10 MORE Horror Movies Where The Monster Isn't The Villain

8. What Lies Beneath

What Lies Beneath
Dreamworks

In Robert Zemeckis' supernatural scarefest What Lies Beneath, Claire Spencer begins suffering from paranormal visions in her home shortly after the neighbour's wife goes missing. Upon investigation, Claire realises the truth behind the occurrences is far more disturbing than she could have possibly imagined.

The premise suggests the ghost has malicious intent, but it's pretty apparent early on that Claire's husband, Norman, is the villain (especially if you saw the trailer, which basically gives the big twist away).

It turns out the ghost tormenting Claire isn't the neighbour's wife at all.  In reality, the ghost is Madison Frank, a student Norman was sleeping with. When Madison threatened to go public with their relationship, Norman killed her and tossed her body in a lake.

When Claire learns the truth, Norman drags her into the same lake, hoping to protect his reputation. While submerged in the water, Norman encounters Madison's corpse, which sporadically animates, drowning him and giving Claire enough time to escape.

It's sad how Madison fell in love with the wrong guy but at least her soul can rest since Norman got his comeuppance.

Contributor

James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows