Supernatural movies are eerie and mind-bending. They keep you on the edge of your seat. From cult classics to new-age supernatural films, the HBO Max catalog is filled with various supernatural movies to choose from.
True stories of horror, poltergeist, and demonic possession let you peek into the diabolical world of the sinister, where good vs. evil battle with each other. A few horror movies inspire you to be spiritual, while others illustrate how grim and insidious the netherworld is.
The Conjuring
Based on a true story, the Conjuring franchise stars Vera Farmigo and Patrick Wilson as Lorraine and Ed Warren, the famous paranormal researchers, and demonologists. The Perron’s farmhouse in Rhode Island has been an infamous site for haunting.
Unaware of its reputation, the Perron family movies in and experiences eerie occurrences for which they have no explanation. Their dog dies the day after they move in; odd noises during the day and night. Their children being attacked by unknown elements are some of the scary things experienced in Perron’s farmhouse.
They call Ed and Lorriane to exorcize their home from demonic entities. The movie had numerous jolting moments. Bathsheba’s spirit lurches inside their farmhouse. Known to be a sorceress, her spirit haunts the farmhouse for a century.
The Exorcist
The 1971 film stars Max Von Sydow as priest Lankester Merrin. He exorcizes a demonic entity possessing the body of a young girl, Regan McNeil. The movie is based on a novel of the same name.
Lankester has a premonition during an excavation in Northern Iraq and returns to America. Regan is the daughter of an actress who lives with her mother, the housekeeper, and her secretary. They notice something strange happening inside Regan’s room. It is learned that her mother, Chris, and Regan have invited Captain Howdy through an Ouija board.
Since the invitation of an entity from the other world, Regans’ behavior becomes violent, erratic, and restless. After a series of violent and blasphemous episodes created by Regan, an exorcist, Father Karras, is called to heal Regan.
Chris desperately uses the help of doctors but realizes Regan’s violent behavior is only escalating and affecting her professional career. Finally, she realizes exorcism is the only solution and calls Father Merrim to exorcize the demons that possessed Regan.
Merrim and Father Karras exorcize the demonic entity, killing Father Merrin in the process. Regan and Chris return to Los Angeles when Regan is freed from the demonic entity.
Annabelle
Annabelle is the demonic doll inside the Lorraine and Ed Warren museum and a prequel to The Conjuring franchise. The original story is about a cursed ragdoll that two college students get as a gift. It keeps moving on its own, and fatal incidents start to occur.
The story is changed in the movie. A couple gets a vintage porcelain doll for their daughter. The very night they hear sounds, and Higgings assailants murder the husband of Mia. One of the killers is known to be Higgins’ estranged daughter, Annabelle.
After the attack, many unexplained paranormal activities happen inside the residence of John and Mia. They shift home to a nearby town after the birth of their daughter. Still, paranormal activities continue even inside their new home.
They call occultists to know that Annabelle and her boyfriend belong to a cult of Satanists who summon demons. They contact a local Priest, but it goes in vain to exorcize the evil spirit. He takes the doll to Ed and Lorriane but is attacked by the demon inside the doll before reaching them.
Inside the hospital, John is informed by the priest that the demon wants Mia’s soul. The movie has gripping moments that can give you goosebumps. It is not scary as The Conjuring franchise, but it has creepy moments.
The Omen
A remake of the 1976 film about a couple, Robert and Katherine, adopting a child, unknowingly is the devil’s son. The couple adopts this child from the hospital after giving birth to a stillborn. Though Robert is doing well in his career, disturbing events happen at home.
A photographer discovers omens inside Robert’s photos, which are premonitions of the death of various people. Numerous unholy incidents happen around their child, Damien. Finally, after a few violent incidents, Katherine is convinced that Damien is evil.
In their findings, they discover that Damien’s biological mother is a black Jackal, and he is indeed a child of the devil. Robert, too, finds the birthmark of 666 and is killed in the process of killing him. A cult classic with many twists keeps the audience intrigued till the end.
Constantine
John Constantine(Keanu Reeves) has been inside hell and is back on Earth with a gift to recognize angels and demons walking Earth in human skin. He is tormented by the visuals of his gift and attempts to end his life.
