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The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked 

Ranker Film
Updated April 16, 2020 50.5k votes 4.3k voters 180.8k views 142 items

List Rules Vote up your favorite horror movies that feature characters from another realm.

This list contains information on the best supernatural horror movies, ranked from best to worst by user votes. The best supernatural horror films come in many forms. Some good supernatural horror movies involve ghostly hauntings while other good supernatural horror movies are about demons and devils. Many of the best supernatural horror movies have produced sequels and spin-offs.

What films will you find on this top supernatural horror movies list? The Exorcist has to be near the top. This William Friedkin film finds two priests helping a mother to rid her daughter of a terrifying possession. To this day, the 1973 movie is frequently referred to as the scariest film of all time. Carrie is another great supernatural horror movie.

Bad dreams and sleepless night plagued movie-goers who went to the theater to see A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984. Other scary ghost horror films featured on this list include Poltergeist, Paranormal Activity, Thirteen Ghosts, and The Conjuring.

Which supernatural horror movie is your favorite? Let your voice be heard by giving the scariest films a thumbs up. Then, check out our list of the best ghost movies.

Data-driven recommendations based on voting from over 40 million monthly visits to Ranker. Try the free app
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1
The Conjuring is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Joey King

Released: 2013

Directed by: James Wan

The Conjuring is a 2013 American supernatural horror film directed by James Wan and the first installment in the Conjuring series. Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) are ...more

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2
The Exorcist is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
Max von Sydow, Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair

Released: 1973

Directed by: William Friedkin

The Exorcist is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted by William Peter Blatty from his 1971 novel of the same name. The book, inspired by the 1949 ...more

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3
The Conjuring 2: The Enf... is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Frances O'Connor

Released: 2016

Directed by: James Wan

The Conjuring 2 is a 2016 American supernatural horror film, directed by James Wan. It is the sequel to 2013's The Conjuring and the third installment in The Conjuring series. Ed and Lorraine ...more

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4
Insidious is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey, Patrick Wilson

Released: 2010

Directed by: James Wan

Insidious is a 2011 American supernatural horror film directed by James Wan, written by Leigh Whannell, and starring Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne and Barbara Hershey. It is the first installment ...more

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5
The Shining is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
GeraldineGH added Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Scatman Crothers

Released: 1980

Directed by: Stanley Kubrick

The Shining is a 1980 British-American psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, ...more

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6
Poltergeist is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Heather O'Rourke

Released: 1982

Directed by: Tobe Hooper

Poltergeist is a 1982 American supernatural thriller film, directed by Tobe Hooper and co-written and produced by Steven Spielberg. It is the first and most successful entry in the Poltergeist ...more

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7
The Ring is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
Naomi Watts, Pauley Perrette, Brian Cox

Released: 2002

Directed by: Gore Verbinski

The Ring is a 2002 American psychological horror film directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Naomi Watts. It is a remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film Ring, which was based on the novel Ring ...more

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8
Insidious: Chapter 2 is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey, Patrick Wilson

Released: 2013

Directed by: James Wan

Insidious: Chapter 2 is a 2013 American supernatural horror film directed by James Wan. It is a sequel to 2010's Insidious and the second installment in the Insidious film series. The film stars ...more

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9
A Nightmare on Elm Stree... is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
Johnny Depp, Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp

Released: 1984

Directed by: Wes Craven

A Nightmare on Elm Street is a 1984 American supernatural slasher horror film written and directed by Wes Craven, and the first film of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The film stars ...more

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10
The Exorcism of Emily Ro... is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
Laura Linney, Jennifer Carpenter, Tom Wilkinson

Released: 2005

Directed by: Scott Derrickson

The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a 2005 American courtroom drama horror film directed by Scott Derrickson, loosely based on the story of Anneliese Michel. A self-proclaimed agnostic lawyer (Laura ...more

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11
The Omen is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner

Released: 1976

Directed by: Richard Donner

The Omen is a 1976 British/American supernatural horror film directed by Richard Donner. The film stars Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Harvey Spencer Stephens, Billie Whitelaw, Patrick ...more

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12
Annabelle: Creation is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
Annabelle: Creation Talitha Bateman, Stephanie Sigman, Anthony LaPaglia

