The Best “Oops, I Summoned a Monster” Movies

From cursed tomes to Ouija boards to heavy metal records spun backward, kids in horror films have a habit of summoning things they can’t send back. This lineup features five of the best “Oops, I Summoned a Monster” stories — Goosebumps (2015), Hocus Pocus (1993), The Gate (1987), Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016), and Verónica (2017). These films turn curiosity, grief, and good intentions into open doors for witches, demons, and other things better left in the dark. Whether you peeked through your fingers as a kid or you’re just discovering these gateway horrors now, these movies prove that sometimes the biggest scares start with the smallest mistakes.