For thousands of years, humans have been fascinated and frightened by curses. Whether they are brought on by angry gods, vengeful witches, or a series of unfortunate historical events, curses have plagued people since the beginning of time. Whether these vengeful spells were ever real or just our human tendency to see patterns, their cultural impact is undeniable. The word ‘cursed’ has even taken on a new meaning in internet culture, referring to images, videos, and audio that are unusually disturbing and mysterious. These ‘cursed’ media become a unique type of meme, meant to disturb, scare, or challenge rather than amuse.
This list explores videos and movies that showcase the full range of curses: those that are supposedly supernatural and plague the unlucky, the new internet-style cursed videos that haunt psychologically, and those that blur the lines between the two. Here are 10 of the most cursed videos out there.
10 Internet – Rubber Johnny
This is one of the original cursed videos that haunted the early days of YouTube. Back then, people would hide it in obscure folders and rename the URLs as a prank on their friends. Created as an experimental art film and a music video for “Afx237 v.7” by Aphex Twin, the film is pure disgust and discomfort.
The video focuses on a deformed young man in a wheelchair, his head lolling around. He starts dancing to the EDM track while his chihuahua watches. The blurred night-vision and quick editing make the scene feel erratic, nauseating, and deeply disturbing, stripping away any joy from the dance.
9 Supernatural – The Japanese Kleenex Commercial
In 1986, Kleenex released a series of three commercials featuring Japanese actress Keiko Matsuzaka dressed in white, sitting on a bed of straw next to a child dressed as an ogre. On paper, it sounds like an odd creative choice, but nothing inherently sinister. However, watching the commercial reveals a different story. A haunting and empty love song plays in the background, giving the whole scene an unnerving vibe.
Rumor has it that many people thought the song was a modern version of an ancient German curse. Viewers called in to complain, and the commercial was taken off the air. The curse supposedly remained, with claims that most of the cast and crew died mysteriously, the lead actress gave birth to a demon baby, and thousands who watched the clip went insane. It’s said to be even worse if watched at midnight…
8 Internet – My Dead Great Grandma’s Coffin in My Own Backyard
This video is chilling, not just because of its content but because it seems eerily plausible. In it, a man communicates via ASL, explaining that his local cemetery is so badly managed that he decided to keep his great-grandmother’s casket in his own yard above ground. The video culminates with him opening the casket to reveal her partially decomposed body, which he then kisses on the mouth. It’s hard to say more because seeing it is enough. It’s a disturbing and plausible scenario.
7 Supernatural – Atuk
The curse of Atuk is one I take personally. Whether by curse or sheer misfortune, the result is four comedy legends meeting an untimely demise.
The curse surrounds a movie script based on the Canadian satire novel The Incomparable Atuk. The book tells the story of an Inuit man who moves to Toronto and succumbs to the temptations of the big city, becoming as greedy and snobbish as those he initially despises. When adapting the book for American moviegoers, several big names in comedy were considered for the role.
John Belushi was first offered the part but died months later. Sam Kinison got the lead role next and died while attempting to rewrite the part. Then came John Candy, who died months after reading the script, followed by Chris Farley, who also died within months. Allegedly, Farley showed his good friend Phil Hartman the script, who also met his death shortly after.
This is oversimplified and easily explained. The lead role went exclusively to overweight actors, most of whom had drug problems. Yet, it’s easier to blame a curse than to accept that these five titans are gone without reason.
6 Internet- Man gets lost in the catacombs of Paris
Although its authenticity is questionable, this clip is frightening. The Paris Catacombs, an extensive network of tunnels, snake beneath the city. Although a mile of the structure is open for tours, thrill-seekers and ghost hunters often break into the restricted sections to explore the dark passages.
In a 2000 episode of “Scariest Places on Earth,” alleged found-footage showed a lone explorer getting lost and disoriented in the forbidden tunnels. In the video, the man explores calmly but gradually starts moving faster, eventually dropping his camera and sprinting away. The camera keeps shooting, showing a dark, quiet tunnel, which leads to the question: did he simply lose his way and panic, or was he running from something?
5 Supernatural – The Hungarian Suicide Song
Technically, the curse lies within the song itself, not any particular video. However, any video containing the song’s full, unaltered audio is potentially curse-inducing. The song is “Gloomy Sunday” by Rezső Seress, known as the Hungarian Suicide Song. Shortly after its 1935 release, around 20 suicides in Hungary were associated with the song.
Anecdotal reports claimed that the suicide victims had listened to the song just before their deaths. Though these rumors are unsubstantiated, Seress, the song’s creator, also committed suicide years later. The popular Billie Holiday version of the song was banned by the BBC for harming public morale.
4 Internet – Croatian Stalking Tape
This video claims to be found footage released by Croatian authorities to find the video’s authors. The footage shows two Croatian teens testing their new video camera in a park when they notice a man following them. The man is hunched, apelike, and has a sack over his head. He gets closer to the teens, eventually getting right next to them. They run into a building and seem to lose him, but when they call an elevator, the video cuts out with the two screaming.
3 Supernatural – Poltergeist
“Poltergeist” is horror movie royalty. Produced by Spielberg, the film was released in 1982 to acclaim and commercial success. The story centers on a suburban family who unknowingly make their home atop a Native American burial ground and become victims of a ghostly curse. The real-life curse of “Poltergeist” seemed to escape the screen and affect the set.
Several cast and crew members died mysteriously and unexpectedly. Heather O’Rourke, the young lead, died unexpectedly at age 12. Dominique Dunne, who played her older sister, was murdered within a year of the first film’s release. Julian Beck and Will Sampson both passed away shortly after finishing the second film. There were also creepy rumors of exorcisms occurring on set and the use of real human remains in the first film’s pool scene.
2 Internet – Video Dating Tape
This video seems eerily plausible. You have to assume it’s fake, but the fact that you’re left to wonder makes it terrifying. The video comes from a VHS tape on which a man has recorded a dating profile. In a Hawaiian shirt, in front of a tropical background, he introduces himself, explaining why he’d make an excellent romantic partner. It’s sad and awkward, but then a sound comes from off-camera that distracts and enrages him. It sounds like a woman, perhaps gagged, moaning and screaming. He explodes, screaming at her to shut up, and then calmly starts recording another take of his dating profile. It’s subtle enough to prevent being dismissed immediately.
1 Supernatural – The Omen
Producer Harvey Bernhard said at the start of production for 1976’s “The Omen” that “the devil was at work and he didn’t want that film made.” Only two months before filming began, star Gregory Peck’s son committed suicide. During filming, Peck’s plane was struck by lightning, as was Producer Mace Neufeld’s. Another bolt of lightning almost hit Bernhard himself. The IRA bombed the hotel Neufeld was staying at.
A plane slated to capture aerial photographs for the film crashed and killed everyone on board. An animal wrangler was mauled by a tiger and died from his wounds. An assistant to special effects supervisor John Richardson was decapitated in a car crash. Is that all coincidence? Almost certainly, but it’s hard to ignore how much tragic coincidence there was.
Whether you believe in curses or not, these videos offer a fascinating glimpse into the power of fear, suggestion, and the human tendency to find patterns in random events.
