying of all. “What’s more terrifying than a ghost story inspired by true events? Based on a real-life paranormal investigation, ‘The Conjuring’ will certainly give you chills with a story about a family who moves into a secluded old farmhouse — only to discover it’s haunted,” writes Good Housekeeping’s Hannah Jeon.

Wan’s direction brought a new level of craft to supernatural cinema, drawing from actual case files. “The Conjuring,” directed by James Wan, revolutionized modern horror by blending old-school scares with a compelling narrative based on the real-life cases of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren.

The film’s success launched an entire cinematic universe and reestablished quality horror as box office gold. “Horror movie icons Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson play paranormal investigators in the first of this series. The two help a family with a sinister presence in their house that they can’t seem to shake. ‘The Conjuring’ is sure to make you pull the covers over your head the next time you hear a thump,” adds Men’s Health‘s Jenna Calderon and Milan Polk.

Additional Facts:

• Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson met with the real Lorraine Warren before filming, and some of Ed Warren’s actual paintings were loaned to the production to decorate the Warrens’ house in the film.
• The film was made on a modest budget of $20 million but became one of the most profitable horror films of all time, grossing $319.5 million worldwide and spawning an entire cinematic universe.
• The film received an R rating simply for being too scary, despite containing minimal violence, no nudity, and very little profanity. The MPAA rating specifically cited “sequences of disturbing violence and terror.”

5. “The Sixth Sense” (1999)

Rounding out our top five is M. Night Shyamalan’s breakthrough masterpiece, “The Sixth Sense.” This is the film that had everyone “seeing dead people” and talking about twist endings for years to come. “In the chilling drama ‘The Sixth Sense,’ young Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) is burdened with an ability to see and interact with the deceased. Struggling to understand his unusual gift, he crosses paths with child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis). The doctor, still reeling from a traumatic incident involving a former patient, invests himself in helping Cole cope with his terrifying experiences,” notes Ranker’s Harper Brooks.

Shyamalan’s “The Sixth Sense” redefined the psychological thriller genre with its masterful use of misdirection and a twist ending that continues to be discussed and analyzed decades after its release. The film’s themes of loss, communication, and redemption struck a universal chord with viewers worldwide. “‘The Sixth Sense’ was such a cultural phenomenon that it has been the go-to example of a twist ending for over 20 years. The reason the movie has lived on in the hearts and minds of film fans the world over, however, is that the twist is only the cherry on top. The real staying power of ‘The Sixth Sense’ is on the shoulders of writer/director M. Night Shyamalan and stars Haley Joel Osment, Bruce Willis, and Toni Collette,” concludes SlashFilm.

Additional Facts:

• Disney executive David Vogel purchased the script without consulting his superiors and allowed Shyamalan to direct. He was subsequently fired, but the film went on to gross $672 million worldwide, becoming 1999’s second-highest-grossing film.
• Actor Donnie Wahlberg lost 43 pounds for his brief but crucial role as Vincent Grey, losing so much weight that director Shyamalan didn’t recognize him on the first day of filming.
• The film was shot entirely in sequence, allowing the actors to experience the story’s progression naturally. Additionally, the soundtrack album spoiled the ending for listeners with a track literally titled “Malcolm is Dead.”