Top 10 Paranormal Documentaries

Names don’t get much creepier than Skinwalker. Said creature is part of Navajo culture, and it’s said to be a witch that can possess people and animals. Unfortunately, not much is known about the lore outside of the Navajo culture, as they are very secretive and protective of the story. In the 2018 documentary “Hunt for the Skinwalker,” director Jeremy Kenyon Lockyer Corbell, well, hunts for the skinwalker. To do so, he uncovers the secrets of Skinwalker Ranch, a large area of Utah that is said to be a paranormal hotspot. As is often the case with these types of documentaries, we don’t get many answers. But the journey sure is fun!

Let’s just say right off the bat, “The House in Between” is an awesome title for a horror movie. Directed by Steve Gonsalves and Kendall Whelpton, “The House in Between” tells the creepy story of a regular, unassuming house that is supposedly haunted by paranormal entities. The film is sort of a cross between ghost hunting shows and a real life “Paranormal Activity.” Investigators comb through the place with all their fancy gadgets, and the static cameras that are placed strategically around the house give off vibes of the famous ghost movie. As its own tagline suggests, the documentary is “scary because it’s real.”

The Hook. The Babysitter and the Man Upstairs. Killer clowns. People poisoning Halloween candy. These are urban legends that everyone knows, and they are explored in the 2014 documentary “Killer Legends.” The film was directed by Joshua Zeman, and this won’t be the last time that you hear his name. “Killer Legends” sees Zeman and Rachel Mills investigating the four famous stories and trying to find the truth behind them - that is, if there is any truth at all. Are they purely fabricated? Are they stories with kernels of history? Are they based on real events? These are questions that the atmospheric film hopes to answer, and if they enticed you in any way, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

There are a bajillion ghost documentaries about haunted houses. But what about haunted subways? Stay with us, it’s not as silly as it sounds. “Ghosts on the Underground” explores the fascinating history of the London Underground, the city’s primary transit system that began operating in the 1860s. The documentary is full of your usual ghost happenings, with witnesses sharing creepy stories and pieces of supposed evidence. But what’s most interesting about the doc is its sense of history. It goes into great depth exploring the life of the London Underground and its dark association with ancient crypts and plague pits. London is an old city with a ton of history, and “Ghosts on the Underground” analyzes it in a unique and ultimately creepy way.

Remember how we said we’d return to Joshua Zeman? Well, here he is again! Co-directed with Barbara Brancaccio, “Cropsey” is perhaps Zeman’s most famous film, and it shares a common theme with “Killer Legends.” Like it, “Cropsey” examines the history of an urban legend - in this case, New York City’s Cropsey. Zeman and Brancaccio argue that the legend stemmed from old kidnappings perpetrated by a Staten Island man named Andre Rand. Rand is currently incarcerated for two kidnappings, although he is suspected of many more. “Cropsey” is a chilling documentary that explores the Rand case, how it may have shaped the legend of Cropsey, and why we often have a penchant for shaping dark history into folklore.

Ever heard of the Mothman? Of course you have. While the legend has a very specific time and place - 1960s Point Pleasant - the legend has spread far beyond the midcentury borders of West Virginia. And that’s what “The Mothman Legacy” explores. Directed by Seth Breedlove, who is known for his documentaries on cryptids, “The Mothman Legacy” explores the, um, legacy of Mothman and how sightings have persisted throughout Appalachia. It’s a must-watch film for anyone interested in this specific story, or for anyone who has a vague interest in the paranormal art of cryptozoology.

You can probably guess what this documentary is about. While, yes, it is about UFOs, the title does not refer to general aerial phenomena. Rather, it’s about the Ariel School in Zimbabwe. Back in September of 1994, dozens of children reported seeing a UFO land in a yard near the school. Black creatures then emerged from the craft and spoke telepathically with the children before departing. “Ariel Phenomenon” tells this story through a few specific people, including a disgraced Harvard psychiatrist and a now-grown student who returns to the school. It’s a fantastical story told with humanity and tenderness, sort of like a Spielberg movie brought to life.

Most folklore dates back centuries, so watching a new story form is fascinating. The folklore in question is that of the Slender Man, a large, white humanoid figure created on the Something Awful forum. Slender Man proved an incredibly successful creepypasta and later became the subject of some popular video games. Unfortunately, this story led to a tragic stabbing in 2014 which saw two girls harming another in order to appease the fictional monster. Luckily, the victim survived. HBO’s “Beware the Slenderman” details this tragic story and examines how both folklore and internet fun can often have very real - and very dangerous - consequences.

Sometimes paranormal documentaries reveal compelling things about the human condition. This is certainly the case with Netflix’s “John Was Trying to Contact Aliens.” The John in question is John Shepherd, a man who spent three decades broadcasting music into space in the hopes of making contact with extraterrestrial lifeforms. Usually these types of stories present the protagonist as aloof and obsessive, but this doc proves quite the opposite. It is very tender in its depiction of Shepherd, his motives, and his emotional journey. Running a very swift sixteen minutes, there is no excuse for skipping this one - especially if you’re a fan of aliens and how they shape our Earthly culture.

If you enjoy the paranormal, then you certainly know Zak Bagans. Arguably the most famous ghost hunting show of all time, “Ghost Adventures” has aired hundreds of episodes throughout the years and has made Bagans a household name in the paranormal community. And if you like “Ghost Adventures,” then you’ll very likely enjoy “Demon House.” Basically a two-hour episode of the show, “Demon House” sees Bagans and his crew investigating a famous house in Gary, Indiana that is said to be haunted. Bagans is a master of the paranormal craft, and watching him work is always entertaining. Add in some genuinely creepy and convincing evidence, and you have yourself a memorable documentary.