This is the fifth in a series of articles where we’ll be covering the Top Films About Ghosts and Hauntings. This subgenre also includes Films About Haunted Houses, Films About the Paranormal, Films About The Supernatural, Films About Evil Spirits and Films About Séances. Also, because themes of the Supernatural and Paranormal can cover a broad range of Horror subgenres, we’ve tried to isolate films that specifically deal with Ghosts (and resulting Hauntings) for this list.
This fifth article will cover the Top Films about Ghosts and Hauntings You Haven’t Seen from 2005 – 2009 and you can check out additional articles by decade below. We are also going to include a Best Of subgenre article as a grand finale. There are so many great Ghost films over the last 60 years that we felt it best to break down some of the subgenre’s forgotten and lesser-known gems by decade before we give you the Best Of list which will likely feature many films you’ve already heard of or have seen.
- Top Films About Ghosts & Hauntings You Haven’t Seen – 1970’s
- Top Films About Ghosts & Hauntings You Haven’t Seen – 1980’s
- Top Films About Ghosts & Hauntings You Haven’t Seen – 1990’s
- Top Films About Ghosts & Hauntings You Haven’t Seen – 2000 – 2004
- Top Films About Ghosts & Hauntings You Haven’t Seen – 2005 – 2009
- Top Films About Ghosts & Hauntings You Haven’t Seen – 2010 – 2014
- Top Films About Ghosts & Hauntings You Haven’t Seen – 2015 – 2019
- Best Recent Films About Ghosts & Hauntings
- Best Films About Ghosts & Hauntings
The latter half of the 2000’s saw an increase in paranormal and supernatural-themed films mainly driven by the Asian Horror craze. Though this craze started to lose steam towards the end of the decade, it was still a significant contributor to the subgenre. Other prominent themes of the subgenre from 2005 – 2009 included more Hollywood remakes of notable Asian Horror films, supernatural-themed Techno Thrillers and the early stages of the marriage between Found Footage and the Paranormal.
While Asian Horror Films continued to appear in abundance during this period, there was a significant decrease in quality. Most of these films tried to capitalize on the elevated interest in Asian Horror, but the films often suffered from low production values, poor acting and recycled plots from previous hits. The ‘Asian woman with long, black hair covering her face’ villain became such an overused Asian Horror film trope that it was somewhat spoofed in another J-Horror film Exte: Hair Extensions (2007).
Though this five-year-period wasn’t the best for Asian Horror subgenre films, various countries produced some notable efforts. Some above-average Asian subgenre horror from Japan included Noroi: The Curse (2005), Exte: Hair Extensions (2007), A Slit-Mouthed Woman (2007), Kaidan (2007) and Teke Teke (2009). Voice (2005), Cello (2005), Cinderella (2006), Midnight Ballad for Ghost Theater (2006) and Epitaph (2008) were some of the prominent Asian Horror from South Korea. Thailand continued its ramp up of Thai Horror subgenre films with Ghost of Mae Nak (2005), Dorm (2006), Alone (2007) and Body (2007). And two of the better Asian Horror subgenre films of the decade were Silk (2006) from Taiwan and Re-cycle (2006) from Hong Kong.
This five-year-period in the subgenre was also notable for all of the U.S. remakes of classic Asian Horror films from 1998 -2004. With the exception of The Ring (2002), none of these remakes were better than the classic films they were based on. In fact, many of these films were forgettable. But we’re here to list the films and here they are: Dark Water (2005), Pulse (2006) and One Missed Call (2008) were remakes of classic J-Horror films (of the same name). The Eye (2008) was a remake of the Pang Brothers’ Asian Horror classic The Eye (2002). Shutter (2008) was a remake of the Thai Horror film Shutter (2004) and The Echo (2008) was a remake of the Filipino Horror film Sigaw (2004). And apart from all the Asian Horror remakes, The Amityville Horror (2005) was a remake of the 1979 subgenre classic but couldn’t quite replicate the scares and creepiness of the original.
