12 Real Life Ghosts Caught In Movies: Creepiest Things To Watch Tonight

There is something satisfying about watching a realistic horror story. Even as you get goosebumps and lose sleep, good horror movies tantalize and keep you on edge. But what really makes them a good watch is the knowledge that you're watching a collection of scenes all filmed in a controlled environment following a script – except, in some films, this is not the case.

From cursed film sets to haunted objects, from ghosts caught on tape to paranormal investigations, here are some movies that experienced creepy occurrences while filming:

1. "Three Men and a Baby" (1987)

Some images of ghosts caught on film may be questionable in their shapelessness, but such is not the case in one of the movie's most iconic scenes. Here, the film captured the ghost of a boy who supposedly killed himself in the house where the movie was filmed. Over the years, some of the cast have talked about the existence of the ghost, but there has been no definitive conclusion on whether it was a cardboard cutout or a real ghost captured on film.

2. "The Amityville Horror" (1979 & 2005)

The ghostly events surrounding the Amityville haunting resulted in two screen adaptations – both reported creepy occurrences on set. In the 1979 version, James Brolin's pants allegedly fell off a hanger while he was reading a scary part of the script, which made him accept the part.

In the 2005 remake, actor Ryan Reynolds, along with other crew members, reportedly woke up at the time of the DeFeo murders, 3:15 am. Even eerier, a body washed up on shore next to their filming location.

3. "Rosemary's Baby" (1968)

Multiple creepy occurrences happened on the set of this iconic horror movie, which added to its enduring popularity. Producer William Castle received hate mail constantly. He ended up being hospitalized for kidney stones, during which he hallucinated some scenes from the movie. Though he recovered, he was convinced the cast and crew were cursed.

The movie's composer Krzysztof Komeda did not wake up from a coma after a fall accident – similar to how one character dies in the film. The entire cast got food poisoning, and another producer had a stroke. Director Roman Polanski's wife, Sharon Tate, who used to linger on set after wanting to play the lead role, was brutally murdered, along with her unborn child, by the Manson Family. This happened while the movie was in theaters.

4. "Twilight Zone: The Movie" (1983)

One of the creepy stories told about this film was that actor Vic Morrow, who got killed while filming a helicopter scene, allegedly told his friends and family that he had been having dreams of something bad happening to him on a movie set. Apparently, he took this dream seriously, so he secured a life insurance policy before "Twilight Zone" started filming.

5. "The Crow" (1994)

This movie has a sinister plot, but even more sinister is the fact that Brandon Lee, the main character in the movie, died while filming due to a prop gun accidentally firing a real bullet. As if that was not tragic enough, this death was seemingly foreshadowed by his actor father, Bruce Lee, acting out a similar scene where he listens to a prop master explaining prop guns and Bruce Lee's character pretending to be dead on the set.

6. "The Innkeepers" (2011)

This movie about two hotel employees who decide to investigate haunted stories only to begin finding real evidence of ghosts is mirrored by the production of the film itself. The cast stayed at a real haunted location in Connecticut, and while filming, supernatural things seemed to happen on set. Some have reported having odd dreams, while there have also been instances of lights flickering and doors slamming.

7. "The Possession" (2012)

Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan shared some creepy stories about the movie set of this 2012 horror film. He said there were exploding lights and cold breezes on deserted corridors, and more popularly there had been a fire in a storage facility. The cause of the fire remains a mystery since, according to the investigation of the incident, it was not due to electrical faults or arson.

8. "The Exorcist" (1973)

Creepy and tragic events also surrounded the film set of this 1973 movie, resulting in many believing the movie had been cursed and prompting the director to request the presence of a priest to bless the filming location. At least three lives were lost on set, including Irish actor Jack Macgowran, a crew member and a security guard. The set itself burned down after a pigeon flew into a circuit box. Eerily enough, the only set that survived was the room of Regan MacNeil, the same room where many of the film scares happened.

9. "Poltergeist" Films (1982, 1986 & 1988)

"The Poltergeist" films are believed to have one of the most famous movie curses to exist. After the release of the movie, actor Dominque Dunne was murdered by her ex-boyfriend. Another actress, Heather O'Rourke, also died during surgery while the third installment was filming. The producer had to invite a priest to the set of the second movie to conduct a blessing.

10. "The Exorcism Of Emily Rose" (2005)

This 2005 film is a classic watch for its horrifying scenes, but even behind the camera, there were reports of supernatural experiences. Actress Jennifer Carpenter, along with some of the crew, allegedly experienced their hotel room radios turning on and off randomly. As they did, they would always play the same song, "Alive" by Pearl Jam.

11. "Insidious" (2010)

Director James Wan has experienced quite a few scary sets while filming his movies – so much so that he makes sure film sets are blessed. In this 2010 film, the cast and crew allegedly felt sick and uneasy as they filmed certain scenes. There would also be reports of noises and buzzes from unoccupied areas of the set.

12. "The Conjuring" Universe (2013-2022)

Some of the creepiest stories happened while filming some of the creepiest films. This is particularly true for "The Conjuring" universe, which follows the paranormal investigations of Ed and Lorraine Warren. In the 2013 film that started the series of movies, the Warrens investigated the Perron family, who moved into a haunted house in the 1970s. The family actually visited the set and experienced strange phenomena happen. In one instance, wind began swirling around the Perron family.

One popular subject of "The Conjuring" movies is the cursed doll named Annabelle, which has gotten her spinoff movies. The real cursed Annabelle doll was a normal-looking Raggedy Ann Doll, made more creepy in the Hollywood portrayal. The haunted doll was investigated by the Warrens and eventually moved to the Warrens' Occult Museum.

While filming "Annabelle Comes Home" in 2019, actors McKenna Grace and Madison Iseman mentioned hearing three knocks during filming. Members of the cast and crew also noted the piano bench in the artifact room moved places overnight. Grace also experienced frequent power outages in her trailer, and she allegedly saw a shadowy figure sleeping in one of the rooms on set.