10 Best Horror Movies Set In Amusement Parks

Carnival of Souls follows Mary, a young woman who has miraculously escaped a car crash alive and is attempting to restart her life. Her efforts are hampered by recurrent sightings of an eerie pale man, frequent periods wherein she feels she does not exist and the feeling of being drawn to an abandoned carnival.

This movie just doesn't get the credit it deserves, chiefly because of its low budget and lapse into the public domain. However, Carnival of Souls is a piece of psychological mastery that every horror fan should see at least once.

A wonderfully unsettling and surreal ambiance permeates the entire picture as these seemingly inexplicable events torment Mary. Her discomfort and growing insanity is palpable and scenes in which she appears unable to be seen by or communicate with those around her are genuinely harrowing.

However you interpret this piece of surrealist art, there is something in Carnival of Souls that connects deeply with the human psyche and refuses to let go. Is this a film about a woman driven to the edge by grief? Or is she trapped in purgatory and trying to escape the looming spectre of death?

This sense of uncertainty, masterful paranoid cinematography and an eerie organ score definitely transcend the low budget expectations. It is little wonder Carnival of Souls has inspired everyone from George Romero to David Lynch.