Released: 2017

Directed by: David F. Sandberg

Annabelle: Creation is a 2017 American supernatural horror film directed by David F. Sandberg. It is a prequel to 2014's Annabelle and the fourth film in The Conjuring franchise. It tells the ...more

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13
Paranormal Activity is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Randy McDowell

Released: 2007

Directed by: Oren Peli

Paranormal Activity is a 2007 American supernatural horror film written, co-produced, photographed, edited, and directed by Oren Peli. The film centers on a young couple, Katie and Micah, who ...more

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14
The Amityville Horror is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
Chloë Grace Moretz, Ryan Reynolds, Rachel Nichols

Released: 2005

Directed by: Andrew Douglas

The Amityville Horror is a 2005 American horror film directed by Andrew Douglas. It is a remake of the 1979 film of the same name which itself was based on the novel of the same name by Jay ...more

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15
1408 is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
Samuel L. Jackson, John Cusack, Kate Walsh

Released: 2007

Directed by: Mikael Håfström

1408 is a 2007 American psychological horror film based on the Stephen King 1999 short story of the same name directed by Swedish director Mikael Håfström. The movie stars John ...more

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16
Carrie is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
John Travolta, Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie

Released: 1976

Directed by: Brian De Palma

Carrie is a 1976 American supernatural horror film based on Stephen King's first major 1974 novel of the same name. The film was directed by Brian De Palma and written by Lawrence D. Cohen. The ...more

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17
The Others is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
Jobson Bronson added Nicole Kidman, Christopher Eccleston, Michelle Fairley

Released: 2001

Directed by: Alejandro Amenábar

The Others is a 2001 horror-thriller film written, directed and scored by Alejandro Amenábar. It stars Nicole Kidman and Fionnula Flanagan. It won eight Goya Awards, including awards for ...more

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18
Sinister is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
MichaelBell2 added Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio, Fred Thompson

Released: 2012

Directed by: Scott Derrickson

Sinister is a 2012 supernatural horror film directed by Scott Derrickson and written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill. It stars Ethan Hawke as fictional true writer Ellison Oswalt who ...more

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19
Annabelle is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
Alfre Woodard, Annabelle Wallis, Brian Howe

Released: 2014

Directed by: John R. Leonetti

Annabelle is a 2014 American supernatural psychological horror film directed by John R. Leonetti, produced by James Wan, and written by Gary Dauberman. It is both a prequel to and spin-off of ...more

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20
Rosemary's Baby is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
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Released: 1968

Directed by: Roman Polanski

Rosemary's Baby is a 1968 American psychological horror film written and directed by Roman Polanski, based on the bestselling 1967 novel of the same name by Ira Levin. The cast includes Mia ...more

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21
The Grudge is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
Sarah Michelle Gellar, KaDee Strickland, Bill Pullman

Released: 2004

Directed by: Takashi Shimizu

The Grudge is a 2004 American horror film and the first installment in The Grudge franchise. It is a remake of the Japanese film Ju-on: The Grudge. The film was released in North America on ...more

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22
Thirteen Ghosts is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
Shannon Elizabeth, Tony Shalhoub, Matthew Lillard

Released: 2001

Directed by: Steve Beck

Thirteen Ghosts is a 2001 American horror film directed by Steve Beck. It is a remake of the 1960 film 13 Ghosts by William Castle. It follows the remake of another one of Castle's films, House ...more

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23
Evil Dead is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
Jane Levy, Jessica Lucas, Shiloh Fernandez

Released: 2013

Directed by: Fede Alvarez

This film is a 2013 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Fede Alvarez. It is the fourth installment of the franchise, serving as both a reboot, a remake and as a loose ...more

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24
Insidious: Chapter 3 is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
Stefanie Scott, Dermot Mulroney, Lin Shaye

Released: 2015

Directed by: Leigh Whannell

Insidious: Chapter 3 is a 2015 supernatural horror film directed by Leigh Whannell, and a prequel to the Insidious movies. Gifted psychic Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) reluctantly agrees to use her ...more

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25
Stir of Echoes is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked
Jennifer Morrison, Kevin Bacon, Illeana Douglas

Released: 1999

Directed by: David Koepp

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