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Theme: Paranormal Investigators


Paranormal Investigators refers to individuals or teams that investigate supernatural phenomena. The majority of phenomena being examined are ghosts and haunted locales, although there are plentiful examples of investigators of UFOs, psychic phenomena, vampires, cryptozoological creatures and miracle healings.

Modern variants include amateur investigators who appear in various Found Footage films.

See also Monster Hunters for those who track down and combat malevolent supernatural forces and Occult Investigators for those engaged in dealing with occult forces.


11: 11 (2004)

27 January 201530 September 2020

Rating: ★

Psychic Killings/End of the World Prophecies

Director: Micheal Bafaro
Actors: Michael St. John Smith, Cathy Weseluck, Jane Sowerby
Category: Horror

30 Nights of Paranormal Activity with the Devil Inside the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2013)

10 December 201314 January 2020

Rating: ★

Genre Spoof

Director: Craig Moss
Actors: Kathryn Fiore, Flip Schultz, Olivia Alexander, French Stewart
Category: Horror

Alone in the Dark (2005)

26 July 20078 July 2019

Rating: ★½

Videogame Adaptation/Monsters

Director: Uwe Boll
Actors: Christian Slater, Tara Reid, Stephen Dorff, Matthew Walker, …
Category: Horror

Altergeist (2014)

17 August 20172 August 2019

Rating: ★

Ghost Hunters Investigate Haunted Winery

Director: Tedi Sarafian
Actors: Kristina Anapau, David Weidoff, Mark Hapka, Brendan Fletcher, …
Category: Horror

Amityville 3-D (1983)

7 August 199922 September 2020

Rating: ★★

Haunted House

Director: Richard Fleischer
Actors: Tony Roberts, Tess Harper, Candy Clark, Robert Joy
Category: Horror

Annabelle Comes Home (2019)

27 September 20195 December 2019

Rating: ★★½

Sinister Doll

Director: Gary Dauberman
Actors: McKenna Grace, Madison Iseman, Katie Sarife, Vera Farmiga, …
Category: Horror

Another Evil (2016)

11 October 20163 September 2019

Rating: ★★★

Eccentric Ghost Hunter

Director: Carson D. Mell
Actors: Steve Zissis, Mark Proksch, Jennifer Irwin, Dax Flame, …
Category: Horror

The Apparition (2012)

24 August 201210 August 2019

Rating: ★

Haunting

Director: Todd Lincoln
Actors: Ashley Greene, Sebastian Stan, Tom Felton, Rick Gomez, …
Category: Horror

Atrocious (2010)

23 January 201327 September 2019

Rating: ★

Found Footage/Possibly Haunted Woods

Director: Fernando Barreda Luna
Actors: Cristian Valencia, Clara Moraleda, Chus Pereiro, Sergi Martin, …
Category: Horror

The Awakening (2011)

21 July 201225 December 2020

Rating: ★★★½

Victorian Ghost Story

Director: Nick Murphy
Actors: Rebecca Hall, Dominic West, Imelda Staunton, Isaac Hampstead-Wright, …
Category: Horror

Bloodbath at the House of Death (1984)

3 July 199915 February 2020

Rating: ★★

Horror Spoof

Director: Ray Cameron
Actors: Kenny Everett, Pamela Stephenson, Vincent Price, Gareth Hunt, …
Category: Horror

Book of Blood (2009)

15 June 201216 October 2020

Rating: ★★½

Haunted House/Clive Barker Adaptation

Director: John Harrison
Actors: Sophie Ward, Jonas Armstrong, Paul Blair, Clive Russell, …
Category: Horror

Books of Blood (2020)

17 October 2020

Rating: ★★

Clive Barker Anthology

Director: Brannon Braga
Actors: Britt Robertson, Anna Friel, Nicholas Campbell, Paige Turco, …
Category: Horror

The Borderlands (2013)

13 November 201424 February 2020

Rating: ★★★

Found Footage/Haunted Church

Director: Elliot Goldner
Actors: Rob Hill, Aidan McArdle, Luke Neal, Patrick Godfrey
Category: Horror

The Conjuring 2 (2016)

19 June 201615 April 2020

Rating: ★★½

Haunting/Possession/”True Story”

Director: James Wan
Actors: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Madison Wolfe, Frances O'Connor, …
Category: Horror

The Conjuring (2013)

19 July 201315 April 2020

Rating: ★★½

Haunting/Possession/”True Story”

Director: James Wan
Actors: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ron Livingston, Lili Taylor, …
Category: Horror

Convergence (2015)

14 September 201710 September 2020

Rating: ★★

Hospital That Exists in an Afterlife Limbo

Director: Drew Hall
Actors: Clayne Crawford, Ethan Embry, Mykelti Williamson, Gary Grubbs, …
Category: Fantasy

