Nomads (1986)

This Pierce Brosnan film features a type of spirit or "ghost" that is known to the Inuit as Inua, or Inuat which is plural.  These are possesor spirits that can take over a person and cause them to do evil things, though the Inuat themselves are neither good or evil, their presence nonetheless can be dangerous and disruptive.  In the film, these Inuat have made a home in Los Angeles and Brosnan's character Jean-Charles Pommier, an anthropologist and photographer who has worked among the Inuit, has the singular misfortune of noticing them.

The recognition part is crucial.  The Inuit had/have a practice of waiting to address someone approaching from afar that they do not recognize or haven't seen for a long time, for fear that they may actually be an inua.  Interestingly, Vikings used to have an almost identical practice...so there must be something up there at the top of world that causes people to behave in this manner; Yupik speaking people (and some Kanchatchal speakers as well) in Siberia to the same.  

In addition to Brosnan, the film stars Lesley-Ann Downs, Anna Marie Monticelli as women pursued, rocker Adam Ant and Mary Woronov as nasty ghosts and one really hard to notice cameo by Ted Nugent.  It also features the recently deceased character actress Frances Bay, who passed away only a couple of weeks ago at the age of 92. RIP!