The supernatural horror subgenre has been frightening readers and moviegoers for decades. And while it goes through cycles of popularity, it will never go away. Humans will always crave tales of supernatural forces, such as demons, ghosts and spirits. It’s in our nature to wonder … what if?
But what is supernatural horror exactly? And what are some good books and movies to check out, if you’re into this sort of thing?
Below, we’ll explore the definition and origin of supernatural horror, followed by some novels and movies that exemplify the genre.
The Supernatural Horror Genre Defined
Supernatural horror is a subgenre of the much broader (and loosely defined) horror genre. There’s no standardized definition for this subgenre. Ask a dozen writers to define this category of fiction, and you’ll end up with 12 slightly different definitions.
So maybe we should start by defining the word “supernatural,” by itself. Merriam-Webster defines it this way:
Supernatural: “of or relating to an order of existence beyond the visible observable universe … attributed to an invisible agent (such as a ghost or spirit)”
That’s the supernatural part. It relates to things that exist outside the normal laws of nature. And you already know what horror is. When you combine the two, you have a subgenre of fiction that deals with unseen, malevolent forces, such as ghosts and demons.
For some people (including me), the unseen forces in horror novels and movies can be even scarier than the “visible” terrors. And that’s what the supernatural subgenre delivers. It gives you a rough outline of the danger and lets you finish out the details in your mind, in your own way.
An Origin Story, Briefly
In literature, supernatural horror goes way back. After all, the whole idea of ghosts, spirits and demons has been around as long as humans. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, is widely considered to be the first gothic horror novel, and also the first novel of the supernatural.
The supernatural horror subgenre got a big boost in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In his wonderful book Paperbacks from Hell, author Grady Hendrix referred to the 1970s as the “Devil’s Decade.” As he wrote: “after the one-two punch of Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, suddenly all anyone wanted to talk about was the devil.”
Now, as we move into the 2020s, the supernatural horror subgenre is thriving once more. Over the past ten years or so, we’ve seen a steady outpouring of books and movies that fall within this category. People can’t seem to get enough of those restless spirits and malevolent forces.
With that introduction out of the way, let’s look at some supernatural horror novels and movies that do a good job of representing the subgenre.
Novels: Five Tales of Supernatural Horror
Haunted houses. Demonic possession. Restless spirits hellbent on your destruction. Those are just a few of the spine-tingling terrors that await you in these supernatural horror books:
Hell House, by Richard Matheson
This story takes you inside a haunted mansion known as the Belasco House. It’s the story of four people — a physicist and his wife, along with two spiritual mediums — who visit the house to uncover the source of its malevolence. Things go badly from there.
This is one of my favorite supernatural horror novels. Sure, it has some flaws. All novels do. But it holds up well even today, nearly 50 years after its publication. It also delivers the scares in spades. For me, this was a deeply unsettling but engrossing horror novel with a side dish of mystery.
A lot of reviewers compare this book to Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, as if they’re mirror images. I’ve never understood why. Sure, they both deal with haunted estates, and their titles are similar. But aside from that, they bear little in common.
For me, Hell House was a grittier, more intense supernatural horror novel, when compared to Jackson’s magnum opus. Hell House lives up to its name, giving the reader a glimpse of hell on earth. Put it on your 2020 reading list.
The Silent Companions, by Laura Purcell
The Silent Companions, by Laura Purcell, is a supernatural gothic horror novel set in the 1800s. It’s the tale of a woman who discovers a hidden secret in her late husband’s crumbling country estate, named The Bridge. The secret is a private diary — a very old diary.
She also discovers a “deeply unsettling” painted wooden figure in the locked room, a Silent Companion. And that figure looks a lot like her.
If you like well-written, atmospheric supernatural horror novels that build slowly but pay off in the end, give The Silent Companions a try.
The Shining, by Stephen King
The Shining tells the story of a boy with spiritual gifts trapped in a hotel full of restless spirits. (What could possibly go wrong?) It’s also one of the most famous and influential supernatural horror novels of the 20th century.
This book didn’t scare me like some of the other horror novels I’ve read. Still, it offers a masterclass on suspense writing and is well worth reading. Any fan of suspense and horror novels could find something to like within the pages of The Shining.
If you’ve seen the movie version, you might think you already know the story, and that there’s no reason to read the book. Read it anyway! I found the movie scarier — but the book more engrossing.
Stephen King gives us a front-row seat to witness one man’s descent into madness, all of which takes place in a hotel with a dark past. I consider it one of the best supernatural horror novels and hope you enjoy it as well.
The Exorcist, by William Peter Blatty
The Exorcist is one of the most famous supernatural horror novels in the world, and it spawned a movie version that’s equally prominent. I’ve read the novel and seen the movie and found them both special in their own ways.
The novel, written by William Peter Blatty, spawned a number of imitators and helped usher in a decade of demon and devil-related horror fiction.
This book stands alone in the crowded subgenre of “possession horror.” It’s also disturbing as hell. Blatty’s novel made a big splash when it came out in 1971, partly because it was so shockingly original. The 1973 movie version, directed by William Friedkin (of The French Connection fame), would go on to smash box-office records. People flocked to see the film.
But it all started with the novel, a nearly-50-year-old supernatural horror story that still haunts readers to this day.
Thin Air & Dark Matter, both by Michelle Paver
I’ve included two books by Michelle Paver on this list because (A) they both fall under the supernatural horror umbrella and (B) they share a similar premise.
In Dark Matter, a group of men set off an Arctic expedition in the 1930s. Strange and disturbing events follow. In Thin Air, a group of men embark on a mountain-climbing expedition in the 1930s. Again, disturbing events follow.
Both books deal with extremes in various forms. We have extremes of nature and weather, along with extreme danger. They both offer horror and supernatural elements set in unusual locations.
Movies: Three Horrifying Films
In some ways, supernatural horror movies can be even more frightening than their literary counterparts. In a movie, we get to see the horror play out before our eyes — instead of picturing it in our minds. This brings a whole new level of terror into the game.
Here are three supernatural horror movies that might have you sleeping with a light on.
The Conjuring, 2013
The Conjuring is one of the most frightening and successful supernatural horror movies of the past decade.
Okay, so the first part of that statement is subjective. I thought it was scary, and so did a lot of other folks. You might have a different take on that.
But the second part is pure fact. The Conjuring won over critics and audiences alike, and has grossed more than $300 million to date (despite its modest budget). It also spawned several follow-up films, including the Annabelle franchise.
As a supernatural horror movie, this film works on many levels. It gives us characters we can care about, in the form of the Perron family. It puts those characters in danger. And it delivers some of the spookiest scenes of any supernatural horror movie.
The Witch, 2015
The Witch is another supernatural horror movie I would recommend to any fan of the genre. It’s a slow burn. But give it time. The ending will stick with you long past the closing credits.
The Witch bills itself as a “New-England folk tale.” It takes place in the 1600s and follows a family of six who are banished from their Puritan colony over a religious dispute. The family builds a new farm by the edge of a forest — a forest that harbors dark secrets.
This is a supernatural horror movie about witchcraft, black magic and possession. I won’t say any more, to avoid spoilers. Just know that things get pretty dark toward the end of the story. (And if you’re anything like me, that’s a selling point and not a deterrent.)
My advice is to watch the trailer. If you like the dark and brooding tone of the trailer, you’ll probably like the movie as well. Give it a try. And say hello to Black Phillip for me!
Hereditary, 2018
I just watched Hereditary recently, and let me tell you, this movie is a stone-cold shocker. Some of the scenes haunted me for days. And I mean that in a good way.
There were moments in this movie when my mouth dropped open, literally. It’s a well-directed, well-acted supernatural horror movie that delivers some serious cringe factor.
Related: Seven scary demons in horror movies
The cast alone should motivate you to watch it. Toni Collette. Gabriel Byrne. Alex Wolf. And let me say a few words about Milly Shapiro, who plays the troubled daughter. If you see Milly in a real-life interview, you’ll realize how effectively she transformed herself for this role. My hat’s off to this talented young actor.
So there you have it, a short walk down Supernatural Horror Lane. I hope you’ve enjoyed this little exploration of the subgenre, and I welcome your comments below!