7 Horror Films So Cursed, the Set Was Scarier Than the Movie
Do horror movies only scare us on screen – or can the fear seep into real life?
Some of the most chilling horror films have stories behind the scenes that are just as disturbing as what audiences see in the theater.
Accidents, strange coincidences, and tragic events have followed certain productions, giving rise to the idea of cursed movie sets.
These aren’t just rumors – cast and crew have reported eerie happenings that make you wonder if something darker was at play.
In this article, you’ll discover seven horror films where what happened off-camera was even more terrifying than the plot itself.
What Makes a Film Cursed?
When we say a film is “cursed,” we don’t just mean bad luck or budget troubles.
We’re talking about a string of bizarre, sometimes tragic events – think mysterious fires, sudden deaths, freak accidents, or eerie, unexplained phenomena happening on or off set.
These incidents, especially when they mirror scenes from the movie itself, lead people to believe something darker might be at play.
Some blame the subject matter. Others think the actions or energy of the cast and crew might have drawn in something… unwelcome.
Horror movies tend to get this label more than most. Maybe it’s the unsettling themes, or maybe it’s just easier to believe in curses when you’re already dealing with demons and hauntings on screen.
The Most Cursed Film Sets
Let’s get right into the top cursed horror films of all time.
1. The Exorcist (1973)
The Exorcist is already terrifying on screen – but what happened behind the scenes might be even creepier.
Here’s why some folks think this movie was cursed:
The fire that spared Regan’s room
A sudden blaze broke out on set one weekend, destroying much of the MacNeil house interior.
Weirdly, Regan’s bedroom – the one used for all the possession scenes – was completely untouched. Production was delayed for weeks, and the eerie coincidence only added fuel to the curse rumors.
Real injuries made it into the movie
Two of the actors got hurt while filming, and their actual pain ended up in the final cut:
Linda Blair (Regan) fractured her lower spine during a bed scene involving special effects. She later developed scoliosis.
Ellen Burstyn (Chris MacNeil) injured her tailbone when yanked backwards in a stunt. She was on crutches for two weeks—and yep, that scream in the movie? Totally real.
Two actors died before the movie came out
Jack MacGowran (Burke Dennings) died just after wrapping his scenes.
Vasiliki Maliaros (Father Karras’s mother) passed away during production.
The director considered an actual exorcism
Rumors got so intense that director William Friedkin asked a priest to exorcise the set. Instead, the cast and crew got a blessing.
Even decades later, people still talk about The Exorcist being cursed.
Was it supernatural? Or just a tough shoot that got wrapped in myth? Either way, it definitely earned its creepy reputation.
2. Poltergeist (1982)
The Poltergeist franchise isn’t just known for haunted TVs and creepy clowns—it’s also infamous for what people call the “Poltergeist Curse.”
Real skeletons were used on set
In the infamous pool scene, actress JoBeth Williams was surrounded by what looked like decomposing bodies.
Turns out—they were actual human skeletons. Using real remains was cheaper than plastic replicas at the time. Wild, right?
Some folks believe this decision may have stirred up something… not so happy to be there.
An on-set exorcism actually happened
Will Sampson, who joined the cast in the sequel, believed there was a dark presence lingering around the production.
So he performed a real exorcism on set. Just in case.
Tragic deaths of young cast members
Dominique Dunne (Dana Freeling) was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 1982, just months after the first film came out. She was only 22.
Heather O’Rourke (Carol Anne) died in 1988 at just 12 years old due to complications from a misdiagnosed illness.
Even though some of these tragedies happened years apart, they’ve become tangled in the film’s legacy.
Fans still talk about the curse – especially given how many dark moments followed the cast and crew long after the cameras stopped rolling.
3. The Omen (1976)
Often called “the most cursed production in the history of Hollywood,” The Omen had so many bizarre and tragic events tied to it, it almost sounds like fiction.
But these stories are very real—and seriously chilling.
Lightning struck multiple planes
No, seriously—this happened more than once:
Gregory Peck’s plane was hit by lightning on his way to London.
Producer Mace Neufeld also had his flight struck by lightning en route to L.A.
Screenwriter David Seltzer’s plane? Yep – also struck by lightning.
And producer Harvey Bernhard was nearly hit while filming in Rome.
It’s enough to make you never want to board a plane again.
A missed flight turned deadly
Gregory Peck was scheduled to take a charter plane—but plans changed last minute.
That same plane crashed after takeoff, killing everyone on board. Even worse, the plane struck a car on the ground, killing the pilot’s wife and two kids.
Animal attacks weren’t just for the screen
A Rottweiler used in a scene bit through stuntman Terry Walsh’s protective gear.
At Windsor Zoo, the day after a scene was shot with baboons, a zookeeper was mauled and killed by a lion.
A real-life decapitation mirrored the movie
Special effects artist John Richardson worked on one of the film’s goriest scenes – a character getting decapitated. Months later, he was in a car accident in the Netherlands. His girlfriend was killed in the crash… and her head was severed.
Richardson said he saw a road sign nearby pointing to the town of Ommen, 66.6 km away.