Dead of the Nite (2013)

27 September 201826 October 2018

Rating: ★★

Ghostbusters Stalked in a Haunted House

Director: S.J. Evans
Actors: Tony Todd, Gary Mavers, Joseph Millson, Cicley Tennant, …
Category: Horror

The Dead Room (2015)

26 August 201629 June 2020

Rating: ★★

New Zealand Haunted House Film

Director: Jason Stutter
Actors: Jed Brophy, Jeffrey Thomas, Laura Petersen
Category: Horror

Demon Tongue (2016)

21 December 201730 August 2018

Rating: ½

Paranormal Investigators/Possession

Director: Gavin Rapp
Actors: Debbie College, Jessica Long, Jack Davis, Seth Gontkovic, …
Category: Horror

Demonic (2015)

20 November 201522 July 2020

Rating: ★

Haunted House/Paranormal Investigators

Director: Will Canon
Actors: Maria Bello, Frank Grillo, Dustin Milligan, Cody Horn, …
Category: Horror

The Devil’s Chair (2006)

9 March 201129 July 2020

Rating: ★★★

Demonic Portal in an Abandoned Asylum

Director: Adam Mason
Actors: Andrew Howard, David Gant, Louise Griffiths, Matt Berry, …
Category: Horror

Door to the Other Side (2016)

19 September 201727 August 2020

Rating: ★★

Haunted House

Director: Norman Lesperance
Actors: Mitch Holden, Nicholas Bianchi, Chelsea Gilligan, Jonathan Wallace, …
Category: Horror

The Dunwich Horror (2009)

20 August 201220 November 2019

Rating: ★

H.P. Lovecraft Adaptation

Director: Leigh Scott
Actors: Dean Stockwell, Jeffrey Combs, Griff Furst, Sarah Lieving
Category: Horror

The Enfield Haunting (2015)

3 October 201630 August 2018

Rating: ★★★½

Haunted House/”True Story”

Director: Kristoffer Nyholm
Actors: Timothy Spall, Matthew Macfadyen, Eleanor Worthington-Cox, Juliet Stevenson, …
Category: Horror

The Entity (1982)

30 June 20016 March 2020

Rating: ★★★

Haunting/Rapist Poltergeist

Director: Sidney J. Furie
Actors: Barbara Hershey, Ron Silver, Jacqueline Brooks, Alex Rocco
Category: Horror

Gacy House (2010)

9 September 20145 June 2019

Rating: ★

Found Footage/Haunted House

Director: Anthony Fankhauser
Actors: James Arthur Lewis, Michael Gaglio, Sylvia Panacione, Rachel Riley, …
Category: Horror

Ghostbusters (1984)

16 December 200015 September 2019

Rating: ★★½

Team of Spook Chasers Comedy

Director: Ivan Reitman
Actors: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver, …
Category: Fantasy

Ghostbusters (2016)

23 July 201615 September 2019

Rating: ★★½

Team of Spook Chasers Comedy

Director: Paul Feig
Actors: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, …
Category: Fantasy

Ghostbusters II (1989)

1 February 200215 September 2019

Rating: ★★

Team of Spook Chasers Comedy

Director: Ivan Reitman
Actors: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver, …
Category: Fantasy

Grave Encounters (2011)

15 February 201323 January 2020

Rating: ★★

Found Footage/Haunted Asylum

Director: The Vicious Brothers, Colin Minihan, Stuart Ortiz
Actors: Sean Rogerson, Mackenzie Gray, Juan Redinger, Shawn MacDonald
Category: Horror

The Gravedancers (2006)

9 January 20209 January 2020

Rating: ★★

Haunting

Director: Mike Mendez
Actors: Dominic Purcell, Tcheky Karyo
Category: Horror

Haunted (1995)

20 June 200110 September 2020

Rating: ★★½

Haunting

Director: Lewis Gilbert
Actors: Aidan Quinn, Kate Beckinsale, Anthony Andrews, Anna Massey, …
Category: Horror

The Haunting (1963)

3 November 19999 June 2020

Rating: ★★★★★

Haunted House

Director: Robert Wise
Actors: Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, Russ Tamblyn, …
Category: Horror

The Haunting (1999)

25 July 19999 June 2020

Rating: 0­

Haunted House

Director: Jan De Bont
Actors: Lili Taylor, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Liam Neeson, Owen Wilson, …
Category: Horror

The Haunting of Winchester House (2009)

14 July 201522 July 2019

Rating: ★★

Haunted House

Director: Mark Atkins
Actors: Michael Holmes, Lira Kellerman, Tomas Boykin, Barry Womack, …
Category: Horror