His attempts to end his life fails, and he is put back on Earth amongst the living mortals. He is not looking to be a hero saving the souls of the mortals. He wants salvation and to get out of this rut he is put into. His life involves fighting demons and ghouls because he wants to find a path to heaven.
The movie treats good vs. evil differently, making Constantine the unsung hero. He is battling his way to find salvation. The film has scary and fun moments that keep you intrigued till the end.
Ouija
Debbie dies playing with the Ouija board, and her family leaves home, assigning Laine, her best friend, to take care of the home. The Ouija board is back inside Debbie’s room, and her friends have been experiencing unusual events since the time they played.
Laine and her friends are discovering ways to stop evil from troubling them. They discover that a mother killed her child named Doris inside Debbie’s home. Then, they find Dori’s sister, Paulina, to learn some secrets about Debbie’s home.
Pauline reveals her mother used the Ouija board to talk to spirits. The movie slowly unveils the truth through its spooky moments, which makes the plot gripping with moments of lunacy and charm.
Barbarian
The 2022 American horror film is an original narrative that uses urban locations to spook the audience with a gripping plot. Tess(Georgina Campbell) has booked an Airbnb room but is unable to find the keys as she reaches and has to share the room with Keith. Keith admits he, too, has booked the same room.
Tess is an actress who Billy recognizes. The next day when she goes to meet the filmmaker, Bonnie, she is advised to leave home immediately. The story switches back and forth between the past and present history of the house.
Frank, the original owner of the rented home, is found in the tunnel beneath the house performing insidious acts holding victims hostage inside the tunnel. AJ(Justin Long) is a screenwriter who books the same home and is found dealing with the evil machinations of Frank. An unconventional plot for a supernatural horror flick with realistic treatment makes it convincing.
American Psycho
The 2000 supernatural horror flick is based on a novel of the same name. Patrick Bateman(Christian Bale), a wealthy investment banker, lives an insidious double life. His cruelty is projected toward women.
The plot involves themes of sadism, cruelty, grotesqueness, and perversion. Patrick is engaged to Evelyn and is a true psychopath filled with jealousy, narcissism, and contempt. He kills Allen, a business associate, out of jealousy.
The movie has notorious gory moments but gives a peek into the psychological state of Patrick. He plans to kill another business associate. Patrick is on a killing spree marked sheer out of unbridled jealousy.
Before calling off his engagement, Patrick kills a few more people, women included. Patrick has a dual personality and a thrust for psychopathy. The movie has story elements, but the end could confuse many. As his lawyer calls it, Patrick gets away with all the murders he committed, a work of his imagination.
IT
The 2017 IT supernatural horror movie is a screen adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name. Many people in the town of Maine go missing. A group of children known as the ‘Loser’s Club work to solve this mystery, exposing the clown Pennywise.
The outcasts from hostile families have seen the clown Pennywise also referred to as ‘IT.’ They are convinced he is the reason people in the town are missing. The themes of facing fears and teamwork are depicted in the film.
The Nightmare On The Elm Street
Wes Craven’s supernatural slasher horror flick is about a child killer Freddy Krueger whom a group of teens tries to fend off. Freddy sends nightmares to teenagers about how they will be murdered, leading to fear, chaos, and confusion among a group of teens.
Tina has recurring nightmares, and her friends Rod and Glenn are murdered by Freddy. Freddy, who was once charged with child murder, is now using dreams to kill the parents who accused him of murder. Nancy is successful in getting them to the real world from nightmares.
When Nancy confronts him, all the people who have died in Nancy’s dreams are alive. But suddenly, everyone is trapped in Freddy’s mobile when Nancy thinks all the bad is gone. The franchise has Gorey and gripping moments, making the plot unpredictable.
The Shining
The Shining is a screen adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name, directed by Stanley Kubrick. Jack Torrance(Jack Nicholson) is driving up a mountain to reach an isolated hotel along with his family for the caretaker job.
