Ghosts have often been the stuff of nightmares, appearing when you least expect and tormenting to the very core. Whether its possessions, haunting, or simply the creepy appearance of the undead, ghosts are among the most popular entities in scary movies.
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, sometimes ghosts in shows and movies can be all you need for a nightmare infused night. With all the special effects and realistic makeup jobs, the ghosts look more real than ever, terrorizing us just as much as the people on the show. Here are some of the most terrifying ghost in tv history.
Haunting of Hill House
The scariest thing about the Haunting of Hill House is not the ghost but the fact the story was based on real events and the author of the original novel nearly died shortly after writing the book. The show deals mostly with the ghost in the mysterious house and drives the tenants crazy and scared out of their minds. It’s not just one ghost, it’s hundreds of different ones, seemingly covering every inch of the house and terrifying the guests in so many different ways. This is not a show you’d want to watch at night as most of the ghosts appear in a gory or creepy way, instantly guaranteeing a few sleepless nights.
Paranormal Witnesses
This show doesn’t have terrifying ghost special effects or makeup but the real and raw emotion of people who have actually experienced paranormal activity. Paranormal Witness captures the retelling of witness stories through videos and reenactments.
As the people tell their stories, you can often hear the fear they had at the moment and how real ghost encounters look and feel. With normal, everyday people dealing with these encounters, its easy to get lost in the story and wonder if you would ever encounter a ghost.
Supernatural
Supernatural, as the name, suggests tackles a lot of supernatural and crypto’s beings. With the show revolving around two paranormal hunters, we’ve seen our fair share of creepy and with ghosts, there’s no shortage of spine-tingling creepiness. Most ghosts we’ve seen on the show are destructive, dangerous and very terrifying, often reappearing just as they did they say they died. Imagine going about your day and then seeing a pale white figure with a huge gunshot hole on his head. That would indeed be terrifying. Although the ghost isn’t the scariest things we’ve seen on the show, they do the job in creating nightmares.
Channel Zero
Channel Zero puts a new twist to hauntings and paranormal urban legends, in ways of bringing creepypastas to life. With every season based on different legends such as Slenderman, Candyman, and several others that give you goosebumps days after watching the show.
It’s not about jump scaring or gore, it’s about the disturbing and creepy nature of each urban entity. What you read or heard from the disturbing stories on Reddit are brought to life, so it’s not recommended you watch this show alone.
Angel
Angel is a spinoff of the well-known series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and follows a vampire Angel, cursed to walk the earth. Like Buffy, Angel deals with a lot of paranormal entities, including a ghost. The difference between Buffy and Angel is that the show takes a darker and less humorous approach to their plots which in turn deals with creepier and more intimidating creatures, including the ghost. The pale white skin tone, the dead and empty eyes, definitely not something you’d want to watch if you’re easily scared.
True Blood
True Blood is mostly based on another paranormal creature and that is the vampire. As terrifying as they may be, nothing compares to the ghost that has been seen on the show, terrifying even the vampires. These ghosts are scary not for their appearance but for what they can do and how they do it. Imagine a powerful and intimidating creature like the vampire being possessed by a ghost who’s up to no good. Definitely not something wed want to picture. Add in that most of the ghost we see is out for vengeance after being stuck on earth for hundreds of years, it’s hard to these type of ghost.
Paranormal Survivor
Another show that relies on the real and intriguing stories of real people who live to tell the tale. With a little dramatization of storytelling, we are brought in to the retelling of each story increasing with production value and effects with each season. Each story has you at the edge of your seat and builds suspense at every turn. We are often left to wonder how the person made it through each encounter and how they were able to find the bravery to tell the world of a bone-chilling moment in their lives.
American Horror Story
The name makes it pretty obvious there’s going to be disturbing creatures in the show. In this case, its the often creepy and gory portrayal of ghosts. Like other entries on this list, the ghost takes human form and often looks the way they died. They often don’t know they’re dead and wander the world as should.
Other times they do know and use their newfound condition to their advantage and haunt those who are still living. With a great cast and amazing production value and budget, every episode is not only addicting but a must-watch for horror fans that aren’t easily spooked.
Ghost Whisperer
A show that relied on ghosts every episode, Ghost Whisperer deals is about a medium who deals with an unwanted gift of being able to talk to ghosts. Every ghost looks exactly as the day they died and is often disturbed and desperate to go the afterlife. Many times the ghost is hard to understand and send Melinda, the show’s protagonist, on special missions to deliver the message to the ghost’s loved ones. She is often met with skepticism and often has a hard time getting her message across. Melinda is unfortunately cursed with seeing some very disturbing souls.
Ghoul
This Indian horror show deals with a young interrogator who gets in way over her head when she gets assigned to interrogate a mysterious and intimidating prisoner. Little did she know that she’d be talking to a demon or “The Ghoul” and she’s been seeing the true form of an entity straight from Hell. Apart from the suspense and horror showed throughout, the scariest part has to be the prisoner’s transformation into the Ghoul, showing dark, soul-piercing eyes and unnatural dis formed mouth. With the creators of the Insidious and Get Out, the Ghoul is taken straight from Arab folklore and placed on the small screen to terrorize the viewers.
