The 34 Best Movies with Ghosts: Scary-to-Soft Spectrum

Movies with Ghosts can be tender, terrifying, or slyly funny in the same breath. Think of the gut-punch reveal in The Sixth Sense, the candlelit dread of The Others, and the wisecracks of Ghostbusters. Even Ringu, with its quiet curse logic, shows how fear can travel through everyday life. Some stories just refuse to die. What links the best of them is not the sheet-and-chain iconography, but the way a presence changes the living. Sometimes the ghost is a clue, sometimes a wound, and sometimes the room itself is the threat. This guide leans on craft you can feel, from haunted house geometry to small, intimate performances. We will keep an eye on comfort levels as the chills deepen.

If you want comfort, start with warm romances and comic hauntings, then work toward darker corners. If you want nerves, pick a supernatural thriller and follow the clues like a detective. For pure atmosphere, classic gothic horror and slow-burn mysteries tend to reward patience. Pick a mood, then press play. Notice how some films treat the spirit as a metaphor for grief, while others stage it like a siege. The differences matter, especially for families or anyone sensitive to violence. We also include a few prestige titles where the scares are quieter but the feelings hit harder. By the end, you will have a ghost-movie map for any night.

How we picked Movies with Ghosts

We aimed for a broad spread of eras, styles, and tones, from studio classics to modern franchise-grade scares. Viewer comfort mattered, so we noted intensity and suitability while still rewarding cultural impact, craft, and rewatch value. For Movies with Ghosts, we only kept titles with IMDb ratings of at least 6.5, then ranked them from the lowest qualifying score at #24 to the highest at #1, mixing paranormal investigation plots with pure mood pieces. All IMDb ratings in this article were verified on 10 February 2026.

24. Crimson Peak (2015)

• Actors: Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain
• Director: Guillermo del Toro
• Genre: gothic romance, horror
• Tone: lush, feverish
• Suitable for: adults and older teens
• IMDb rating: 6.5/10

Del Toro sets this story in a decaying English mansion where love arrives with a warning label. A young heiress marries into a family that treats the house like a locked diary. The film leans into desire, class, and the bruising cost of being naive. Its spirits feel less like jump-scare machines and more like messengers of buried truth. The pace is deliberate, built on color, texture, and dread that seeps through wallpaper. Violence lands in sharp, memorable bursts, but the mood stays lush rather than nasty. It earns its spot among Movies with Ghosts by making the haunting a clue you can read. Best for viewers who want romance, menace, and gothic operatics in one sitting.

23. What Lies Beneath (2000)

• Actors: Michelle Pfeiffer, Harrison Ford, Diana Scarwid
• Director: Robert Zemeckis
• Genre: mystery, thriller
• Tone: sleek, unnerving
• Suitable for: adults and teens
• IMDb rating: 6.6/10

A lakeside marriage starts to wobble when a neighbor vanishes and small sounds begin to feel staged. The mystery pulls a couple into late-night questions that no one wants to answer out loud. Under the glossy surface, the story is about guilt, secrecy, and the fear of being wrong about a person. It also toys with voyeurism, using mirrors and windows as moral traps. The tone is sleek and controlled, with suspense that builds like a slow tide. Set pieces arrive with studio polish, but the film keeps returning to quiet domestic unease. As Movies with Ghosts go, it plays like a mainstream thriller that still knows how to chill a room. Ideal for viewers who like twists and a steady, elegant crawl toward the reveal.

22. Ju-on: The Grudge (2002)

• Actors: Megumi Okina, Takashi Matsuyama, Yui Ichikawa
• Director: Takashi Shimizu
• Genre: horror, mystery
• Tone: relentless, nerve-fraying
• Suitable for: adults
• IMDb rating: 6.7/10

A curse spreads the way a rumor does, jumping from one household to the next without mercy. The film fractures time, revisiting the same spaces as new victims step into old echoes. Its core theme is contamination, the idea that trauma lingers and stains the living. That makes every ordinary act feel risky, from turning a handle to climbing the stairs. The style is spare and harsh, with attacks that arrive quickly and leave you bracing for the next cut. It is not a slow comfort watch, and it rarely offers relief. The design became a template for modern J-horror that traveled worldwide. Best for hardened viewers who can handle bleakness and sustained tension.

