The Top Ghost Films You Need to See

"The Shining" (1980) (Gene pick)

The film version of "The Shining" combines two masters at the top of their craft - writer Stephen King and director Stanley Kubrick. Based on King's second novel, King reportedly hated the film, and in 1997 wrote the screenplay for a TV mini-series that was more faithful to his vision. However, the mini-series has been largely forgotten, while the film stands out as a terrifying masterpiece of horror. Known to be fanatic about detail, and adept at working on subliminal levels, Kubrick does more than the viewer realizes to have an increasing sense of wrongness and dread mirroring the feeling the family living in the hotel has that at any time, they could encounter creepy twins in a hallway, or have a vision of elevators full of blood. To see exactly what Kubrick does to achieve this feeling, see the excellent documentary "Room 237."

"The Fog" (1980) (Gene pick)

There are two reasons to watch this film: One, there's nothing like it, and it's very good. Two, at this point in his career writer-director John Carpenter was hitting his stride and assembling a cast of actors who would show up in his many of his films, and many of them are here, including Jamie Lee Curis and Adrienne Barbeau, with all of them putting in good performances. In the film, a mysterious fog rolls into a coastal California town, one that defies most weather patterns. And there are things in the fog, deadly things.

"Ghost Story" (1981) (Gene pick)

Based on the acclaimed novel by writer Peter Straub, the film is about a group of old men, friends for years, who gather weekly to tell ghost stories. When the son of one of the men joins the group, they realize that they may have all been haunted by the ghost of the same young woman. The cast of the film is incredible, with Fred Astaire, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Melvyn Douglas, John Houseman, and Alice Krige early in her career.

"Poltergeist" (1982) (Gene pick)

If you like the show, "Stranger Things," you'll love this film, as it's one of several films of the era that influence the style, feel, and content of the show. In this film, a family begins to experience odd phenomena in their house, such as their daughter talking to the people in the TV, when it's not on any channel, or objects placed in a closet upstairs reappearing downstairs. At first these things are kind of fun, but more things start happening, such as their daughter disappearing, and it's not really funny anymore. Written by Steven Spielberg and directed by Tobe ("Texas Chain Saw Massacre") Hooper, the film combines the terror of a Hooper film with the solid writing, suspense, and human elements of a Spielberg film.

"Ghostbusters" (1984) (BOTH pick)

It's hard to aptly describe this film, mainly due to its impact. Two sequel, a remake, a cartoon, toys, comic books. The reach is long, but the premise is simple: A group of scientists band together to not only investigate, but eliminate, paranormal pests, as exterminators do with roaches, or the Humane Society and Department of Animal Control do with wild animals that get into your home.

"Witchboard" (1986) (Dandy pick)

Linda (Tawny Kitaen) becomes obsessed with remaining in contact with a spirit she encounters while using a Ouija board. Her boyfriend Jim (Todd Morar) joins forces with others to identify and abolish the spirit before it kills Linda.

"High Spirits" (1988) (Dandy pick)

Bordering more on quirky comedy than horror, this movie offers up some fun laughs with the spooks. A failing hotel decides to rebrand by claiming it’s haunted, making it into a haunted hotel attraction. However, things go awry after guests arrive and the real ghosts come out to play.

"Beetlejuice" (1988) (BOTH pick)

One of director Tim Burton's truly great creations, "Beetlejuice" is a unique horror comedy about a couple happily married couple, who are also ghosts, are upset that a new family is moving into their home and wanting to change things. Unable to scare the family out themselves, the ghosts turn to a specialist in the field of frightening the living.

"Ghost" (1990) (BOTH pick)

There are a few iconic films on this list, and this is one of them. Once, long ago, Whoopi Goldberg acted in films, and her performance in this film won her an Oscar. All of the performances in the film are excellent, and it made Demi Moore one of the hottest actresses in Hollywood. But what is it about? Moore and Patrick Swayze play a couple torn apart when Swayze's character is killed. He lingers as a ghost, loving her from beyond the grave. Goldberg plays a fake psychic who is surprised she actually can see and talk to the dead.

"Jacob's Ladder" (1990) (Gene pick)

From acclaimed director Adrian Lyne, this film will frighten you and warp your mind well after you've finished watching it. Tim Robbins plays a Viet Nam vet who, like many who were in the war, has been suffering from odd flashbacks and having dreams. He's becomes unsure, as does the viewer of what's real and what's not, what's the past and what's the present. Is he haunted, or are these the effects of some sort of experiment conducted on his unit during the war? All of the options are terrifying.

