The Top 10 Scariest Ghosts in Movies & film
These are my picks for the top 10 scary ghosts I’ve seen in movies and films. I’m talking about physical manifestations of ghosts, not necessarily the best ghost story or haunted house flicks.
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1) The Twins – The Shining (1980 – Stanley Kubrick)
Who knows what makes these twins so scary – they just are. They don’t really do anything, they just stand there with their creepy stares and creepy blue dresses.
Not so creepy all grow’d up!
2) Samara – The Ring (2002 – Gore Verbenas)
Another creepy little girl, but this one comes right off the screen at you.
Who is this pleasant young lady…What? No! She’s the actress that played Samara?
3) Blake and his Crew – The Fog (1980 – John Carpenter)
Damn, creeps with hooks that come in the cover of fog. It gives me the chills.
4) The Jackal – Thirteen Ghosts (2001 – Steve Beck)
If ever there was a character in a film that should get a movie made about him, The Jackal is it. What are the studios waiting for? People even get tattoos of this character!
5) Jilted Lover – The Grave Dancers (2006 – Mike Mendez)
Imagine rolling over in bed expecting your wife or lover and seeing her instead… I would have a heart failure instantly.
6) The Headless Horseman – The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1999 – Tim Burton)
Just the idea of a headless spirit is chilling. Add to that, he runs you down on horseback, wields a sword, and in life he was a Hessian assassin. Plus, he takes your head with him when he leaves.
7) Kane, the Preacher – Poltergeist II (1986 – Brian Gibson)
If this creepy old guy with the thick southern accent came to talk to me and it rained the whole time, just on him, I’d be outta’ there.
8) The Knights – Tombs of the Blind Dead (1972 – Amando de Ossorio)
These skeletal dead ones from castle ruins in Portugal are rumored to be The Knights of Templar. The film never explicitly states that, it just hints at it. Turned upon by the church, the knights look for new sacrifices to keep them in the here and now.
9) Dead guy – The Sentinel (1977 – Michael Winner)
After midnight a fashion model’s building turns into spook central as dead spirits wonder through her apartment. The scariest part is when this blind old guy comes stumbling through, bumping into walls and unable to find his way.
10) Drowned wife – Dream Cruise – Masters of Horror – (2007 – Norio Tsuruta)
Just when you thought you’ve seen enough J-horror woman ghosts comes the lovely Naomi, murdered wife in this MOH episode. What makes her so damn eerie are her strange movements – a rolling of the head and twisting of the body that mirrors seaweed in the waves and tides of the sea. The actress (Miho Ninagawa) must be commended for her portrayal in this film.
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Before I go on, I would like to mention that Tombs of the Blind Dead and The Fog sometimes show up on people’s Zombie lists. I believe that in both films; the entities are spirits of the dead, are conscious entities, and are only using their former bodies to affect the physical world. They are not zombies.
Here are more reasons why neither film is a zombie film:
*In both films the entities make conscious decisions about who to kill and why.
*In both films the entities have no need to eat the victims, nor do the victims ‘catch’ a virus that transforms them into zombies.
*In both films the entities are called upon at certain times in curse and ritual fashion, then become dormant, waiting the next ‘witching hour’.
– And finally, especially for Tombs of the Blind Dead:
*If an entity chooses to ride the horse instead of eat it, it’s not a zombie.
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Honorable mentions go to:
The Boy – the Devil’s Backbone
Burlap-sack head – The Orphanage
The Woman – The Woman in Black
Mary Shaw from Dead Silence
Dead woman from Black Sabbath
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If you have any other ideas of ghosts that should be included here, let me know. I’ll add them to the Honorable Mentions list.
Awesome article. You left off Patrick Swayze, though. Frightening.
LMFAO…, Oh, wait… dude, that’s not nice…
Patrick Swayze scary? That hurts my heart! 😦
Great list. Glad to see the seaweed Creepshow ghosts under honorable mention.
This post is all kinds of awesome. You’ve included some of my very scariest ghosts too. Blake, The Shining Twins, Kane and Samara. I’m glad you gave The Orphanage and TD’s Backbone an honorable mention. I have to get around to watching that Masters of Horror episode too. The Sentinal ghost dude always slips by me. He was very creepy. Great Job! 😀
The Sentinel, that movie was way-out-there but that one part always gave me a jump scare. Notice the similarities between The Fog and The Blind Dead? Even the promo photos with the main character and the hand coming through the door… makes you wonder.
Yes, I did notice the similarities. Good catch. I’ve always liked that image too. A ghostly hand in promo pics can go a long way.
awesome list, Mike!
Although I wouldn’t put samara in my list because Sadako is far more scarier than her…then again, I not a fan of remake.
The woman in black will also be in my list.
the twin looks beautful now.
Smara and the Jackal are both enough to get my blood pumping. Thirteen Ghosts is one of my favorites.
Great list! There’s even one or two on here I might have to look up and watch just because the pictures look so cool.
Happy haunting~ have a great weekend!
Awesome, glad I could offer a suggestion or two.
Awesome post! I would probably pick the duo of Kyoko and Toshio from the Ring over Samara if I had to, but that’s probably a matter of opinion.
Thanks, If you have any other suggestions, let me know. I will put them in my honorable mentions.
Those twins from the Shining grew up to be rather hot.
Kane! OMG I was so haunted by him as a child. Also, nice honorable mention of the Beach Lovers from Creepshow!
The girl who played Samara, Daveigh Chase, was also the voice of Lilo in Lilo and Stitch.
Really? I didn’t know that! thanks for the info…
you’re welcome
Good list. Clever comment about Patrick Swayze. I would also include the dead Japanese mother from The Grudge. That rattly voice was CAHREEEPEEE!!
Reblogged this on parlor of horror and commented:
Thought this would be a good time to recycle this post. For all of you going to see the new Poltergiest movie, you might want to see how it compares to my top 10 list 🙂
I love how diverse your list is. Templar Knights are easy to overlook 🙂
Awesome list! I would definitely put Mary Shaw from Dead Silence in there! She is one creepy ghost!!
I think I have her in my ‘creepy old women’ list so I wanted to give other films a nod. She would definitely fit good in here, too!
Hmm, I decided to put Mary Shaw in this post too, because not everyone will see my other post and she is super creepy 🙂
Haha, she really is awesome she deserves all the credit!!!! :):)
Great Post!
Blake & his crew were the BEST.
That final shot of Th Fog – Boy, Blake’s got a mean swing!
Those Knights (@ No.8) look cool – I’ll have to checkem out.
My personal fave ghost is Jack from American Werewolf in London, but he’s not scary, just bloody hilarious!
Hey, thanks for Liking my Fury Rd Post!
Cheers!
Lots of great choices here and loads of movies I haven’t see here. Need to get back on my horror.