This decade also saw the birth of another subgenre theme – supernatural-themed Techno Thrillers. This merging of Techno Thrillers with elements of the paranormal would become a prominent subgenre theme into 2010 and beyond. Some of the films that capitalized on this blend of the paranormal and technology were Stay Alive (2006) which featured a haunted 3D video game, a scientific invention to view the energy of ghosts in Silk (2006), a couple’s baby monitor that detects another presence in their infant’s room in The Baby’s Room (2008) and Ghost Machine (2009) which was about a vengeful ghost that inhabits a military’s Virtual Reality simulation.
Though the initial roots of Found Footage Horror were first planted in earlier decades with Ghostwatch (1992) and The Blair Witch Project (1999), it wasn’t until the mid-2000’s that the subgenre would begin to grow and accelerate into the 2010’s. Most of these films had themes of the supernatural and paranormal and Paranormal Activity (2007) was one of the first major films to jumpstart the Paranormal Found Footage craze. Other notable subgenre films of the decade utilizing the Found Footage format included Noroi: The Curse (2005) and Lake Mungo (2009).
Our complete list of Films About The Paranormal, Hauntings & Ghosts features over 526+ films from 1961 – 2023. This collection features almost every film involving a ghost, evil spirit, ghost possessing a person, haunted houses, hauntings and broader themes of the paranormal and supernatural. If you don’t see a film in our collection, it is likely in other collections such as Films About Gothic Horror, Films About Exorcisms & Possession and Films About The Devil, Demons & Hell. Also, as we’re always updating our collections and will be releasing additional articles of great Films About Ghosts & Hauntings, subscribe to our newsletter for our latest updates as we post them.
Classic Films About Ghosts & Hauntings from 2005 – 2009: The Skeleton Key (2005), Re-cycle (2006), Silk (2006), The Orphanage (2007), 1408 (2007), Paranormal Activity (2007), The Baby’s Room (2008), Lake Mungo (2009) and Case 39 (2009).
Lesser-known Films About Ghosts & Hauntings from 2005 – 2009 that didn’t make our list: White Noise (2005), Hide and Seek (2005), One Missed Call 2 (2005), An American Haunting (2005), Shallow Ground (2005), The Red Shoes (2005), Voice (2005), The Ring Two (2005), The Amityville Horror (2005), Dark Water (2005), Cello (2005), Ghost of Mae Nak (2005), Loft (2005), Fragile (2005), Dorm (2006), The Legend of Lucy Keyes (2006), Blood Curse (2006), The Wedding Curse (2006), Stay Alive (2006), Pulse (2006), Cinderella (2006), The Abandoned (2006), Fingerprints (2006), Midnight Ballad for Ghost Theater (2006), Seed of Darkness (2006), The Messengers (2007), The Matrimony (2007), Alone (2007), Kaidan (2007), Voices (2007), They Wait (2007), Body (2007), One Missed Call (2008), The Eye (2008), Shutter (2008), The Echo (2008), Kandisha (2008), Red Sands (2009), Book of Blood (2009), The Haunting in Connecticut (2009), The Skeptic (2009), Haunted Universities (2009), The Beacon (2009), The New Daughter (2009) and The Turn of the Screw (2009).
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Here is our list of the Top Films About Ghosts & Hauntings You Haven’t Seen from the 2005 – 2009:
#10
Noroi: The Curse
Plot: A documentary filmmaker explores seemingly unrelated paranormal incidents connected by the legend of an ancient demon called the kagutaba.
KBZ’s Take: Even if you’re not fond of the Found Footage format, Noroi is a subgenre film still worth checking out. It is one of the better examples of how the format can be used effectively to create both a creepy atmosphere and shocking scares.
It’s not a classic subgenre film like Ringu (1998) or Dark Water (2002) but sits firmly in the tier just below those films.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3JIGRPK
Plot: It’s graduation weekend, and Sandy Channing, the popular class president of her small-town high school, should be enjoying the time of her life. But when her friends start disappearing, Sandy discovers they have unwittingly awakened the vengeful spirit of a girl they wronged long ago. Fighting for her sanity, Sandy must unlock a dark secret from her own past before it’s too late.
