Supernatural thrillers are a nebulous subgenre. Thrillers can often be precariously perched at the precipice of full-blown horror, and when supernatural elements are added into the mix, it becomes even harder to classify them. Some movies simply exist at the nexus of multiple genres. That makes this list even more subjective than most, but there’s no doubting that the ten films listed below are both thrilling and supernatural. Ghosts, curses, vampires and even some very horny cat people feature prominently in the best supernatural thrillers of all time.
These movies might be scary sometimes or even action-packed, but they never fail to thrill. What makes a subgenre like this so much is how limited the list of films that technically qualify for it is. It means there are some movies highlighted here that might otherwise not get recognition in more traditional genre territory. Some of them are acclaimed classics in their shared genres, but they are also some of the best supernatural thrillers in film history.
Key Insights
- Subgenre Definition: Supernatural thrillers blend horror with other genres, making classification challenging.
- Unique Films: The limited number of films in this category allows for unique entries that deserve recognition.
- Classic Examples: The list includes acclaimed classics that have made a significant impact on film history.
- Diverse Elements: Themes like ghosts and curses are prevalent in these thrilling narratives.
10
‘The Crow’ (1994)
Image via Miramax Films
Revenge thrillers are one of the most dramatically potent varieties of the genre. Violent vengeance may result in a pyrrhic victory, but it makes for thrilling viewing. There’s a bloodthirsty catharsis in watching someone take justice into their own hands and right wrongs, even if they have to do it from beyond the grave. Often, these undead avengers take the form of antagonists in horror movies, but sometimes they get to be the anti-hero. The Crow, based on James O’Barr’s comic book, is the most infamous example of this. It’s a dark, supernatural action thriller with a 90s goth aesthetic that will be forever linked to its time period and the tragedy that occurred during its production.
The accidental death of Brandon Lee during production of The Crow gives the film a haunted quality. It’s a tragedy that was wholly avoidable and unimaginable, but which undeniably lends even more weight to the film’s narrative of resurrection and Lee’s performance. So charismatic is he as Eric Draven, a rock musician who is murdered along with his fiancée and returns from the grave one year to exact bloody vengeance, that it seems impossible that the film wouldn’t have accelerated his movie career. The Crow should have been the start of great new things for Lee, but instead serves as his dark swan song.
9
‘The Dead Zone’ (1983)
Image via Paramount Pictures
Stephen King may be known as a master of horror, but much of his work falls outside the genre, as do many of the best adaptations of it. The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me are both dramas without a hint of horror, while Misery is a near-perfect thriller of strictly human proportions. It would take another master of horror to make the best King adaptation that’s also one of the best supernatural thrillers. David Cronenberg’s adaptation of The Dead Zone was more mainstream than most of the Canadian auteur’s more provocative previous films, but which still has his precise, methodical style and benefits from a haunted lead performance by Christopher Walken.
Walken plays Johnny Smith, a man who spends five years in a coma after a car accident and awakens with newfound psychic abilities. This gift turns out to be more of a curse, as Johnny grows physically weaker and also witnesses an apocalyptic vision of the future that compels him to act. The Dead Zone may not rank among the absolute best of either Cronenberg or King’s careers, but it’s an effective thriller made more compelling by the conversation between the two creator’s unique sensibilities. It’s also a rare lead showcase for Walken in the horror genre, and he is as committed as always.
