I don’t know what it is about autumn, but my mind just naturally turns to haunted house movies. I can see a lot of you out there shaking your heads, but there’s just something about cooler temperatures and the leaves changing colors that puts me in the mood for haunted houses and scary ghosts. This of course has me thinking about the creepiest movie ghosts I’ve seen, and I thought now would be as good a time as any to list off some of my favorites.

You’ll find a variety of spirits and ghosts on this list, and I hope there’s a little something for everyone! Without further ado, let’s get down to business.

The Jackal–Thirteen Ghosts

Okay, yes, I’m getting this one out of the way first because quite frankly he freaks me out! Born to a prostitute in the late 1800s, Ryan Kuhn developed a taste for rape and murder as he grew. He eventually committed himself to an asylum but still could not fight off his dark urges and attacked at least one nurse before he was placed in a straight-jacket. Doctors later put a cage over his head after he chewed through the restraints.

When the asylum eventually caught fire, Ryan Kuhn stayed inside and burned to death. His spirit was far from at rest and his violent tendencies were invigored after shuffling off the mortal coil. His spirit was eventually trapped by Cyrus Kriticos as part of his dark experiments.

He is unbelievably terrifying and definitely earned his place on this list.

Mama–Mama

There was something all together unsettling about the titular character from director Andy Muschietti’s directorial debut. Her elongated features that moved as if eternally underwater and the fact that she would do anything and everything to protect her surrogate children were enough to give one pause even before realizing her tragic backstory.

Then, of course, there was her sheer speed of movement and her intensity, both of which combined to make her one of the creepiest ghosts we’ve seen on film.

Reverend Henry Kane–Poltergeist II

If you weren’t creeped out by the Rev. Henry Kane in Poltergeist II, I’m pretty sure I’m afraid of you also. His sallow skin and terrifying presence was just what the film needed to kick up the tension that was begun in the first film in the franchise. I can still hear his raspy voice singing, “He is in his holy temple…” and the hair stands up on the back of my neck.

Sadly, at least some of the character’s bone-chilling energy was due to the fact that actor Julian Beck was in a real-life battle for his life with stomach cancer. He died before the film was released.

Samara/Sadako–The Ring

Sadako/Samara is one of those rare instances where both the original Japanese version and the Americanized version of the characters are equally terrifying. I don’t care who you are, when she emerges from that well and crawls out of the television screen, it’s a great big “Nope” moment that will have you pushing back into your chair to escape her.

Kayako–Ju-On: The Grudge

Maybe it was her quest for vengeance; maybe it was the sounds that she emitted, maybe it was the way she had of sneaking up on people while they were lying in bed. Either way Kayako was one creepy ghost and definitely earns her spot on this list.

What’s sad about Kayako’s story is that it isn’t even really her fault. The poor thing became a part of a curse after she was murdered by her jealous husband.

The Woman in Room 237–The Shining

Look, there’s creepy and then there’s CREEPY and the woman in room 237 in Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining was definitely the latter. There was just something about that beautiful woman becoming a terrifying crone with peeling skin that sent a very young me fleeing from the room the first time I saw it and to this day, it still unsettles me when I see her.

Mrs. Mills, Mr. Tuttle, and Lydia–The Others

You get three for one on this one because this ghostly trio functioned together throughout Alejandro Amenabar’s The Others. The film stars Nicole Kidman as a mother who lives in an isolated estate with her two children, both of whom suffer from xeroderma pigmentosum, a rare genetic disease that makes the sun’s rays deadly to them.

The trio arrives requesting to hire on as servants for the estate and from the moment they enter the house, the strange occurrences the family had experienced before immediately begin to ramp up. Fionnula Flanagan, Eric Sykes, and Elaine Cassidy give masterful performances in this film, emerging from shadows and conveying with mere looks that the stories they’ve told Kidman may be false.

The Grady Twins–The Shining

Our second entry on the list from The Shining was an absolute must. There are few things creepier than the moment when young Danny Torrance turns that corner on his Big Wheel and comes face to face with the twin spirits of those little girls. What’s incredible is that they do so little. Yet, there’s a stillness to their performance that gets under your skin as they beckon him over and over to “come play with us.”

Jennet–The Woman in Black

Call me crazy, but there’s just something wrong about a spirit who causes children to kill themselves. Yeah, there’s not much more to say about this one. Jennet was a woman whose child was lost to her and now she’s collecting every child she can get her hands on from the other side.

Mary Shaw–Dead Silence

I heard that. Some of y’all just gave up on me, but hear me out! Not only is Mary one of the creepiest movie ghosts all on her own, she’s also got her army of creepy puppets that go along with her! Just think about that moment when all them slowly turn their heads, one after another. Add to that the fact that his ghost actually physically tears your tongue out if you scream, and you have one spooky combination.

The Beings in the Fog–The Fog

Another film that I wasn’t supposed to see as a kid, but I did because they showed it on television in the summer when my mom and dad were at work! I know this one is up for debate. I had a debate today with myself and my friends over whether to include them. The film was never entirely clear on what they were. Were they revenants? Spirits? Wraiths?

To me, they were more wraith/ghost-like mostly because they were able to disappear instantaneously when the fog rolled out. Add to that the fact that they could set off car alarms, break lights, and cause major temperature drops by their mere presence and that all spells ghost to me. Very, very angry, creepy ghosts!