He is warned that the previous caretaker went insane and murdered his family. The family is initially excited to stay at the hotel. Jack’s son Danny starts having Gory nightmares. Danny tells a doctor about their violent behavior of Jack that led to the dislocation of Danny’s shoulder.
As the months pass, Danny starts witnessing many scary things around the hotel. Jack is also losing his mind and chattering with a ghostly figure. Jack finally meets the ghost of the former caretaker, Delbert Grady.
His wife, Wendy, realizes that Jack has become insane when she witnesses his writing the same line over a few months. Grady advises Jack to axe his family. Though Wendy locks Jack in a room, Grady’s ghost lets him get out of the room.
The ending is left for the audience to decipher. The movie creates enough suspense and drama around the plot to keep the audience glued to their seats.
The Poltergeist
An 80’s supernatural flick that has eerie and metaphysical realms. One day strange things start happening inside the home of Steve and Diane. They live with their children and experience a white ghost coming from their television set.
The earthquake and other violent occurrences illustrate the poltergeist activity in the movie. Furniture moving on its own, silverware bending by itself, and other bizarre incidents from which Steve and his family find no respite.
A team of parapsychologists arrives to investigate the occurrences. They conclude that Steve’s family is experiencing the poltergeist activity of multiple ghosts. In addition, he learns that the house he has been living in was a cemetery moved to a different location.
Their children’s room and the living room is the portal for the ghosts to invade their dimension, causing a disturbance. Steve learns all about them, leaves home with his children, and lives inside a hotel.
Poltergeist movies were popular during the 80s, with eerie elements and stories about ghosts entering the human dimension. This was one of the popular supernatural movies produced and written by Steven Speilberg.
The Craft
A girl moves to a town and joins the covenant of three witches. Their magical powers are related to the four elements of Earth, namely water, fire, air, and Earth, each possessing one element’s power. They pass snide remarks to everyone else outside their circle. They are dressed in gothic fashion.
Most of them have been subjected to abuse from the past or their families to turn to magic. A movie about a teen clique using the power of magic to gain control over people and keep those who hurt them in a state of terror.
They have fun in the class, levitating objects and in the dating game. They together feel powerful, and their bond deepens. They cast spells on those who trouble them and protect themselves from physical and emotional damage.
Nancy, one of the clique members, develops a lust for power and the occult and encourages others to join. They witness her walking on water and engaging in other forms of risky behavior. Nancy starts having feelings for Sarah’s boyfriend, Chris.
The movie depicts how an early interest in spells and the occult can land one in a chaotic mess. Nancy is taken to a psychiatric hospital and strapped to a bed because of her behavior. The movie ends on a sordid note.
The Witch
This 2015 movie is set in the 16th century in England. It involves themes of black magic and witchcraft. A farmer and his family are banished from a Puritan colony. They are forced to live inside a forest known to be a habitat of witches. Strange things start happening inside his house in the forest. Cattle die, crops fail, and one of his children disappears.
The farmer’s daughter, Thomasin is suspected of having been possessed by evil spirits to be the reason behind these occurrences. Thomasin is accused of witchcraft. The family goes through a series of miseries and challenges that tests their faith and loyalty toward each other.
The movie illustrates religious symbolism from the 16th century battling evil. Eventually, through numerous incidents, Thomsain kills her family. She is taken to the covenant of witches in the deep forest and joins them.
Malignant
Malignant is directed by James Wan, who has also directed the Saw franchise. Years after a supernatural incident occurs at a hospital, the story takes to the life of pregnant Madison, living in Seattle. She is living with her abusive husband and is having nightmares.
The movie defies the regular route of making a supernatural horror movie. A movie uniquely made in James Wan’s style and treatment. Madison’s nightmares get worse when every gory incident in her dreams takes shape in reality.
A horror flick that has elements of dementia and unpredictable twists. It seems like a horror remake of Frozen, where one sister is haunted, and the other is optimistic and happy. After the fateful night with her husband, Madison suffers from yet another miscarriage in the hospital.
Her estranged sister Sydney decides to take care of her. The movie makes you laugh at absurd incidents and jump from your seat during the gory incidents. Typically made in James Wan style, you can expect a bit of gore, unpredictability, and humor.