Hellboy (2004)

5 July 200428 October 2019

Rating: ★★½

Demon Superhero/Comic-Book Adaptation

Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Actors: Ron Perlman, John Hurt, Selma Blair, Rupert Evans, …
Category: Fantasy, Horror

Hellboy (2019)

19 July 20197 March 2021

Rating: ★

Demon Superhero/Comic-Book Adaptation

Director: Neil Marshall
Actors: David Harbour, Sasha Lane, Ian McShane, Milla Jovovich, …
Category: Fantasy

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

9 October 200829 October 2019

Rating: ★★★½

Demon Superhero/Comic-Book Adaptation

Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Actors: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, John Alexander, …
Category: Fantasy

Housebound (2014)

11 October 201430 August 2018

Rating: ★★

New Zealand Haunted House Comedy

Director: Gerald Johnstone
Actors: Morgana O'Reilly, Rima Te Wiata, Glen-Paul Waru, Cameron Rhodes, …
Category: Horror

The Innkeepers (2011)

30 March 201223 September 2019

Rating: ★★★★

Haunted Hotel

Director: Ti West
Actors: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis, Alison Bartlett, …
Category: Horror

Insidious: The Last Key (2018)

31 March 201811 October 2020

Rating: ★★

Paranormal Investigation

Director: Adam Robitel
Actors: Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Caitlin Gerard, …
Category: Horror

John Dies at the End (2012)

13 November 201223 January 2021

Rating: ★★★★

Reality-Expanding Drugs/Gonzo Supernatural Investigators

Director: Don Coscarelli
Actors: Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Paul Giamatti, Glynn Turman, …
Category: Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction

Justice League Dark (2017)

19 March 201715 May 2020

Rating: ★★

Animation/Team of Occult Superheroes

Director: Jay Oliva
Actors: Matt Ryan, Jason O'Mara, Camilla Luddington, Nicholas Turturro, …
Category: Fantasy

The Legend of Hell House (1973)

17 February 20037 November 2019

Rating: ★★★★

Haunted House

Director: John Hough
Actors: Roddy McDowall, Pamela Franklin, Clive Revill, Gayle Hunnicutt
Category: Horror

The Marsh (2006)

1 January 20098 May 2020

Rating: ★★½

Haunted House

Director: Jordan Barker
Actors: Gabrielle Anwar, Forest Whitaker, Justin Louis, Niamh Wilson, …
Category: Horror

The Night Stalker (1972)

29 June 20087 November 2019

Rating: ★★★½

Journalist Tracks a Vampire

Director: John Llewellyn Moxey
Actors: Darren McGavin, Carol Lynley, Simon Oakland, Ralph Meeker, …
Category: Horror

The Night Strangler (1973)

3 January 201327 October 2019

Rating: ★★★★

Journalist Tracks an Immortal Killer

Director: Dan Curtis
Actors: Darren McGavin, Richard Anderson, Simon Oakland, Jo Ann Pflug, …
Category: Horror

Oculus (2013)

11 April 201424 October 2020

Rating: ★★★

Evil Mirror

Director: Mike Flanagan
Actors: Karen Gillan, Katee Sackhoff, Brenton Thwaites, Rory Cochrane, …
Category: Horror

The Orphanage (2007)

15 September 200829 October 2019

Rating: ★★★½

Ghost Story

Director: J.A. Bayona
Actors: Belen Rueda, Geraldine Chaplin, Roger Princep, Fernando Cayo, …
Category: Horror

Paranormal Asylum (2013)

27 October 201530 August 2018

Rating: ★★

Ghostbusters Investigate a Haunted Asylum

Director: Nimrod Zalamanowitz
Actors: Aaron Mathias, Nathan Spiteri, Laura Gilreath, Grace Evans, …
Category: Horror

Poltergeist (1982)

5 September 200226 May 2020

Rating: ★★★★½

Haunting

Director: Tobe Hooper
Actors: JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Zelda Rubinstein, Heather O'Rourke, …
Category: Horror

Poltergeist (2015)

30 May 20153 June 2020

Rating: ★★

Haunting

Director: Gil Kenan
Actors: Sam Rockwell, Jared Harris, Rosemarie DeWitt, Jane Adams, …
Category: Horror

Puppet Master II (1990)

6 December 200430 August 2018

Rating: ★★

Malevolent Dolls

Director: David Allen
Actors: Elizabeth MacLellan, Steven Welles, Collin Bernsen, Nita Talbot, …
Category: Horror

The Quiet Ones (2014)

28 April 20144 August 2020

Rating: ★★

Parapsychological Experiment/”True Story”

Director: John Pogue
Actors: Jared Harris, Sam Claflin, Olivia Cooke, Laurie Calvert, …
Category: Horror

