While some audiences may view PG-13 horror movies as restrained, unable to let loose for full-on frights, the best supernatural movies in this category rely on technical competence and premise development to secure the scares. The paranormal plots of the genre invite audiences to imagine a reality where occult creatures exist behind a veil only revealed under the most dire of circumstances. From hauntings to taxing psychological what-ifs, the best PG-13 supernatural movies allow audiences to focus on the unsettling atmosphere and tension-building sequences instead of the overwhelming violence and gore found in their R-rated counterparts.
The skepticism of the paranormal put in competition with the intrigue of possibility makes for an intoxicating and enticing watch that ultimately goes home with the viewers versus slasher or body horror movies where the frights are left onscreen instead of attaching to their reality. Whether adapted from source material or a franchise continuation, the supernatural films in this canon operate so successfully within their limits that the rating is secondary...