Horror moviesstick with audiences in various ways. Some are disturbing, touching taboo subjects involving religion, sexuality, and the human condition. Some are just slashers meant to give audiences a two-hour escape from their everyday lives. Some horror movies take supernatural elements, combine them with gratuitous bloodshed, and give horror buffs their money’s worth. Let’s take a moment to honor the genre with these 10 ghost stories that are also extremely gory.
The Haunting (1999)
Starring Catherine Zeta Jones, Liam Neeson, and Owen Wilson,The Hauntingis a bloody good time. Following the story of Nell, she is invited to take part of an insomnia study at Hill House, accompanied by a group of participants. Soon, Nell discovers that there’s more than meets the eye as ghosts surface to claim their revenge on Hill House’s new guests.
Why it Makes the List
The Hauntingdoesn’t hold back when it comes to blood and gore. In one of the film’s goriest scenes, Luke Wilson’s Luke Sanderson is decapitated in front of his girlfriend, Theo, and the rest of the test subjects. The scene is bloody, haunting, and commendable, considering the use of early CGI of the late 1990s. Director Jan de Bont does an impressive job with this underrated ’90s ghost flick.
Stream on Max
13 Ghosts (2001)
Thirteen Ghosts
StarringMonk’sTony Shalhoub,Thirteen Ghostsputs a different spin on Home Sweet Home. A widowed father, Arthur, is struggling to make ends meet for his children, when the opportunity of a lifetime presents itself. He moves his family into the inherited estate of his late uncle, Cyrus. Things quickly take a turn for the worse, though, when Arthur realizes his new home is haunted by deadly ghosts out for blood, targeting Arthur’s two children as they’re taken hostage within their new home.
Thirteen Ghostsbrings together a star-studded cast to tell a horrifying, sinister tale. Best-known in the horror genre for his portrayal of Stu Macher inScream, Matthew Lillard is actually the good guy this time around, portraying an executive who becomes a victim of circumstance while carrying out Cyrus' last business endeavor. Lillard’s Dennis meets a gruesome demise as he is bludgeoned to death by two of the haunted mansion’s most bloodthirsty ghosts.Thirteen Ghostsis not for anyone with a squeamish stomach.
Rent on Apple TV
Hereditary (2018)
Hereditary
This A24 film has Toni Colette back in the horror genre as Annie, a woman who has recently lost several of her loved ones while dealing with the strained relationship with her husband and son, Steve and Peter. As Annie attempts to connect with her deceased daughter in the afterlife, a deadly curse is unleashed, threatening to claim Annie’s remaining family.
Hereditaryis one ofthe bloodiest and most disturbing ghost moviesin existence. From the apparitions that haunt Annie’s dreams, the ancient spirits that rise to ultimately claim Annie’s body and soul, to the final ritual where a legion of bloodthirsty spirits lead Peter to his death to allow Charlie to take over his body.Hereditaryis ominous, gruesome, and utterly horrifying.
The Conjuring (2013)
The Conjuring
Of course,The Conjuringwould be on this list. It started what is considered one of the most lucrative horror franchises in cinema history. This first installmentintroduces audiences to the Warren family, the titular family that tackles cases of possession through eachThe Conjuringinstallment. As the Warren family assists the Perrons with the supernatural happenings occurring in their home, they realize that an evil lurks, awaiting to claim an innocent soul, or as many as possible.
From the moment Carolyn Perron becomes possessed,The Conjuringtakes a bloody turn. Gore, brutal attacks, and instances where it seems Carolyn is about to end the lives of one of her family members, no one feels off limits inThe Conjuring.Then there’s every flashback scene describing the horrific murders that resulted in the haunting of the Perron’s new home.
Ghost Ship (2002)
Ghost Ship
In a remote region of the Bering Sea, a boat salvage crew discovers the eerie remains of a grand passenger liner thought lost for more than 40 years. But once onboard the eerie, cavernous ship, the crew of the Arctic Warrior discovers that the decaying vessel is anything but deserted. It’s home to something more deadly and horrific than anything they’ve encountered in all their years at sea.
Though somewhat of an underrated film,Ghost Shipdelivers in the gore department, with Emily Browning gives a compelling performance as the tragic spirit that is destined to an eternity in the deserted ship, nevertheless trying to help the new passengers escape their impending doom. In one of the film’s most gory scenes, Karl Urban’s Munder is crushed to death as he tries to make his escape.Ghost Shiprivals the bloodshedpresented in films such asDeep Blue SeaandThe Deep.
We Are Still Here (2015)
We Are Still Heretells the tale of a cursed house, and an unsuspecting family, Anne and Paul Sacchetti (portrayed by Barbara Crampton and Andrew Sensenig), coming to terms with the death of their son as they move into a new home in New England. Not before long, unearthly apparitions come to the surface, determined to claim the family’s souls at any cost.
A meditation on grief, this brutal 2015 ghost horror film doesn’t hold back in the kills department, with Crampton and Sensenig giving compelling performances as they are terrorized family discovering the secrets behind the Dagmar family and the funeral home that previously stood where their new home is located. Every ghost inWe Are Still Hereis thirsty for blood, claiming the lives of anyone standing between them, Anne, and Paul.
Stream on Prime Video
Crimson Peak (2015)
Crimson Peak
This Guillermo del Toro movie reminds us of what the director can do when entrusted with a horror concept. Set in the late 1800s,Crimson Peakfollows the story of Edith, a woman recently married to Sir Thomas Sharpe. Edith moves with her husband to his remote home in the English countryside. Soon, Edith discovers that her new home is inhabited by something from behind the grave, discovering disturbing secrets about her husband and his sister, Lady Lucille.
Guillermo del Toro has a way of combining magical realism, seductive undertones, and gore to keep audiences on the edge of their seats, through and through.Crimson Peakhas him on top of his game as a director. Mia Wasikowska gives a touching performance as Edith, a woman who is simply a victim of circumstance as she comes across the tormented ghosts trapped in her new home. Seeing Edith decline into mental insatiability as she witnesses bloody apparition after bloody apparition is utterly heartbreaking.
Stream on Netflix
Candyman (1992)
Candymanis a steamy, erotic horror flick sure to make the audience’s skin crawl. Following the story of an inquisitive grad student, Helen, she accidentally summons the murderous spirit ofCandymanto the world of the living, resulting in grave consequences for all those around her.
Candymanwas graphic for its time of release, both in terms of gore and its sexual undertones. Tony Todd gives a noteworthy performance as the Candyman, claiming the lives of countless characters in utterly maniacal and bloody ways. While theCandyman2021 remake was a decent rendition of the classic, it’s difficult to compare it to the early ’90s original.
Talk to Me (2023)
Talk to Me
A24 can do no wrong, and this year’sTalk to Meis a testament to that. Following the death of her mother, Mia grows distant from her mother, spending time with her best friend’s family and becoming increasingly obsessed with getting in contact with her deceased mother. When Mia’s circle of friends introduces her to an embalmed hand that allows anyone that holds it to contact the dead, Mia becomes addicted to its gateway abilities, with dire consequences for all her friends and family.
2023 delivered several horror movies for horror enthusiasts to delight themselves with, butTalk to Metruly set the bar high, mostly due to its simplicity and graphic imagery. In what’s arguably the film’s most disturbing scene, the young Riley becomes a host for an evil spirit that causes him to violently self-harm as Mia and their friends watch in horror at the grotesque scene occurring.Talk to Meis chilling, clever, and heart-wrenching.
The Woman in Black (2012)
The Woman In Black
The Woman in Blackhas Daniel Radcliffe stepping outside hisHarry Potterimage to show fans that his acting range knows no limits. Radcliffe portrays Arthur Kipps, a lawyer who travels to a small village to investigate the mysterious killings of its locals. Matters take a sinister turn when Kipps hears rumors that a vengeful witch might be behind the killings, making him a potential next target.
This 2012 horror flick is a bloody thrill ride from beginning to end. One of the film’s most disturbing elements is the witch’s boundless thirst for blood, which targets villagers regardless of their age or morality. Unlike other films on this list,The Woman in Blackdoesn’t have a happy ending for any of the characters involved, with Arthur losing his life as he attempts to save Joseph from Jennet’s wrath.
