Genre · ranked
The best supernatural horror films of all time
25 ranked · updated October 2026
The best supernatural horror films confront the terror of forces that violate bodily autonomy and fracture domestic sanctuary, from demonic possessions to ancient bloodlines. These essential works probe psychological dread and spiritual collapse, transforming ordinary homes, isolated hotels, and troubled minds into battlegrounds against the unseen.
How this ranking works
Ranked by a Bayesian-weighted score (rating average + rating count) across films classified as Supernatural Horror.
The Shining
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick masterfully captures psychological collapse and isolation at the Overlook Hotel as Jack Torrance descends into madness against his terrorized family.
Explores: Isolation, Madness, Family Dysfunction.
Rosemary's Baby
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski crafts an enduring masterpiece of paranoia and gaslighting, utilizing naturalistic mise-en-scène to heighten the creeping dread surrounding Rosemary's sinister pregnancy.
Explores: Paranoia, Gaslighting, Loss of Control.
The Exorcist
William Friedkin
William Friedkin delivers an unrelenting exploration of tested faith and primal terror as two Jesuit priests confront a demonic entity possessing young Regan MacNeil.
Explores: Good vs Evil, Loss of Innocence, Faith Tested.
The Conjuring
James Wan
James Wan revitalizes classic haunted house horror by anchoring chilling paranormal investigations and malevolent entities in the loving, faith-driven bond of the Warrens.
Explores: Family Under Threat, Good vs. Evil, Religious Horror.
Michael Jackson's Thriller
This landmark short film revolutionized pop culture by combining cinematic zombie horror with iconic choreography and Vincent Price's unforgettable narration.
Explores: Transformation, Urban Legend, Paranoia.
The Black Phone
Scott Derrickson
Scott Derrickson expertly blends kidnapping thriller tension with ghostly suspense as abducted Finney communicates with past victims through a disconnected rotary phone.
Explores: Child Abduction, Psychic Abilities, Resilience.
Nosferatu
F. W. Murnau’s silent German Expressionist masterpiece evokes pure gothic dread through Max Schreck’s terrifying, plague-bearing Count Orlok.
Explores: Isolation, Disease as Metaphor, The Other.
Evil Dead II
Sam Raimi
Sam Raimi achieves an inventive horror triumph by fusing unrelenting demonic torment and practical gore effects with frenzied slapstick comedy.
Explores: Demonic Possession, Body Horror, Accidental Apocalypse.
Let the Right One In
Tomas Alfredson
Tomas Alfredson elevates vampire lore into a poignant, tender portrait of childhood loneliness and survival set against a cold Stockholm suburb.
Explores: Bullying, Childhood Loneliness, Innocence Lost.
Sinners
Ryan Coogler
Ryan Coogler infuses Southern Gothic vampire horror with historical drama as twin brothers battle bloodthirsty forces in the 1932 Mississippi Delta.
Explores: Returning Home, Family Secrets, Redemption.
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola crafts an opulent, operatic gothic romance that reimagines Dracula with lush visual artistry and deep emotional resonance.
Explores: Obsession, Reincarnation, Forbidden Love.
Suspiria
Dario Argento
Dario Argento delivers a sensory nightmare of witchcraft and paranoia set inside a prestigious West German ballet academy.
Explores: Witchcraft, Ballet, Hidden Conspiracy.
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
Michael Chaves
Michael Chaves expands the Warrens' supernatural casebook into a gripping legal investigation centered on America's first possession-based murder defense.
Explores: Demonic Possession, Based on True Events, The Power of Faith.
Hereditary
Ari Aster
Ari Aster conducts a harrowing study of grief and inherited family trauma that spiralingly descends into unyielding, occult-driven domestic terror.
Explores: Grief, Family Trauma, Mental Illness.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Wes Craven
Wes Craven blurs the boundary between sleep and reality by unleashing Freddy Krueger, a sinister figure who stalks teenagers through their dreams.
Explores: Dreams vs. Reality, Vigilante Justice, Teenage Angst.
The Conjuring 2
James Wan
A standout of supernatural horror films.
Explores: Religious Horror, Family Under Threat, Skepticism vs. Belief.
Carrie
Brian De Palma
A standout of supernatural horror films.
Explores: Telekinesis, Religious Trauma, Social Outcast.
An American Werewolf in London
A standout of supernatural horror films.
Explores: Transformation, Supernatural, Guilt.
The Omen
A standout of supernatural horror films.
Explores: Antichrist, Parental Paranoia, Religious Fatalism.
It
Andy Muschietti
A standout of supernatural horror films.
Explores: Childhood Trauma, Fear Manifestation, Overcoming Fear.
Five Nights at Freddy's
Emma Tammi
A standout of supernatural horror films.
Explores: Childhood Trauma, Grief, Corporate Conspiracy.
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
A standout of supernatural horror films.
Explores: Trauma, Duality, Occultism.
The Evil Dead
Sam Raimi
A standout of supernatural horror films.
Explores: Demonic Possession, Ancient Evil, Survival Horror.
Braindead
A standout of supernatural horror films.
Explores: Maternal relationship, Gore, Outbreak.
The Wailing
Na Hong-jin
A standout of supernatural horror films.
Explores: Good vs Evil, Xenophobia, Religious Doubt.
Common questions
What real-life case inspired The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It?
The film is based on the 1981 murder trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson in Connecticut, marking the first time in United States legal history that a defendant claimed demonic possession as a formal defense.
Is The Shining based on a book?
Yes, Stanley Kubrick's 1980 horror film The Shining is based on Stephen King's 1977 novel of the same name, chronicling Jack Torrance's descent into madness while working as a winter caretaker at Colorado's Overlook Hotel.
Who plays the vampire Count Orlok in the silent film Nosferatu?
Count Orlok is portrayed by actor Max Schreck in F. W. Murnau's 1922 silent German Expressionist film Nosferatu, an early unauthorized cinematic adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic 1897 novel Dracula.