Among the many horror sub-genres, the supernatural side has been constantly favored by Hollywood. Supernatural horror films often include themes such as demonic possession, life after death, religion, special abilities and the existence of ghosts.
Supernatural horror was popularized by German silent films in the 1920s and 1930s. Hollywood soon caught the wave and its been a thrilling and scary journey ever since. Here are the best supernatural horror films, according to IMDb.
Updated October 15, 2020 by Scoot Allan: While there will be quite a few horror fans who are exploring more realistic tales of terror that explore the worst of humanity with slashers and killers, there are a number of fans who prefer their horror with a side of the supernatural, especially around the Halloween season.
However, the supernatural horror genre is filled with entries both good and bad that can make it difficult to avoid some of the less enjoyable horror films out there. Thankfully IMDb has a trusted rating system that makes it a bit easier to judge which movies are worth your time, with these supernatural hits and classics sure to impress this Halloween season.
IT: Chapter One (2017) - 7.3
Stephen King's iconic novel IT may have gotten a TV Movie adaptation in the 80s that has become loved by fans, but it was 2017's big-screen adaptation from director Andy Muschietti which doubled down on the horror for the first chapter of the film series.
Pennywise the Dancing Clown stood out in the film thanks to Bill Skarsgård's outstanding performance as the supernatural killer clown, though the film preyed on a number of other fears that made IT a record-breaking horror hit.
Poltergeist (1982) - 7.3
Tobe Hooper directed the 1982 classic Poltergeist (though Steven Spielberg produced and is rumored to have directed as well), which followed the Freeling family as their young daughter made with a dark supernatural force.
As the family begins to experience increasingly threatening paranormal activity, they are forced to battle with the poltergeists haunting their house for the life of their daughter. The 2015 remake of the same name was an interesting take on the classic, though it only holds a 4.9 on IMDb.
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) - 7.4
Bram Stoker's iconic novel was adapted by Francis Ford Coppola for 1992's Bram Stoker's Dracula, which starred Gary Oldman in the title role along with an all-star cast that included Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves, and Wynona Ryder.
The film follows closely to the original novel and dives into the gothic horror and beastly forms of the supernatural master of vampires, with Oldman's transformative performance sticking with fans years after the film's release.
Carrie (1976) - 7.4
Stephen King has been one of the few lucky authors who have seen most of their novels getting adapted to feature films and TV shows. His very first novel Carrie was made into a movie that went on to be a cult classic shortly after its release.
In Carrie, a 16-year-old teenage girl decides to unleash her secret telekinetic powers and cause terror after she becomes fed up with the constant bullying at her school. Carrie is often considered one of the best book-to-move adaptations of all time.
A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) - 7.5
Wes Craven's 1984 hit classic A Nightmare on Elm Street terrified viewers for decades with the introduction of Freddy Krueger, a burned and clawed supernatural ghost that haunted the nightmares of his victims.
The film launched a successful franchise that included a Friday the 13th crossover film and a less-successful reboot that all starred the incredibly popular and comical Krueger character, though the first film focused more on his horrifying attack on nightmares than his own clever wit and wordplay.
The Evil Dead (1981) - 7.5
A cult classic was born in 1981 with Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead, which introduced Bruce Campbell's chainsaw-and-boomstick-wielding Ash as he unleashed a dark supernatural force that killed and reanimated his friends.
Ash's never-ending battle with the Evil Dead and the Deadites launched a film franchise that led into a modern TV revival with the fan-favorite Ash vs. Evil Dead, proving the lasting power of Raimi's original gore-filled horror.
The Omen (1976) - 7.5
In The Omen, an American diplomat named struggles to get a child with his wife Katherine. After Katherine delivers a stillborn baby, the couple decides to adopt a boy named Damien. Shortly after, Damien's first nanny commits suicide and a priest warns the couple that Damien will bring sorrow to the family.
The priest soon dies and a pregnant Katherine ends up having a miscarriage after Damien makes her fall off a balcony. Damien begins causing plenty of misfortune and this forces Robert to dig into the boy's background. He eventually makes a shocking discovery: Damien might just be the Antichrist.
The Haunting (1963) - 7.5
The Haunting has appeared in many "Greatest Horror Movies" lists. Even director Martin Scorsese once named it the best horror movie of all time. A remake was made back starring Liam Neeson but it was heavily panned by both fans and critics.
In this original film, a scientist named Dr. Markway decides to investigate a mansion named the Hill House to prove the existence of supernatural beings. He invites two women to go with him but soon, one of them begins exhibiting weird behavior.
The Conjuring (2013) - 7.5
Director James Wan rarely has misses and when he made The Conjuring, he didn't disappoint either. With events taking place in 1971, the movie sees family man Roger Perron relocate to a farmhouse in Rhode Island with his wife and daughters.
They soon find a hidden basement and shortly after that, they are haunted by strange beings. They thus decide to bring in two famous paranormal investigators to find out what's going on. The investigators conclude that an urgent exorcism is needed.
The Others (2001) - 7.6
Set in 1945, The Others revolves around a woman named Grace Stewart. After waiting for her husband to come back from World War II, she gives up and concludes that he is dead. She thus decides to live quietly in the Channel Islands with her photosensitive children.
She teaches her son and daughter to follow strict religious principles while making sure to close all doors and windows at all times to protect them from light. After she hires helpers, her children tell her that a strange boy keeps visiting them. This lays out the path for a series of supernatural events.