Red Lights (2012)

9 July 201212 February 2019

Rating: ★★★½

Psychic Debunkers

Director: Rodrigo Cortes
Actors: Cillian Murphy, Robert De Niro, Sigourney Weaver, Elizabeth Olsen, …
Category: Fantasy

Rose Red (2002)

18 March 200520 August 2019

Rating: ★★★

Haunted House

Director: Craig R. Baxley
Actors: Nancy Travis, Julian Sands, Melanie Lynskey, Matt Keeslar, …
Category: Horror

Scoob! (2020)

22 May 202018 February 2021

Rating: ★★

Ghostbusting Team/Hanna-Barbera Crossover

Director: Tony Cervone
Actors: Will Forte, Mark Wahlberg, Jason Isaacs, Gina Rodriguez, …
Category: Fantasy

Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)

19 April 200422 May 2020

Rating: ★★

Ghostbusting Team/Cartoon in Live-Action

Director: Raja Gosnell
Actors: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini, Freddie Prinze Jr, …
Category: Fantasy

Scooby-Doo (2002)

15 July 200222 May 2020

Rating: ★

Ghostbusting Team/Cartoon in Live-Action

Director: Raja Gosnell
Actors: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, Freddie Prinze Jr, Linda Cardellini, …
Category: Fantasy

Silk (2006)

19 June 20106 October 2020

Rating: ★★★½

Taiwanese Ghost Story

Director: Chao-Pin Su
Actors: Chen Chang, Yosuke Eguchi, Barbie Hsu
Category: Horror

The St. Francisville Experiment (2000)

7 April 201030 August 2018

Rating: ★★

Haunted House/Found Footage

Director: Director/Screenplay - Jerome Sable
Actors: Madison Charap, Paul Cason, Ryan Larson, Tim Thompson
Category: Horror

Suburban Gothic (2014)

27 October 201427 October 2020

Rating: ★★

Middle-Class Satire/Haunting

Director: Richard Bates Jr.
Actors: Matthew Gray Gubler, Kat Dennings, Ray Wise, Barbara Niven, …
Category: Horror

Thir13en Ghosts (2001)

28 October 200122 August 2019

Rating: ★★

Haunted House

Director: Steve Beck
Actors: Tony Shalhoub, Embeth Davidtz, Matthew Lillard, Shannon Elizabeth, …
Category: Horror

Thirteen Erotic Ghosts (2002)

23 September 201414 November 2019

Rating: ½

Erotica/Haunted House

Director: Nicholas Medina, Fred Olen Ray
Actors: Julie Strain, Jay Richardson, Richard Gabai, Fred Olen Ray
Category: Horror

The Triangle (2005)

10 December 201419 November 2019

Rating: ★★★

Solving the Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle

Director: Craig R. Baxley
Actors: Eric Stoltz, Bruce Davison, Catherine Bell, Lou Diamond Phillips, …
Category: Science Fiction

The Unquiet (2008)

1 September 201630 August 2018

Rating: ★

Haunted Building/Rival Paranormal Investigators

Director: Bill Corcoran
Actors: Cara Buono, Chris William Martin, Julie Anderson, Mylene Dinh-Robic, …
Category: Horror

The X Files (1998)

16 December 19997 August 2019

Rating: ★★

The X Files Film Spinoff/Alien Invasion Conspiracy

Director: Rob Bowman
Actors: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Martin Landau, John Neville, …
Category: Science Fiction

The X Files: I Want to Believe (2008)

24 September 200827 November 2019

Rating: ★

The X Files Film Spinoff/Psychic Priest/Organ Harvesting

Director: Chris Carter
Actors: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Billy Connolly, Amanda Peet, …
Category: Science Fiction

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Theme Essays

  • Disaster Movies
  • Steampunk Films
  • Documentaries
  • Films About Halloween
  • Films About Prophecy
  • Nazis
  • Magicians and Sorcerers
  • Secret Societies
  • Real-Life People in Fiction
  • Techno-Thrillers
  • Twins in Fantastic Cinema
  • Asylums
  • Possession Films
  • Sexual Fetishism in Fantastic Cinema
  • Films About Imaginary and Magical Lands
  • Religion in Fantastic Cinema
  • Romantic Comedies
  • Film Noir
  • Spy Films
  • Jekyll and Hyde Films
  • Films That Make Dubious Claims to Being Based on True Stories
  • Coming of Age Stories in Fantastic Cinema
  • Films About Cryogenics and Suspended Animation
  • Alternate History Films
  • Disturbed Psychology as Portrayed on Film
  • Law Enforcement in Fantastic Cinema
  • Weird Westerns

© Copyright Richard Scheib 1999-2021

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