21. The Fog (1980)

• Actors: Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Hal Holbrook
• Director: John Carpenter
• Genre: horror, mystery
• Tone: atmospheric, classical
• Suitable for: teens with parents
• IMDb rating: 6.8/10

A coastal town is swallowed by a rolling bank of mist that brings old debts back to shore. A radio host and a small group of locals watch the weather turn into a warning. Beneath the spookiness is a simple moral reckoning about greed and civic amnesia. Carpenter treats the sea like a memory, patient and unstoppable. The mood is calm and storybook, with wide shots and a score that keeps time like a heartbeat. Scares are measured, relying on silhouettes, sound, and slow approaches. For Movies with Ghosts, it is a masterclass in atmosphere over spectacle. Great for viewers who want classic chills without extreme imagery.

20. Insidious (2010)

• Actors: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye
• Director: James Wan
• Genre: horror, thriller
• Tone: jolting, crowd-pleasing
• Suitable for: teens with parents
• IMDb rating: 6.8/10

A family tries to understand why their child sleeps in a body that feels present but unreachable. A desperate plan opens a door to a realm that should have stayed shut. The film is really about parental panic, and the helplessness of watching a loved one drift away. It also turns the house into a maze of corners, closets, and thresholds. The pacing is brisk, built around sudden jolts and escalating stakes. The second half gets louder and stranger, leaning into carnival imagery. It belongs on Movies with Ghosts because it pairs old-school scares with modern momentum. Best for viewers who want clean, efficient fright with a big finish.

19. A Ghost Story (2017)

• Actors: Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, Kenna McHugh
• Director: David Lowery
• Genre: drama, fantasy
• Tone: quiet, meditative
• Suitable for: adults
• IMDb rating: 6.8/10

A man dies, lingers, and watches life continue with unbearable patience. The haunting here is not an attack but a long stare across time. Grief is the engine, and love becomes something that survives as repetition. Small domestic moments turn monumental because no one can move on at the same speed. The film is quiet, with long takes that dare you to sit inside the ache. Intensity comes from stillness rather than shocks, and it can feel hypnotic. It is a rare afterlife drama that uses a simple idea to ask huge questions. Best for viewers who like art-house pacing and emotional resonance over scares.

18. Stir of Echoes (1999)

• Actors: Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Erbe, Illeana Douglas
• Director: David Koepp
• Genre: mystery, thriller
• Tone: grounded, creeping
• Suitable for: adults and teens
• IMDb rating: 6.9/10

A working-class dad gets hypnotized at a party, and the suggestion refuses to wear off. Soon he is hearing things, seeing flashes, and chasing a secret that the neighborhood has buried. The story circles around violence, memory, and the cost of looking away. It also plays with masculinity, showing how certainty can become obsession. The tone is grounded, with dread that grows from everyday spaces like basements and backyards. When the film gets loud, it is earned, not random. Movies with Ghosts rarely feel this blue-collar and this emotionally direct at the same time. Best for viewers who want suspense with a moral punch.

17. The Ring (2002)

• Actors: Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, Brian Cox
• Director: Gore Verbinski
• Genre: horror, mystery
• Tone: cold, escalating
• Suitable for: adults and older teens
• IMDb rating: 7.1/10

A journalist investigates a videotape that seems to schedule death with brutal punctuality. Each clue leads to another image, another location, another piece of a hidden life. The film is about inherited fear, and how stories pass between people like infections. It is also about parenthood, because the case tightens once a child is in the circle. The tone is cold and rain-soaked, built on investigative rhythm rather than gore. Set pieces are iconic because they arrive with calm confidence, not frantic editing. It stands among Movies with Ghosts as a supernatural thriller that never stops moving forward. Best for viewers who like mysteries that end in a clean, shattering image.

When ghost stories turn personal

From here, the hauntings get more intimate, less about spectacle and more about what memory does to a person. If your taste leans toward gothic horror, you will notice how silence and space start carrying the scares. These mid-ranked picks often feel like investigations of character, not just corridors. Keep your comfort level in mind as the emotional temperature rises.

