This post continues our December look at all things spectral, and today we’re turning our attention to ghost movies from around the world. Winter is the perfect season for settling in with a blanket, a warm drink, and a film that sends a little chill up the spine.
Every culture tells ghost stories differently, and cinema gives us a way to see those traditions come to life. Some spirits are mournful, some are furious, some linger quietly, and others refuse to be ignored. Together, they create a fascinating glimpse into how different countries imagine the unseen.
Below is your cinematic guide to global ghost films. Choose a region, press play, and let these stories keep you company on the long December nights.
Disclaimer: A few films in this list play with illusions or hauntings that may not be what they seem. They’re included here because they still use atmosphere, tension, and the suggestion of ghosts to powerful effect.
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ASIA — Lantern Light, Ancient Spirits, and Folklore That Refuses to Fade
We begin this cinematic world tour in Asia, where ghost traditions run deep and the dead walk close to the living. From snowy Japanese streets to Bangkok night markets and mountain temples in Taiwan, these films draw power from centuries-old tales and modern urban unease.
Japan — Moonlit Spirits & Folklore Shadows
Ringu (1998)
Ju-On: The Grudge (2002)
Kwaidan (1964)
Pulse (2001)
Dark Water (2002)
Noroi: The Curse (2005)
South Korea — Haunted Memories & Traditional Echoes
A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)
Whispering Corridors (1998)
Memento Mori (1999)
Arang (2006)
The Cat (2011)
Phone (2002)
Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)
Taiwan — Urban Legends & Taoist Ghosts
The Tag-Along (2015)
The Tag-Along 2 (2017)
Detention (2019)
Incantation (2022)
The Heirloom (2005)
Thailand — Vengeful Spirits & Folk Horror
Shutter (2004)
Nang Nak (1999)
Laddaland (2011)
The Ghost of Mae Nak (2005)
Coming Soon (2008)
The Unseeable (2006)
China & Hong Kong — Romantic Spirits & Neon Shadows
A Chinese Ghost Story (1987)
The Eye (2002)
Rouge (1987)
Rigor Mortis (2013)
Asia Snack Suggestion: A popular snack across Asia, Pocky’s crisp biscuit sticks dipped in chocolate are perfect for ghost movie nights when you want something easy to nibble without looking away from the screen.
EUROPE — Gothic Manors, Ancestral Hauntings & Windswept Coastlines
From Asia, we cross into Europe, where hauntings take root in old stone walls, candlelit drawing rooms, fog-covered moors, and histories that never truly sleep. These ghost films feel older, quieter, and steeped in memory.
United Kingdom — Moors, Marshes & Candlelit Rooms
The Innocents (1961)
The Woman in Black (2012)
The Awakening (2011)
The Others (2001)
The Little Stranger (2018)
Crimson Peak (2015)
Ireland — Rural Spirits & Ancestral Secrets
Oddity (2024)
The Eclipse (2009)
The Lodgers (2017)
The Canal (2014)
Spain — Orphanages, Ruins & War-Torn Echoes
The Orphanage (2007)
The Devil’s Backbone (2001)
Apartment 143 (2011)
Veronica (2017)
Italy — Stone Manors & Mediterranean Ghost Lore
The Night of the Devils (1972)
Don’t Look Now (1973)
The Haunting of Helena (2012)
Voice from the Stone (2017)
A Haunting in Venice (2023)
France — Midnight Streets & Elegant Hauntings
Personal Shopper (2016)
Les Diaboliques (1955)
Europe Snack Suggestion: Beloved across Europe, Milka Alpine Milk chocolate brings a creamy, cozy sweetness inspired by the Alps to your ghost movie viewing.
Middle East— Djinn Lore, War Shadows & Haunted Memory
From Europe, our journey turns toward the Middle East, where ghost stories are deeply shaped by folklore, memory, and the weight of history. These films draw on traditions of djinn and lingering spirits, unfolding in homes and cities marked by conflict, displacement, and unseen presences. The result is a quieter, deeply unsettling kind of supernatural cinema, where hauntings feel intimate, symbolic, and impossible to escape.
Iran — War-Torn Spirits & Psychological Hauntings
Under the Shadow (2016)
United Arab Emirates — Folklore & Modern Hauntings
Djinn (2013)
Palestine / United Kingdom — Memory, Loss & Ghostly Presence
A House in Jerusalem (2023)
Middle East Snack Suggestion: A beloved Iranian sweet, gaz is a soft Persian nougat studded with pistachios and lightly perfumed with rosewater. Chewy, sweet, and comforting, it’s an ideal movie-night treat that pairs beautifully with atmospheric ghost stories and a warm cup of tea.
🌎 THE AMERICAS — Folk Spirits, Urban Shadows & Modern Hauntings
Next, our journey crosses the Atlantic, where ghost stories evolve into urban legends, borderland hauntings, political echoes, and suburban terrors. These films move from Mexico’s folk spirits to Argentina’s apartment shadows and the iconic American ghost story.
Mexico — Folk Spirits & Urban Legend Hauntings
Hasta el Viento Tiene Miedo (1968)
Kilómetro 31 (2006)
Más Negro que la Noche (1975)
Tigers Are Not Afraid (2017)
Coco (2017)
Argentina — Apartment Shadows & Historical Ghosts
Terrified (2017)
The Funeral Home (2020)
United States — Suburban Spirits & Backroads Ghost Lore
The Changeling (1980)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Poltergeist (1982)
The Haunting (1963)
The Fog (1980)
The Shining (1980)
Ghost Story (1981)
Ghost (1990)
Stir of Echoes (1999)
The Innkeepers (2011)
What Lies Beneath (2000)
The Pact (2012)
A Ghost Story (2017)
The Conjuring (2013)
Ghostbusters (1984)
Americas Snack Suggestion: A longtime favorite across the Americas, Oreos are the classic chocolate sandwich cookies that feel right at home beside a bowl of popcorn during a ghostly film.
🌐 OCEANIA — Remote Landscapes & Quiet Apparitions
Our world tour ends in the southern hemisphere, where sweeping horizons and isolated farmhouses create an eerie sense of space. Ghost stories here feel lonely, lingering, and quietly devastating.
Australia & New Zealand — Outback Spirits & Rural Hauntings
Lake Mungo (2008) — Australia
The Frighteners (1996) — New Zealand
Housebound (2014) — New Zealand
Oceania Snack Suggestion: A well-known treat throughout Oceania, Tim Tams are rich, chocolate-coated cookies from Australia that pair perfectly with atmospheric ghost stories.
Curated Eerie Essentials
Watch. Snack. Reflect. —If you want to turn this ghost-movie guide into an evening to remember, these curated picks help set the mood. Start with a classic movie-night setup using these reusable popcorn bowls, perfect for settling in as the lights dim and the opening credits roll:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0826YKL2K
Add a quiet, cinematic touch to your space with this minimalist A Ghost Story movie poster canvas, an understated nod to one of the most haunting and strange modern ghost films:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1585036850
And once the credits fade, keep a little ghostly company nearby with this charming ghost pen holder, ideal for jotting down favorite scenes, lingering thoughts, or ideas sparked by what you’ve just watched:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1787716578
Together, these pieces turn an ordinary movie night into something more intentional, cozy, and perfectly eerie.
Closing Thoughts
So grab a blanket, make a bowl of popcorn, and dim the lights. Let these films keep you company on winter nights and guide you a little deeper into the spectral side of the season.
📖 If you enjoyed this story, you’ll love Eerie Escapes — the book that inspired it all. Learn more here.