The first supernatural horror film in cinema was Devil’s Mansion, directed by Georges Méliès. Released on December 24, 1896, long before the advent of scripts, the film is almost entirely an endless improvisation. But one element is clear: the basic premise is the question of whether there is something beyond death. At the same time, if this other existence – whatever it is – may be evil, cruel, or even attack the living. A moment that the creative director created with long scenes of flying objects and terrified victims covering their faces in fear.
Of course, in the long tradition of horror cinema, the questions raised by the director are still relevant. In fact, many of the most interesting and popular horror films of recent years tell stories of the supernatural. Besides monsters, murderers, esoteric condemnations and haunted houses, the interest remains in the survival of consciousness. “What happens after death?” is a recurring question in several of the most successful projects. But at the same time, if whatever it is, it lives in the invisible world, it is capable of influencing ours and causing harm.
We leave you with seven films that analyze the topic and on which platforms you can watch them right now. From classics to reimagining of the famous novel. The selection includes everything which might be worth exploring for any horror fan of this intriguing sub-genre of cinema.
7 Horror Movies to Watch on Halloween
The Warren File: The Enfield Case (HBO Max)
Direct continuation Warren File: The Conjuring and also director James Wan, moves away from haunted houses to explore the unseen. So, back to paranormal investigators. Ed And Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) as they face a terrifying event.
Based on documented events known as The Enfield Poltergeist CaseSet in 1970s London, the Warrens travel to Britain to help a single mother and her four children who are being tormented by an evil spirit. This forces them, in addition to delving into the events, to analyze whether it could be an elaborate hoax or a real event.
subscribe to HBO Max and you will have access to the best TV series and exclusive films How The wire, Soprano or Game of Thrones. Includes the entire Warner catalogue, Cartoon Network classics and major releases.
But the film also carefully examines the realm of the unseen. From the presence of a deceased person to a demonic spirit. The story establishes the differences between the entities, leading to the creation of a vast mythology in its own universe. Some elements of this will carry over into the rest of the Warren Files saga. That’s what happens to the devil Valak (Bonnie Aarons) and its context, revealed in detail in the duology. Nun I and II. It is one of the most famous horror film franchises in cinema.
Devil’s Night (Movistar+)
But this wasn’t the first time James Wan dissected the realm of the paranormal to create an elaborate mythology. IN Night of the Demonthe plot also analyzes supernatural events in light of their connection with houses, family circumstances and even science.
The plot focuses on the Lamberts, especially their son Dalton (Ty Simpkins). He falls into an inexplicable coma after an incident in the attic of the house. As the parents desperately try to find a cure for their son, they discover that Dalton is not only in a coma, but that his spirit is trapped. Demon Realm. So they turn to a team of experts to help them rescue Dalton and confront the evil creatures lurking in his home.
Although the plot may seem simple, it is actually a thorough approach to the phenomena associated with spiritualism. In fact, it pays homage to the famous sessions of the 19th century and their intended results. Everything is in the realm of speculation about what would happen if they were real.
The Shining (HBO Max)
Stephen King didn’t like the film adaptation of his novel, but the rest of the world did. Released in 1980, Stanley Kubrick’s film managed to incorporate the supernatural into its meditations on madness, possession and loss of identity. Everything related to the paranormal.
As in the book, the plot is as follows. Jack Torrance(Jack Nicholson), who accepts a job as a winter caretaker in Ignore, a secluded mountain hotel. The character moves with his family and prepares to spend at least six months in isolation. Which would theoretically allow him to write a long-delayed literary work. But in reality, the construct surrounds them all and confronts them all with their worst demons.
In the book, the ghosts of those killed in the hotel haunt each of the participants. The same thing happens in the film, although the plot is more focused on examining the decay of Jack’s sanity. Everything is related to the attack of invisible creatures and terrifying ghosts.
Devil’s Seed (SkyShowtime)
Director Roman Polanski’s horror classic is an example of using the unseen as a premise for horror. The plot is based on the novel of the same name by Ira Levin. which also explores the same topic.
The plot tells the story of a young couple. Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse (Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes). They both move into an apartment in New York and try to conceive a child. They soon became friends with their neighbors, Roman and Minnie Castevet (Blackmer and Ruth Gordon), who become increasingly involved in Rosemary’s life.
After she becomes pregnant and her health deteriorates, she begins to suspect that there is something sinister and supernatural connected to her child. This will cause the script to delve deeper into the horror embodied by evil beings and especially, the way they express themselves.
At the bottom of the stairs (Filmin)
This 1980 horror classic examines grief and mourning as a connection to a dimension beyond death. The plot tells the story of John Russell (George C. Scott), a composer who moves to historic mansion after the tragic death of his wife and daughter.
Soon he begins to experience unexplained phenomena in the house. While exploring the secrets of this place, John discovers a serious circumstance. about murder and revenge involving a missing child.
The film stands out for its suspenseful atmosphere, which mixes elements of mystery, suspense and horror to create a thrilling experience. But especially by emphasizing the unknown as part of a person’s emotional life, especially one that involves pain. A topic that will become a central part of the debatea classic among horror films.
Curse of La Llorona (Prime)
Inspired by the Mexican legend of LloronaThis film by Michael Chavez examines the intangible through mythology and local legends. So, at its core is a shadowy figure who is looking for their children died due to an invisible sentence, according to Latin American tradition.
In the film, a social worker Anna Tate-Garcia (Linda Cardellini) will fight this creature when its influence threatens her own children. With the help of healer Rafael Olvera (Raymond Cruz), Anna tries to protect her family and stop a sentence that, if carried out, will lead to the death of the children.
It’s behind you (Prime)
Directed by David Robert Mitchell, the 2014 film turns the supernatural into an infection that can spread from one victim to another. The story follows Jay (Maika Monroe), a young woman who, after a sexual encounter, begins to be haunted by an unseen entity. The monster takes on different forms and follows Jay with mocking tenacity. At the same time, he seeks to kill her and those around her. The only way to get rid of the monster is to transmit it, as in curing a disease, to another person through sexual intercourse.
Set in Detroit, it creates a realistic and everyday atmosphere that makes the story even more frightening. But it also introduces an element of damnation into ordinary life, turning the creature – whatever it is – into an indistinguishable element. While it touches on themes from classic horror films, it also touches on themes such as sexuality, fear of growth and the inevitability of death. One of those different horror movies.
Source: Hiper Textual
