Supernatural film
Supernatural film is a
The film genre is part of several hybrid genres, including supernatural comedy films, supernatural horror films, supernatural religious films, and supernatural thriller films.[2]
Early depictions: Films with benevolent ghosts
Ghosts in cinema date back to the era of World War II, with post-war romantic comedies frequently featuring apparitions. Initially, these supernatural entities were portrayed more as entertainers rather than frighteners.[1]
Notable examples include:
- Topper (1937)
- Topper Takes a Trip (1937)
- Topper Returns (1941)
- Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)
- I Married a Witch (1942)
- Heaven Can Wait (1943)
- Blithe Spirit (1945)
- Wonder Man (1945)
- The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)
Horror and the supernatural
By the mid-1940s, the narrative began to shift, portraying ghosts and the supernatural in more sinister contexts.[1]
- Cat People (1942)
- The Curse of the Cat People (1944)
- The Uninvited (1944)
- Dead of Night (1945)
- The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
Spiritual and religious themes in the 1940s
Some films from this era merged the ideas of religion and the supernatural.[1]
- The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941)
- A Guy Named Joe (1944)
- The Enchanted Cottage (1944)
- Angel on My Shoulder (1946)
- It's a Wonderful Life(1946)
- The Bishop's Wife (1947)
- Portrait of Jennie (1948)
1950s to 1970s: Low-budget films
The late 1950s through the 1970s witnessed a surge of low-budget supernatural/horror films.[1]
- Bell, Book and Candle (1958)
- House on Haunted Hill (1959)
- 13 Ghosts (1960)
- The Innocents (1961)
- Carnival of Souls (1962)
- The Haunting (1963)
- The Legend of Hell House (1973)
- The Fog (1980)
1980s and onward
During the 1980s and beyond, ghost stories continued to evolve and appeal to the masses.[1]
- The Changeling (1980)
- The Shining (1980)
- Ghost Story (1981)
- Poltergeist (1982)
- Ghostbusters (1984)
- The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
- Lady in White (1988)
- Ghost (1990)
- Hocus Pocus (1993)
- Casper (1995)
- The Craft (1996)
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Supernatural Films". Filmsite. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
- ^ Buffam, Noelle (March 26, 2011). "Supernatural". The Script Lab. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
Further reading
- Leeder, Murray (2017). The Modern Supernatural and the Beginnings of Cinema. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9781137583710.
- Morehead, John W, ed. (2015). The Supernatural Cinema of Guillermo Del Toro: Critical Essays. McFarland. ISBN 9780786495955.
- Rodríguez-Hernández, Raúl; Schaefer, Claudia (2019). The Supernatural Sublime: The Wondrous Ineffability of the Everyday in Films from Mexico and Spain. Nebraska. ISBN 9781496214249.
- Sen, Meheli (2017). Haunting Bollywood: Gender, Genre, and the Supernatural in Hindi Commercial Cinema. University of Texas Press. ISBN 9781477311608.
- Striner, Richard (2011). Supernatural Romance in Film: Tales of Love, Death and the Afterlife. McFarland. ISBN 9780786446643.