Six scary horror movies filmed in Yorkshire and the storylines behind them

Not only is Yorkshire famous for its picturesque scenery and nature reserves that attract unique wildlife, its countryside, woodland, moors and valleys during the autumn season have also attracted the attention of the acting industry.

From the wildness of the North York Moors to the misty towns and villages along the Yorkshire coast, horror is a genre that the region has been popular for.

The vast history spanning thousands of years means that there are plenty of venues in Yorkshire that have attracted many supernatural fans who love to hunt for the ghosts that supposedly haunt these places.

Here are the scariest horror movies and psychological thrillers filmed in Yorkshire.

Ghost Stories (2017)

This anthology horror film was written and directed by Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman and was based on their 2010 stage play of the same name.

It follows Professor Phillip Goodman (Andy Nyman), a psychologist and arch-sceptic, whose notions are challenged when he comes across a long lost file which includes details of three unexplained cases of terrifying ‘hauntings’ and is tasked with finding rational explanations for them.

Bradford actor Samuel Bottomley portrays Phillip Goodman as a teenager alongside fellow actors Daniel Hill who plays Mr Goodman, Nicholas Burns as Mark Van Rhys, Martin Freeman as Mike Priddle, Paul Whitehouse as Tony Matthews and Alex Lawther as Simon Rifkind.

The movie was filmed in locations including Leeds City Centre, Varieties, Harehills Labour Club, Chapel Allerton, Holbeck, Saltaire, Harewood Estate, Harrogate and Hornsea in 2016.

The Woman in Black (2012)

This horror film was directed by James Watkins and written by Jane Goldman; it is the second adaptation of Susan Hill’s 1983 book of the same name, which was first made into a film in 1989.

The movie is set in early 20th century England and follows a young recently widowed lawyer who travels to an isolated village where he finds out that the grudge-bearing ghost of a scorned woman is terrorising the local residents.

The film stars Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe as widowed lawyer Arthur Kipps, Ciarán Hinds as Samuel (Sam) Daily, a local landowner, Janet McTeer as Elisabeth Daily, Sam’s wife and Liz White as The Woman in Black.

The village of Crythin Gifford was filmed at Halton Gill, north of Settle in the Yorkshire Dales.

Censor (2021)

Censor is a psychological horror film directed by Prano Bailey-Bond and was produced based on Prano and Anthony Fletcher’s screenplay.

Following the viewing of a familiar video, Enid, a film censor, attempts to find out what happened to her sister after she mysteriously disappeared, and along the way she embarks on a task that blurs the line between fiction and reality.

The film stars Niamh Algar as Enid Baines, Nicholas Burns as Sanderson, Vincent Franklin as Fraser, Sophia La Porta as Nina Baines (Enid’s sister), Adrian Schiller as Frederick North and Michael Smiley as Doug Smart.

Filming for the movie mainly took place in Leeds and Bradford in West Yorkshire. The set of ‘Gerald’s Videos’ store was created in Pudsey.

Phantom Thread (2017)

This American historical drama film was written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

It is set in 1950s London and follows a haute couture dressmaker who takes a young waitress as his muse. He is charismatic whilst also being obsessive and controlling and the arch character makes for a tense watch as events unfold throughout the movie.

The film stars Daniel Day Lewis as Reynolds Woodcock (dressmaker), Lesley Manville as Cyril Woodcock (Reynolds’ sister) and Vicky Krieps as Alma Elson.

Many filming spots took place in the North York Moors National Park as well as Robin Hood’s Bay and Staithes.

Saint Maud (2019)

This psychological horror film was written and directed by Rose Glass in her directorial debut and follows hospice nurse, Maud (Morfydd Clark), a recent Roman Catholic convert, who becomes obsessed with a former dancer in her care (Jennifer Ehle) and believes that she must save her soul by any means.

The scenes with the beach and the seaside town were filmed in Scarborough.

When the Lights Went Out (2012)

The supernatural horror film was directed by Pat Holden.

The movie follows a group of poltergeists who attack a family in Yorkshire during the 1974 nationwide power cuts.

It stars Kate Ashfield as Jenny Maynard, Tasha Connor as Sally Maynard, Leeds-born actor Steven Waddington as Len Maynard, Craig Parkinson as Brian, Martin Compston as Mr Price and Jo Hartley as Jeanette.

The movie was filmed at 30 East Drive in Pontefract and according to the filmmakers the plot is ‘loosely’ based on an alleged poltergeist haunting known as The Black Monk of Pontefract that supposedly took place at this venue, the home of Joe and Jean Pritchard.