"Candyman" (1992) (Gene pick)

Horror legend Clive Barker has had two great creations come to the big screen. To be sure there have been more than two Barker creations (two others being "Lord of Illusions" and "Night Breed") but the two truly great ones were "Hellraiser," and "Candyman." In "Candyman", Virginia Madsen plays a student investigating urban legends, and one of them is the story of the Candyman, a man who entices children with candy, then slices them up with the hook he uses for a hand. As with similar urban legends, such as "Bloody Mary", if you say his name three times while looking in a mirror, it's said he'll appear.

"The Frighteners" (1996) (BOTH pick)

This supernatural comedy, starring Michael J. Fox, takes a different look at supernatural investigators. Fox plays a man who develops the ability to talk to the dead, so he uses the ability to send ghosts to peoples homes, then he charges a fee to remove the ghosts. Most people think he's a con man, but the ghosts are real. The twist comes when an entity arises that plagues both the living and the dead.

"The Sixth Sense" (1999) (Gene pick)

M. Night Shyamalan's first film has a shocking twist, as do most of his films, and even if you know it, the film is worth seeing for its performances and the excellent use of photography and lighting to set a tone of mystery and suspense. Haley Joel Osment plays a boy who "sees dead people" and Bruce Willis plays the psychologist trying to help him cope with what he sees.

"Stir of Echoes" (1999) (Gene pick)

Based on the novel by Richard Matheson, this film is similar to "Jacob's Ladder" in that the main character (Kevin Bacon) is having disturbing dreams and visions and he's not sure if they're real, ore if he's losing his mind. These visions occur after his wife's sister hypnotizes him, but even she can't stop them.

"The Devil's Backbone" (2001) (Dandy pick)

A young boy is sent to an orphanage after his father dies in the Spanish Civil war. He discovers the orphanage is haunted and uncovers the dark secrets that lie within involving hidden gold on the property and a money hungry employee.

"The Others" (2001) (Gene pick)

In this film, Nicole Kidman plays an aristocratic woman who is mother to two young children, each of whom is sensitive to light. Living in their house in the country, the family and staff know that during daylight hours, the windows and curtains must always be closed. But someone keeps opening them, and the family is convinced it may be spirits in the house.

"Thirteen Ghosts" (2001) (Dandy pick)

This movie is dumb, but the ghosts are phenomenal. If any credit is due for anything with this movie, it would be to the makeup artists. However, the jump scares it offers up can be worth a view or two. The Jackal still scares the beejeezus out of me. After his death, a rich collector of bizarre and unique findings, leaves his fortune to a distant relative and his family. Thinking they struck a good deal, the family soon realizes that not only is their new house haunted by the deadliest ghosts possible, but there’s an even sinister plot in motion.

"The Ring" (2002) (BOTH pick)

Based on the Japanese film, "Ring", this film relies heavily on disturbing visuals, and it delivers. Naomi Watts plays a journalist investigating stories of a cursed video tape. Those who watch the tape reportedly die 7 days after watching it, and it seems the rumors may be true.

"The Grudge" (2004) (Gene pick)

The success of "The Ring" paved the way for "The Grudge," another American adaption of a Japanese film. Similar to "The Ring," this film has extremely disturbing visuals. While a cursed videotape is at the center of "The Ring", a cursed house is at the center of "The Grudge," which in a way is more terrifying, as it affects all those who come to stay in the house.

"The Orphanage" (2007) (BOTH pick)

A woman convinces her husband to buy the abandoned orphanage where she grew up, so they can reopen it as a home for disabled children. But the former residents may not all be gone, and not all of them were happy there.

"The Innkeepers" (2011) (Dandy pick)

A hotel is in the process of closing its doors for good and while stripping rooms, two employees try to uncover the supposed hauntings of the hotel. As a few guests come and go, the employees receive more than they bargained for as unexplained phenomenon occurs.

"Mama" (2013) (BOTH pick)

A creepy but endearing film, "Mama" tells the tale of a protective mother who continues to look after her children years after her husband kills her.

"It Follows" (2014) (Gene pick)

Terrifying and original, "It Follows" turns the typical rules of horror films upside down. Typically, those with the most pure behavior are the most likely to survive in a horror film. But here, a mysterious being is stalking victims, and the only way to survive is to have sex with someone after you have become part of the curse. If you don't have sex before the curse catches up with you, you'll die. If you die, it will go back to pursue the person who passed it along to you.

"Crimson Peak" (2015) (Dandy pick)

After losing her father, writer Edith (Mia Wasikowska) falls into the arms of Thomas (Tom Hiddleston), an inventor seeking to sell his designs to restore his family name and wealth. Under the watchful eye of his sister, Lucille (Jessica Chastain), Edith begins to fall ill and sees ghosts warning her of her soon-to-be fate.

Gene Lass and Dandy J. West are lifelong horror fans and film buffs. They are the former editors of the blog "So Good It's Scary."