16. Ghost (1990)

• Actors: Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg
• Director: Jerry Zucker
• Genre: romance, drama
• Tone: warm, tearful
• Suitable for: mixed households
• IMDb rating: 7.1/10

A mugging ends a love story, but it does not end the conversation between two souls. A grieving partner begins to notice signs that feel like touches from the unseen. The film balances romance with justice, asking what we owe the people we leave behind. It also treats belief as a choice, which makes the emotional payoff land harder. The tone is warm and accessible, with humor that softens the darker edges. Intensity rises in a few key scenes, but the film mostly aims for tears, not terror. Its blend of sentiment and spectacle made it a mainstream gateway to ghost stories on screen. Best for mixed households that want catharsis with a supernatural sheen.

15. The Changeling (1980)

• Actors: George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Melvyn Douglas
• Director: Peter Medak
• Genre: horror, mystery
• Tone: somber, slow-burn
• Suitable for: adults
• IMDb rating: 7.1/10

A composer moves into a grand house after tragedy, hoping quiet will reset his life. Instead he finds knocks, music, and evidence that the past is still arguing with the walls. The story is about grief and corruption, and how power tries to rewrite history. It uses objects as clues, turning everyday rooms into a puzzle box. The pacing is slow-burn, trusting atmosphere and investigation more than violence. Scares are subtle, often built from sound and timing rather than images. Among Movies with Ghosts, it is a model mansion mystery that respects patience. Best for viewers who prefer restraint, dread, and clean storytelling.

14. The Frighteners (1996)

• Actors: Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Jake Busey
• Director: Peter Jackson
• Genre: horror, comedy
• Tone: wild, elastic
• Suitable for: older teens and adults
• IMDb rating: 7.1/10

A small-time psychic hustles the living with help from three chatty dead friends. His easy scam collapses when a new spirit arrives with real malice. Under the jokes is a story about exploitation, and what happens when guilt becomes a business model. The film also slips into serial-killer territory, adding a sharp edge to the comedy. The tone whips between funny and nasty, with effects that still feel delightfully physical. Pacing is fast, and scenes tend to end on a punchline or a jolt. It is a perfect choice when you want your horror to grin back at you. Best for older teens and adults who enjoy chaotic, genre-mixing rides.

13. Ringu (1998)

• Actors: Nanako Matsushima, Miki Nakatani, Hiroyuki Sanada
• Director: Hideo Nakata
• Genre: horror, mystery
• Tone: icy, dread-soaked
• Suitable for: adults
• IMDb rating: 7.2/10

A reporter and a psychic trace a deadly curse back to a well, a tape, and a buried story. The investigation unfolds with calm logic, which makes the supernatural feel more plausible. At its heart, the film is about technology as a carrier of dread. It is also about empathy, because the only way forward is to understand the victim. The style is restrained, using silence and negative space as weapons. Shocks are rare, but the unease stays constant once it settles in. For Movies with Ghosts, Ringu remains a defining blueprint for modern fear. Best for viewers who like minimalism, mystery, and a lingering chill.

12. The Devil’s Backbone (2001)

• Actors: Marisa Paredes, Eduardo Noriega, Fernando Tielve
• Director: Guillermo del Toro
• Genre: drama, horror
• Tone: melancholic, tense
• Suitable for: adults
• IMDb rating: 7.3/10

At an isolated boys orphanage, a new child arrives and the wounds of war remain unhealed. A ghost appears not as a gimmick, but as a presence everyone must eventually face. The film wrestles with innocence, cruelty, and the way violence echoes in institutions. Del Toro frames the supernatural as memory, and memory as a kind of justice. The tone is mournful, with tension that grows from secrets rather than sudden attacks. There are frightening moments, but the movie keeps pulling you back to compassion. It belongs here because it turns haunting into history, and history into heartbreak. Best for viewers who want atmosphere plus emotional depth.

11. The Conjuring 2 (2016)

• Actors: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Madison Wolfe
• Director: James Wan
• Genre: horror, mystery
• Tone: intense, propulsive
• Suitable for: teens with parents
• IMDb rating: 7.3/10

Ed and Lorraine Warren travel to London to confront a case that feels too public to dismiss. A family home becomes a stage, with attention multiplying the pressure inside every room. The themes are faith and doubt, and the strain of loving someone who lives in danger. It also plays with performance, showing how fear can be amplified by an audience. The pacing is muscular, with long set pieces designed like roller coasters. Intensity is high, and a few images are legitimately nasty, even when the story stays clear. It is a crowd-sized sequel that still makes the haunting feel intimate. Best for viewers who like big scares with strong character anchors.