Other eerie and tragic events:
Gregory Peck’s son died by suicide just two months before filming began.
A hotel Richard Donner (the director) had recently left was bombed by the IRA.
The fatal crash involving John Richardson happened on Friday the 13th.
All of this was so unsettling, it later became the focus of a documentary called The Curse of The Omen.
5. The Conjuring (2013)
Based on the real-life investigations of Ed and Lorraine Warren, The Conjuring tells the story of a haunted farmhouse—and the movie’s production had its own creepy moments that blurred the line between fiction and reality.
The story behind the story: The Perron family haunting
In the 1970s, the Perron family claimed their Rhode Island farmhouse was haunted by multiple spirits.
Children reportedly drowned in a nearby creek.
There were suicides in the attic.
And one spirit in particular, Bathsheba Sherman, was said to be the most malevolent.
Bathsheba Sherman: Real person or legend?
Bathsheba was born in 1812, and local lore paints her as a witch who worshipped the devil.
Some even believed she was related to someone executed during the Salem Witch Trials.
According to legend, she cursed the land before she died – and the Perrons were the unlucky ones to move in next.
Strange things happened during filming
A mysterious fire broke out early in production, destroying part of the set.
Lights reportedly exploded without explanation.
Crew members said they felt cold spots and sensed someone – or something – watching them.
Vera Farmiga’s real-life connection
Vera Farmiga, who played Lorraine Warren, said she woke up with unexplained bruises—just like Carolyn Perron, the woman she portrayed.
Farmiga was so creeped out by the script that she wouldn’t even read it at night.
Scary reactions after the movie’s release
Some audience members passed out or had heart palpitations during screenings.
Paranormal fans began visiting the real Perron farmhouse, which quickly became a hotspot for ghost hunters.
But… was it all real?
Like many “true horror stories,” the Perron case is still debated.
Skeptics question the family’s claims.
Paranormal investigators remain split – some believe it’s one of the most credible hauntings ever, while others call it pure fiction.
Real or not, the eerie events during filming only added to The Conjuring’s legacy – and made the Warrens’ world feel a little too real for comfort.
6. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Rosemary’s Baby is a slow-burn psychological horror classic—but the horror didn’t stop at the credits. From on-set tension to tragic real-life events, this film has long been tied to one of the most chilling “curses” in movie history.
Tense moments on set
Director Roman Polanski was known for being extremely detail-obsessed, which pushed the film over budget and delayed production.
In one scene, Mia Farrow had to walk into real traffic. Nervous about the stunt, she was told by Polanski, “No one’s going to hit a pregnant woman.” (She was wearing a fake baby bump at the time.)
Midway through filming, Frank Sinatra had divorce papers served to Farrow—on set, in front of the cast and crew. She nearly quit the film but stayed after seeing an early cut of her performance.
Tragedy struck after filming
Composer Krzysztof Komeda died at just 37 after a fall during a party. He went into a coma and never woke up.
Producer William Castle suffered painful kidney stones and claimed he hallucinated scenes from the film while hospitalized.
The murder of Sharon Tate
The darkest event tied to Rosemary’s Baby happened in real life:
In 1969, Polanski’s wife Sharon Tate, who was pregnant, was brutally murdered by the Manson Family. The killing shocked the world and forever linked the movie to something darker than fiction.
The haunted Dakota building
The film used New York City’s Dakota building for exterior shots. It already had a creepy rep – and later became the site where John Lennon was murdered in 1980.
The building is rumored to be haunted, with strange sightings reported even before the film was made.
Between the eerie filming conditions and the haunting aftermath, Rosemary’s Baby is one of those movies where the real horror happened behind the scenes.
7. The Possession (2012)
Inspired by the legend of a haunted dybbuk box, The Possession already had creepy subject matter – but the weirdness didn’t stop with the script.
The cast and crew experienced enough strange events to make even skeptics raise an eyebrow.
Unexplained phenomena on set
Cold gusts of wind moved through sealed sets with no clear source.
Fluorescent lights exploded during key scenes – something that happened more than once.
Director Ole Bornedal said a neon light that wasn’t even turned on suddenly burst right under his feet.
A mysterious fire after filming
Just days after production wrapped, a fire destroyed the storage facility holding all the movie’s props – including the replica dybbuk box used in the film.
The fire department couldn’t find any signs of arson or electrical faults.
Everything was lost, and no official cause was ever found.
Cast and crew got spooked
Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who started the project as a skeptic, admitted the on-set events made him rethink the paranormal.
He and producer Sam Raimi both refused to let the real dybbuk box anywhere near the production.
Several crew members reported having disturbing dreams during filming – some even said they felt like they were being watched.
With real-life chills matching the film’s haunted premise, The Possession earned a reputation for being more than just a scary story on screen. For the people behind the scenes, it felt a little too real.
Truth Is Stranger (and Scarier)
Turns out, the scariest stories weren’t in the script.
These cursed productions remind us that real-life horror can creep into even the most controlled environments. And when it does, no one is safe – not even the crew.
