Old Tamil Horror Movies List [new] May 2026

Films dealing with split personalities and palace ghosts, leading to the 2005 blockbuster Chandramukhi .

Pre-cursor to modern horror, targeting youth audiences.

| Year | Movie Title | Key Cast | Notable Feature | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1997 | Arunachalam | Rajinikanth | Features a famous "mirror ghost" sequence in a comedic setup. | | 1999 | Nilave Mugam Kaattu | Parthiban | Psychological horror about an imaginary friend turning malevolent. | | 2000 | Thenali | Kamal Haasan | Psycho-thriller/horror directed by K. S. Ravikumar (borderline old/transition). | old tamil horror movies list

These films established the grammar of Tamil horror.

| Year | Movie Title | Key Cast | Notable Feature | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1988 | Poonthotta Kaavalkaaran | Ramarajan | Horror-comedy; village deity fights a sorcerer. | | 1993 | Uthama Raasa | Rajinikanth | Demon god themes; extensive use of folk drums for tension. | | 1996 | Mahaprabhu | Sarath Kumar | Possession by an ancient spirit. | Films dealing with split personalities and palace ghosts,

Archival Analysis and Curated List of Classic Tamil Horror Cinema (Pre-2000)

| Year | Movie Title | Key Cast | Notable Feature | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1964 | Karnan | Sivaji Ganesan | While mythological, the forest/ocean scenes set horror tropes. | | 1965 | Yarukkaga Azhudhan | Muthuraman | Early psychological thriller with ghost undertones. | | 1977 | Annakili | Sivakumar | Rural horror; introduced the concept of a benevolent village spirit. | | 1982 | Moondru Mugam | Rajinikanth | Action-horror; iconic villainous possession sequences. | | | 1999 | Nilave Mugam Kaattu |

The following list is divided by thematic categories for easy reference.