10. Poltergeist (1982)

• Actors: JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Heather O’Rourke
• Director: Tobe Hooper
• Genre: horror, thriller
• Tone: big, roller-coaster
• Suitable for: teens with parents
• IMDb rating: 7.3/10

A family moves into a suburban home and discovers they are not alone. Small disturbances escalate until the house itself feels hungry. The story taps into parental fear, especially the terror of losing a child to something you cannot see. It also captures the fragility of normal life, where one night can rewrite everything. The tone is big and playful, mixing family warmth with sharp jolts. Effects and sound design do a lot of work, and the pacing rarely drifts. Among Movies with Ghosts, it is the crowd-pleasing benchmark for domestic chaos. Best for viewers who want classic scares with a blockbuster pulse.

9. Beetlejuice (1988)

• Actors: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Geena Davis
• Director: Tim Burton
• Genre: comedy, fantasy
• Tone: macabre, playful
• Suitable for: families with older kids
• IMDb rating: 7.4/10

Two recently deceased spouses try to reclaim their home from the living, and chaos follows. They hire an unruly bio-exorcist who turns every rule into a joke. Beneath the gags is a story about belonging, identity, and the fear of being erased. The film also revels in handmade craft, with creatures and sets that feel like pop-up nightmares. The tone is manic and gleeful, but never truly mean. Pacing is brisk, and scenes are packed with visual punchlines. It earns a place here by making the afterlife weirdly cozy and wildly cinematic. Best for families with older kids who like spooky humor.

Haunted hits and crowd-pleasing chills

Now the list shifts toward films with sharper craft signatures and bigger swings, whether that means classic set-piece design or prestige restraint. Some titles here play like puzzles, others like adrenaline rides, and a few land as full-bodied tragedies. Use the tone line under each entry to match your night, especially if you are watching with other people.

8. The Orphanage (2007)

• Actors: Belen Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Princep
• Director: J. A. Bayona
• Genre: drama, horror
• Tone: heartbreaking, tense
• Suitable for: adults and older teens
• IMDb rating: 7.4/10

A woman returns to the orphanage where she grew up, hoping to reopen it for new children. A game of clues leads her into a memory she has been avoiding for years. The film is about motherhood, guilt, and the stories we tell to survive loss. It also treats the building as a living archive, full of rooms that remember. The tone is tender and tense, building to waves of emotion rather than cheap shocks. Scares are sharp but purposeful, and the mystery stays readable even at peak stress. As Movies with Ghosts, it shows how terror can be a delivery system for compassion. Best for viewers who can handle grief alongside fear.

7. The Haunting (1963)

• Actors: Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson
• Director: Robert Wise
• Genre: horror, mystery
• Tone: elegant, insinuating
• Suitable for: adults and teens
• IMDb rating: 7.4/10

A group of strangers spend the night in a notoriously unstable mansion as part of an experiment. What begins as science turns into a confrontation with suggestion and sound. The film explores perception, showing how fear can be built from doubt as much as from monsters. It also makes space itself feel hostile, with hallways that seem to listen. The style is classic and refined, relying on shadows and camera movement instead of effects. Intensity creeps rather than explodes, and the result is surprisingly unnerving. It belongs on this list because it proves how little you need to haunt an audience. Best for viewers who appreciate old-school craft and psychological pressure.

6. The Conjuring (2013)

• Actors: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor
• Director: James Wan
• Genre: horror, mystery
• Tone: classic, nerve-jangling
• Suitable for: teens with parents
• IMDb rating: 7.5/10

A family is terrorized on a remote farm, and the Warrens arrive with notebooks and faith. The case unfolds like a procedural, but every step adds pressure to the household. The film is about belief as a tool, and about love that holds when the lights go out. It also uses period detail to make the world feel physical and lived-in. Pacing is tight, with scares arranged like dominoes that topple faster as you go. The intensity is high, but it stays controlled, avoiding the feeling of random noise. Movies with Ghosts rarely hit this balance between classic setup and modern punch. Best for viewers who want a classic haunting ride with strong performances.

