The Best Contagious Curse Horror Movies

Abby Brenker
2 days ago
2 min read

A contagious curse is a prolific horror trope, one typically defined by victims being able to accidentally catch a curse. Like a cold. Movies like Smile, The Ring, Drag Me to Hell, The Grudge, and It Follows come to mind.

In many of these movies, the curse holders do not want to pass along the curses. And if they must survive, they often end up with a lot of guilt associated with giving the burden to another innocent person.

For more on the folklore that laid the foundation for these movies, listen to episode 188 of the Lunatics Radio Hour podcast.

All of these films are fantastic in their own, unique ways. But they share one common, core element. They all center around curses that can be passed from one victim to another. Here are the best contagious curse horror movies.

A woman leans out of the backseat of a car.

It Follows (2014) It Follows is one of the cleanest examples of a contagious curse. The curse functions like a sexually transmitted infection, it can be passed to another through intimacy. Once someone has contracted the curse, they start to see an entity take a human form and walk directly towards them. If it catches and kills them, it moves backward down the chain to the previous person, so the only temporary escape is passing it to someone else.

A figure in a white dress with long black hair stands ominously in a dim room with photos on the walls, creating a haunting atmosphere.

The Ring (2002) In The Ring, victims catch a curse after watching a video tape, which results in their death seven days later. This iconic horror film was directed by Gore Verbinski and stars Naomi Watts and Brian Cox. It’s a remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film Ringu, based on a novel from 1991 by Koji Suzuki.

Smile (2022) The curse in Smile passes to anyone who witnesses a victim’s traumatic, smiling suicide, after which a malevolent entity attaches itself and psychologically breaks them through escalating hallucinations. Within days, the victim is driven to kill themselves in front of someone else, continuing the chain, unless they transfer it first by committing a violent act that traumatizes a new witness.

A terrified woman screams as a menacing figure looms over her in a dimly lit room with a metal bed frame, creating a tense, horror ambiance.

Drag Me to Hell (2009) Directed by Sam Riami and starring Alison Lohman, Justin Long and Lorna Raver, the curse in Drag Me to Hell attaches itself to a victim and escalates over time.

A woman in a white coat leans against an elevator wall with eyes closed, looking pensive. Elevator panel visible; reflections on the doors.

The Grudge (2004) Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jason Behr, the curse in The Grudge is created when someone dies in extreme rage or sorrow, forming a spirit that haunts a specific location and attaches to anyone who enters that location. Those affected are relentlessly pursued by the vengeful entities and inevitably killed, with the curse spreading to new locations and victims through contact.

Two men in lab coats; one holds a camera, looking serious. Background shows a chalkboard with a diagram and medical equipment.

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) The curse in The Autopsy of Jane Doe centers on an unidentified woman whose body carries a supernatural force that manipulates reality and inflicts escalating, ritualistic torment on those examining her. As the autopsy progresses, the entity punishes the living for perceived sins, trapping them in a closed loop of hallucination and violence.

Man with a hook hand in a fur-collared coat gestures in a dimly lit space. Background shows a wall with faint text and a moody atmosphere.

Candyman (1992) An iconic horror film, like so many on this list, Candyman stands out because it has slightly different contagious curse mechanics. In Candyman, if someone says his name, the legend activates. The curse spreads through storytelling itself.

Be careful out there.