KBZ’s Take: We’ll start off by saying this film is not very good. The acting is horrible and some of the characters are very annoying. But, we’re still recommending the film for its concept and special effects.
It’s a shame this film has so many issues as the concept of the film is one of the most unique and best of the subgenre. It’s surprising the concept hadn’t been done before and hopefully is remade with a bigger budget, tighter script and better acting.
As for the special effects, they are above average for the subgenre (and a film of this type). There are some great ghostly designs and suspenseful (and bloody) revenge scenes.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/4360g48
Plot: Two technicians battle a vengeful spirit that has infected their stolen military software.
KBZ’s Take: This is another low budget offering of the subgenre that was surprisingly better than we thought it would be. But it does seem to have a fairly even love it or hate it rep so your mileage might vary with a film of this type.
The ‘ghost seeking revenge in a VR simulation’ is a unique concept in the subgenre and despite the low budget, the film has some quality acting and special effects. Though the film isn’t full of typical shock scares, it does build up a good amount of suspense and mystery within the simulation as the participants being to realize they’re no longer in control of it.
We would recommend the film for fans of Supernatural Technology thrillers like Ghost in the Machine (1993), Spectral (2016) and You Die (2018).
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/44w377G
Plot: Legend holds that 30 years ago, a suburban town was terrorized by the spirit of a woman whose horrid face had been grotesquely disfigured. Roaming the streets wearing a long coat and carrying large scissors, the spirit would approach her young victims and, while removing the mask, ask if she was pretty. The victim’s response would almost always lead to their violent death.
KBZ’s Take: If you’ve watched enough J-Horror, you’re aware that the Japanese don’t have any taboos when it comes to Horror – including children. So fair warning, there is a scene in this film that likely would never be made by any other country except for Japan. The scene involves the Slit-Mouthed Woman and the children she has captured and tied up. Though it’s not explicitly violent (and most of what is shown and heard is off-screen), it’s still disturbing to experience.
As for the film, it’s very reminiscent of films like Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and Candyman (1992) with its Urban Legend background and Slasher Film execution. Recommended for fans of the subgenre that can deal with more extreme J-Horror.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3XCuBWK
#6
Wind Chill
Plot: Two college students share a ride home for the holidays. When they break down on a deserted stretch of road, they’re preyed upon by the ghosts of people who have died there
KBZ’s Take: This is one of those films of two halves. The first half of this film falls much more under Psychological Horror / Survival Horror with mystery and suspense elements. However, the second half of the film makes it a recommendation as it veers into very creepy supernatural territory.
Emily Blunt and Ashton Holmes have some great chemistry together that helps guide the film through its fairly predictable first half. But as the film changes gears, it delivers one of the more effective (and philosophical) ghost stories of the subgenre.
Additional Lists: The Ultimate List of Christmas Horror Films #14
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Plot: An aspiring hairdresser (Kuriyama) becomes the infatuation of a man who sells hair extensions to nearby hair salons. The source of the hair is the corpse of a girl whose dead body continues to grow beautiful, voluminous, black hair that comes alive, driving those who use the extensions insane or killing them.
KBZ’s Take: If you follow the J-Horror subgenre, you’re aware that plots and themes of those films are unconventional and often just crazy. By reading Exte’s plot overview, you wouldn’t think a film about hair extensions could actually be frightening. But the film intensifies the supernatural scares by layering them over child abuse.
Though the supernatural presence in the film leads to some creative horror moments (and kills), the more frightening layer of the film is the physical and mental abuse of eight-year-old Mami (Miku Sato) by her mother Kiyomi (Tsugumi). The scenes of abuse are hard to watch but add emotional depth to a film that’s much better than its plot line and premise might suggest.
