10 Paranormal Scary Movies: Ghost Movies to Watch This Halloween

This month, I have talked about my favorite slasher movies, spooky Netflix series, and family-friendly Halloween movies. But none of these compare to my favorite subgenre of horror films, paranormal scary movies.

I love ghost stories. Out of all the horror, thriller, and slasher movies I have watched over the years, none of them spook me more than ghost stories. Haunted houses, possession, and poltergeists, are all so scary to me.

I even love those cheesy paranormal investigation shows, like The Haunting and Ghost Adventures. They are my comfort shows, and I always watch them when I’m down, anxious, or I’m just in need of a little spook. I fact, as I am writing this post I have Travel Channel’s “Ghostober” playing in the background. It’s really getting me in the mood for ghosts.

When I am creating my Halloween movie marathon list, I am always drawn towards movies about ghosts. Anything from possessions to creepy objects goes on my list. I will sprinkle some animated Halloween movies in their too, for a little variety. It is part of my tradition. Spending Halloween night eating good food and watching scary movies. I’m an introvert, what can I say. No Halloween parties for me.

Anyway, over the years I have watched a ton of paranormal scary movies full of ghosts. Here are a couple of my favorites.

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1. The Conjuring

Starting this list off with one of my favorites, this is one of the best haunted house/possession movies I have ever watched. And apparently, it is based on a true story! This movie follows Ed and Lorraine Warren, ghost hunters, who are called to a home because it is being haunted by spirits.

The Conjuring is your classic haunted house story, possession and exorcism included. I love it because of the characters and cinematography. It is a really well-done film, with an interesting set of characters.

2. The Exorcist

This is THE possession movie. Everyone, even those who don’t watch scary movies, knows about The Exorcist. This is another film that is apparently based on a true story. This movie is about a young girl who starts to act weird. When her mother searches for help, she comes in contact with a priest who thinks she might be possessed by something nefarious.

This is a classic. It was released in 1973 and is one of the most well-known and well-loved horror films out there. You definitely have to watch this at some point in your lifetime.

3. Mercy Black

This is a newer movie, but one that truly creeped me out. The main character has just been released from a physiatric ward after trying to conjure an evil spirit when she was younger. She is now living with her sister and nephew and she must confront her past in order to save her family.

This story was surrounded by a very mysterious tone. Viewers aren’t let into the world of the main character until the very end. I love when a movie doesn’t reveal everything all at the beginning. It makes for a very interesting viewing experience.

4. The Haunting in Connecticut

The Haunting in Connecticut is another very famous paranormal scary movie and one that I really enjoy watching over and over again. This movie is about a couple who moves to Connecticut to be close to their son’s doctors. But soon after they arrive, paranormal activity starts causing issues in the house. They must figure out how to stop it to save their family, and protect the health of their son.

I don’t think I will ever get sick of horror films like this. Similar to The Exorcist and The Conjuring, this movie follows all the horror tropes in an exciting and fun to watch way! I also actually cared about the characters, which is super important in creating a successful scary movie.

5. The Woman in Black

The Woman in Black is one of my all-time favorite horror films. It is subtle and quiet, yet absolutely terrifying. Plus, Daniel Radcliff is incredible in it. After the death of a friend, the main character, Arthur, visits their late friend’s home to wrap things up. But he soon realizes that there is something dark happening at the house.

I absolutely love how atmospheric this movie is. The fog settling around the house and the bleak colors of the cinematography create an incredibly spooky feel. This movie might not be flashy, but it sure is scary.

6. Insidious

Seems like a lot of scary movies with ghosts involve children, don’t they? Maybe that’s what makes them so scary, the idea of something preying on the innocent. Insidious is about a family who is terrified when their child, who is in a coma, gets possessed by a demon. If you love movies about possessions, you will love this one. It is one of my top favorite scary movies to watch in October.

7. Mama

Mama is to this day one of the scariest movies I have ever seen. I saw this movie in theatres, which I rarely do when it comes to scary movies, and I was horrified the entire time. This movie is about two girls who, after being lost for years, are found and brought back into society. But something was keeping them alive all those years, and it is not happy that they are gone.

This movie is terrifying. I think the scariest thing, for me, is the ghost. Mama has to be the scariest looking paranormal villain in any of these movies, I would be running at lightning speed if I saw mama coming anywhere near me. No thank you.

8. Oculus

I remember choosing to watch Occulus one night, on a whim, and being blown away by how well-done this paranormal scary movie was. This movie is about siblings, who get together one night and must fight off an evil spirit who is haunting a mirror.

This movie was really unique. With most ghost movies surrounding homes or people, this one surrounded an object. This movie had me on my toes the entire time. A Super creepy watch!

9. Unfriended

This movie was also one of the most unique paranormal movies I have ever watched. This film takes place entirely online, with weird haunted accounts and messages from dead people. With society relying so much on the Internet and social media, I thought Unfriended was a fantastic take on the horror genre. I would love to see more movies like this in the future. Maybe a haunted tik tok account?

10. Ouija

This movie solidified in me that I will never use an ouija board. Never. Ouija is about a group of friends who make contact with a spirit while playing with an ouija board. They must close the door between them and the spirit world before they meet the same fate of their friend, who was recently killed.

This movie is another well-known paranormal scary movie. It made a huge impact on the subgenre of horror and for good reason. One of the scariest movies out there.

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Ghosts are so fascinating to me, which is probably why I love paranormal scary movies so much. It is creepy to think that there might be people stuck on this earth, doomed to haunt a house or object for the rest of eternity.

There are so many subgenres to Horror, but I will always love paranormal scary movies the most. Something about them makes me feel so cozy on Halloween night, curled up on the couch eating as much candy as I can fit in my mouth.

Give some ghost movie recommendations in the comments below! What is your favorite paranormal horror film?