10 Underrated Ghost Story Movies You Need To See

Thanks to the likes of Ringu, Dark Water, and Ju-On, Japan’s flavour of ghost stories have become synonymous with their subdued approach to terror, which has earned them the reputation of being some of the scariest films ever made. One equally outstanding slice of Japanese cinema that often gets overlooked, though, is the masterfully eerie Pulse.

Helmed by Kiyoshi Kurasawa, this entry sees Tokyo transform into a literal ghost town when the spirits of the dead find a way to use the internet as a gateway into the world of the living, spreading an inconsolable sense of loneliness wherever they go. Whoever is unfortunate enough to catch a glimpse of these spirits, is eventually overcome with an overwhelming sense of sadness until all that’s left of them is a shadow on the wall where they took their final breath.

Featuring one of the most unsettling encounters with a ghost in modern cinema, Pulse’s disquieting atmosphere proves that less is more when it comes to generating dread.

Unlike more conventional ghost stories, though, the spirits here aren’t inherently evil. Rather, the prevailing sense in uneasiness comes through Kurosawa’s thoughtful exploration on technology and loneliness, which is just as relevant as ever.