“The Woman in Black” starring Daniel Radcliffe is proving to be a commercial hit at the box office. The 2012 ghost film has so far made in excess of $87million. The film has been a massive hit in the UK and successful in the USA.
Therefore, in order to celebrate this success, I thought it would be fun to look at some other ghost movies. This is a list of some of my personal favourites that have proved to be popular around the world.
“What Lies Beneath”
This is a 2000 film starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer. The movie features a strange haunting that helps Pfeiffer’s character to recover her memory. She had lost her memory as part of a serious car accident that had occurred a year previously.
It transpires that the character played by Ford is guilty of both murder and infidelity. The feature was a box office hit taking over $290million.
“Insidious”
“Insidious” is the most recent movie on the list; it was released in 2011 in the USA. This is also a strong favourite of mine, amongst the best I have ever seen in this genre. A couple’s son goes into an unexplained coma.
It is later explained by a supernatural authority that there is a ghostly explanation to their son’s condition. He has become a vessel for ghosts to cross-over back to the real world. This movie was produced on a low budget but was a big hit.
The film cost $1.5million to make, but received over $97million in box office takings.
“Paranormal Activity”
There is quite a story behind this 2007 sensation. The film was made on an incredibly low budget of $15,000 but made worldwide box office takings of nearly $194million. The movie is set-up like a home video and has an eerie feel to it.
Since the original, there have been several addition movies. “Paranormal Activity 2 and 3″ has been made with a fourth instalment on the way. However, I do feel the subsequent films have lost some of their appeal, because you now know what is coming.
“The Sixth Sense”
This 1999 movie is loved by many. The feature stars Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment and is directed by M. Knight Shyamalan. The film arguably established Osment as a star and put Shyamalan on the map as quality director of this genre in the movie world.
In the film, Osment’s character is capable of seeing and talking to the dead. However, the thriller manages to have a twist ending. The Sixth Sense was a significant box office success taking over $672million worldwide.
“The Others”
It is often said that the best is left to last. That sentiment could certainly apply to this film. The Others was released in 2001 and has taken over $209million worldwide in box office income.
The movie is an era ghost feature. However, it is not revealed until the end in which way. Nevertheless, it is well worth watching. Nicole Kidman is the main star and Alejandro Amenabar directs the movie.
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