5. The Others (2001)

• Actors: Nicole Kidman, Fionnula Flanagan, Christopher Eccleston
• Director: Alejandro Amenabar
• Genre: horror, mystery
• Tone: restrained, twisty
• Suitable for: teens and adults
• IMDb rating: 7.6/10

In a fogbound home on an island, a mother enforces strict rules to keep her children safe. New servants arrive, and the house starts to feel crowded even when rooms are empty. The film is about isolation, devotion, and the stories we tell ourselves to cope. It also plays fair with clues, rewarding attentive viewers without ruining the mood. The tone is restrained, with dread built from quiet routines and small disobediences. Intensity is moderate, leaning on atmosphere and one devastating turn rather than gore. It belongs here because it delivers a clean, classic twist without sacrificing emotion. Best for viewers who like chilly elegance over loud shocks.

4. The Innocents (1961)

• Actors: Deborah Kerr, Martin Stephens, Pamela Franklin
• Director: Jack Clayton
• Genre: drama, horror
• Tone: psychological, chilling
• Suitable for: adults
• IMDb rating: 7.7/10

A governess arrives at a country estate and senses something wrong in the silence. The children are angelic, but the air around them feels rehearsed. The film probes repression and desire, turning social manners into a pressure cooker. It also asks whether evil is external or something we invite in through obsession. The style is precise, with black-and-white imagery that makes shadows feel alive. Tension builds slowly, and the lack of certainty becomes the sharpest weapon. It earns its place because it turns ambiguity into horror you cannot shake. Best for adults who like psychological chillers with moral complexity.

3. Ghostbusters (1984)

• Actors: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver
• Director: Ivan Reitman
• Genre: comedy, fantasy
• Tone: funny, kinetic
• Suitable for: families
• IMDb rating: 7.8/10

Three underemployed scientists turn a paranormal problem into a business with a logo. New York becomes their playground as ancient forces crash into modern ego. The film is about ambition and friendship, with comedy that comes from characters taking nonsense seriously. It also gives its ghosts personality, making the supernatural part of the cityscape. The tone is buoyant and fast, with set pieces that still play like crowd favorites. Intensity stays light, though a few images may spook very young kids. It remains a defining entry because it proves ghosts can be funny without losing their bite. Best for families and friend groups who want laughs with their chills.

2. Kwaidan (1964)

• Actors: Tatsuya Nakadai, Michiyo Aratama, Takashi Shimura
• Director: Masaki Kobayashi
• Genre: drama, horror
• Tone: hypnotic, ceremonial
• Suitable for: adults and film students
• IMDb rating: 7.9/10

This anthology adapts classic folktales, each one staged like a painted dream. A traveler hears stories of betrayal, longing, and supernatural payback. The themes are honor and regret, with beauty used as a blade. Each segment treats the spirit world as an extension of human consequence. The pacing is patient, inviting you to sit inside color, music, and ritual. Intensity varies, but the mood is consistently hypnotic rather than startling. It belongs in any canon of Japanese horror because it feels timeless and formally bold. Best for adults and film students who want eerie art and mythic scale.

1. The Shining (1980)

• Actors: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd
• Director: Stanley Kubrick
• Genre: horror, drama
• Tone: claustrophobic, unnerving
• Suitable for: adults
• IMDb rating: 8.4/10

A winter caretaker takes his family to an empty hotel, and isolation starts to speak. The building seems to remember everything that happened inside it, and it wants repetition. The film is about addiction and violence, and about the terror of losing yourself in a role. It also turns architecture into psychology, with corridors that feel like thoughts you cannot escape. The tone is cold and methodical, with dread that accumulates through symmetry and sound. Intensity rises toward the end, but the true horror is the slow unmasking. It crowns Movies with Ghosts because the haunting is inseparable from human collapse. Best for adults who can handle sustained unease and bleak imagery.

Conclusion: revisiting Movies with Ghosts

The best ghost films last because they do double duty: they scare you, then they leave you thinking about why the scare mattered. If you want a quick education in how American cinema preserves and discusses classics, browse the Library of Congress National Film Registry and notice how often atmosphere and innovation get rewarded. For a pulse-check on how new releases and rediscoveries are covered in US culture writing, dip into The New York Times film section and compare how critics describe fear, grief, and suspense across eras.

Use this list like a menu: revisit a familiar favorite, then try the neighboring title with a different tone line, and you will start mapping your own taste. When you are in the mood for Movies with Ghosts, the ranking order helps you ramp intensity gradually, but your best path is always the one that matches your comfort level and curiosity. Come back in a month and reshuffle, because these stories change as you do.

FAQ about Movies with Ghosts