Additional Lists: Top Body Horror Films You Haven’t Seen – 2000’s #8
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#4
100 Feet
Plot: After Marnie Watson kills her abusive husband in self-defense, she is condemned to house arrest… only to discover that the house is possessed by the enraged and violent spirit of her dead husband.
KBZ’s Take: 100 Feet is similar to an earlier film in the subgenre – The Entity (1982). Like The Entity, 100 Feet is about a vengeful ghost who torments a woman in increasingly brutal ways. However, where the films differ is that you know who the ghost is in 100 Feet – an abusive husband / crooked cop murdered in self-defense by his wife, Marnie (Famke Janssen).
With that backstory, the film increases the tension by having the now-released Marnie confined to her home and constrained by an ankle bracelet. What could go wrong with a vengeful, abusive ghost and a woman who can’t leave or escape the home that is now haunted?
100 Feet is a surprisingly good psychological ghost story with some very tense scenes. We still get the chills when remembering the film’s scene of the ghost lurking in the kitchen as Marnie tries to retrieve her wedding ring from the blades in the kitchen sink’s disposal unit.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3PGEQr6
Plot: A couple with a newborn child arrives at a big old house, the ideal place to start a real family life. Before going to bed, the couple checks the operation of the listening device installed in their baby’s room, whom they can listen to and watch. They soon discover that there is someone else in the house who sits next to the baby’s crib every night.
KBZ’s Take: This is a great film that starts as a haunted house tale but veers into Psychological Horror in the vein of The Shining (1980).
The film effectively builds both mystery and suspense as the young couple start to notice strange sounds coming from the baby’s room (via the baby monitor). From there, the film does an excellent job of balancing the initial mystery of the ‘presence’ in their home with increasing Twilight Zone-esque moments layered upon philosophical themes.
The Baby’s Room isn’t a typical haunted house film and will have you thinking about it’s ending long after it’s over.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3NEUD77
#2
Re-cycle
Plot: Ting-yin, a young novelist, is struggling to come up with a follow up to her best-selling trilogy of romance novels. After drafting her first chapter, she stops and deletes the file from her computer. She then starts seeing strange, unexplainable things and finds that she is experiencing the supernatural events that she described in her novel-to-be.
KBZ’s Take: The Pang Brothers delivered one of the classic films of the subgenre with The Eye (2002). In this follow-up to The Eye series of films, they have also delivered a near classic subgenre film with Re-cycle.
Where The Eye used Psychological Horror meshed with supernatural shock scares, Re-cycle takes a different approach with Dark Fantasy and Mystery. The film’s visuals of the world created by Ting-yin (Angelica Lee) are some of the most impressive of the subgenre and similar to other Dark Fantasy worlds visualized in What Dreams May Come (1988) and The Cell (2002).
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/44cbVQ6
#1
Silk
Plot: A scientist uses his invention – the Menger Sponge – to capture the energy of a dead child’s spirit in an old building. In trying to determine why the energy of the ghost does not dissipate, the team discovers the identity and the dramatic story of the boy.
KBZ’s Take: There are very few films we’ll rave about and Silk is one of them. It’s a perfect blend of mystery, sci-fi and very unique subgenre horror elements that would have been a subgenre classic if not for its weaker third act.
To start with, the film has one of the most original concepts of the subgenre. There are a few subgenre films that have explored the ability to see ghosts living in an alternate plane or reality. However, the way Silk approaches this concept is novel in itself – the anti-gravity device that can not only allow this alternate plane to be viewed but can also ‘trap’ the ghosts inside it.
The film builds upon this concept with a great multi-layered mystery involving both the lead scientist and the dead boy’s spirit who keeps following the same routine every day. The eventual reveal of the boy’s backstory and why he performs the routine is one of the most heartbreaking stories of the subgenre.
Unfortunately, the film falters a bit in the third act with some overused subgenre elements. It’s a shame because the film was headed for classic status of the subgenre. As it is, it’s still one of the best films of the decade with its very emotional tale of spiritual love and loss. It’s a film that no fan of the subgenre should miss.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3NYVW2h
