Let’s explore some haunted houses and look for ghosts in this carefully selected list of haunted houses and ghosts in horror movies.
Haunted houses and ghosts are popular topics in horror films. We (hopefully) all live in a house or apartment that is supposed to be the safest place to be. It’s where we can feel the most private, the most ourselves. It’s where we are at home. When that is invaded by ghosts or when it has become a place where you don’t feel safe anymore, then, where else can you go. Therefore it’s a great subject to invoke fear.
Ghosts on the other hand imply life after death. It can be comforting, that our loved ones go to a better place, as is the saying. But it also can be disturbing when a ghost is restless, seeks vengeance, or has become a malevolent entity. The fact that we can’t see them, but they can harm us, is a welcome tool to create fear.
A haunted house can be occupied by ghosts, poltergeists, or other entities, but a house can be haunted by its past, a feeling or secrets as well. It doesn’t even have to be a house. It can be a hotel, a ship, a school, an asylum or all kinds of places. A ghost story in turn, doesn’t even have to involve ghosts. It can be psychological, the fear of the unseen or misunderstood.
I have put together a list of Haunted Houses & Ghosts in Horror Films that I have watched and personally recommend. It’s not a list with all the haunted Houses and ghosts in horror films out there or the best ones, but this is a selection of films that I enjoyed watching.
The list is set up by decade and by year. Starting with the most recent films. Each time I have found a new film within this genre that I highly recommend it will be added to the list.
So save this post for more recommendations.
The list consists of 60 films at the moment.
Presence (2024)
Stars: Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Eddy Maday, West Mulholland. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Written by David Koepp. (1h 24m)
Genres: art horror, ghosts, dysfunctional family, psychological horror
When a family moves into a new house, they not only have to deal with personal struggles that affect their relationships with each other, but there’s also a presence that is focused on the daughter.
Shot from the perspective of the ghost it’s a unique story that revolves around the ghost watching this family. With amazing camerawork the presence becomes a real character. While there is a connection, it remains a mystery until the end who this ghost might be. It’s a smart, tragic tale that is focused on psychological horror and mystery,. You can Read my Full Review.
Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor (2023)
Stars: Bridget Rose Perrotta, Destiny Leilani Brown, James Liddell. Directed & written by Stephen Cognetti. (1h 38m)
Genres: found footage, occult, eighties vibe, creepy dolls, creepy clowns, cults, haunted house
The fourth installment of the found footage Hell House LLC franchise takes us back to October 1989, when at the Carmichael Manor a massacre took place. It is now rumored that the house is haunted and Margot a paranormal sleuth has gotten permission to investigate and film her experiences for a couple of days. She brings along her girlfriend Rebecca and her brother Chase. Once inside strange things start to occur. Not only do objects move by itself, but also the creepy clown mannequins seem to move by themselves.
It explains more about what happened in the previous films and connects them. It has some great creepy scares in the big mansion, to do with both ghosts and the creepy clowns. You can Read my Full Recap.
Deadstream (2022)
Stars: Joseph Winter, Melanie Stone. Directed & written by Jospeh Winter, Vanessa Winter. (1h 27m)
Genres: found footage, haunted house, ghosts, comedy
This is a fun found footage film about not so likable Shawn Ruddy who has a YouTube channel called Wrath of Shawn. For Halloween he wants to stay in a haunted house and do a live stream where all his followers have a say in what he has to do that night. The house called Death Manor is supposedly haunted by Mildred Pratt who was a poet but hanged herself. New occupants of the house mysteriously died there and now it’s abandoned. He attempts to summon her spirit by holding a seance. To his surprise fangirl Chris shows up, stirring things up.
As the night progresses the hauntings begin and Shawn is attacked which starts a night full of terror, chaos, ghosts, creepy figures and gore. With some real scares this film offers humor with horror with Shawn at the center of the comedy. You can Read my Full Review.
His House (2020)
Stars: Sope Dirisu, Wumm Mosaku, Malaika Wakoli-Agigaba, Matt Smith. directed by Remi Weekes. Writte by Remi Weekes, Felicity Evans. (1h 33m)
Genres: art horror, symbolism, social commentary, haunted house, psychological horror
Bol and Rial Majur have fled from South Sudan to England and were appointed a house. But the house seems haunted by a supernatural force. It’s an Apeth, a Night Witch that wants back that what was taken.
It has some very creepy disturbing scenes and hauntings but the story is a metaphor for survivors guilt and grief and trauma. They are haunted by a supernatural entity but also by their personal demons, what they have done and what they have been through. It’s a devastating tale with a compelling narrative. You can Read my Full Review.
The Deeper You Dig (2019)
Stars: Toby Poser, Zelda Adams, John Adams. Directed by John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser. Written by John Adams, Toby Poser. (1h 35m)
Genres: ghosts, surrealism, supernatural, psychological horror
This is a devastating ghost story about the search of a mother whose daughter goes missing. Echo is 14 years old when she gets hit by the car of the new neighbor Kurt. He however decides to take her body home and bury her. Her mother Ivy is a medium and feels something is wrong and goes in search for her which brings her on hallucinatory surreal visions, while Echo’s ghost is trying to contact her and torments her killer.
With surreal imagery this is a tragic ghost story with creative and powerful hauntings that are surreal and scary. Is about the powerful bond between mother and daughter with a surprising and original ending. You can Read my Full Review.
Girl on the Third Floor (2019)
Stars: Phil Brooks, Trieste Kelly Dunn, Sarah Brooks, Elissa Dowling, Travis Delgado. Directed by Travis Stevens. Written by Travis Stevens, Paul Johnstone, Ben Parker. (1h 33min)
Genres: haunted house, ghosts
Don Loch tries to start over with his pregnant wife and buys a house in the suburbs to fix up. But there’s something wrong with the house, because mucus, dark fluids and mold keep seeping through. Don struggles with the bottle and then there’s pretty next door neighbor Sarah who distracts him.
Slowly the house reveals its dark past. Both the house and the past come very much to life and the house feels like a character of its own. It has some gore, a surreal scene and a sad death, the dog dies, off screen, but still. You can Read my Full Review.
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This design of a Pink and Green Skull is made with pen and alcohol markers. You can buy this design on a Rib Racer Tank Top and other apparel in my shop at Printify.
Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire (2019)
Stars: Elizabeth Vermilyea, Gabrile Chytry. Directed & written by Stephen Cognetti. (1h 25m)
Genres: found footage, occult, cults, creepy clown, haunted house
It’s been nine years since the incident at the Abaddon Hotel. A rich entrepreneur Russell Wynn bought it to perform an interactive theater performance called Insomnia. He has invited the new host of Morning Mysteries Vanessa Sheperd to document this event. During rehearsal with the crew and actors strange things occur and the hotel still seems to be haunted.
While mostly the actors catch strange things, familiar ghosty faces and other scary occurrences on film, Vanessa is focusing on solving the mystery surrounding Russell and the Abaddon Hotel itself that became haunted after a cult killed themselves years ago to open the gate of hell. Its consequences are still causing creepy events, but also Andrew Tully is very much haunting the place and controlling events to an ultimate goal. You can Read my Full Review. Or my Full Recap.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
Stars: Zoe Collett, Michael Garza. Directed by André Øvredal. Written by Dan Hageman, Kevin hangman, Guillermo del Toro. (1h 48m)
Genres: supernatural, monsters, haunted house, ghosts, sixties vibe, halloween, anthology
In 1968 during Halloween Stella and her friends Auggie, Chuck and Ramón enter a haunted house that belonged to the Bellow family. Stella finds the book Sarah Bellows wrote her horror stories in. Stella wants to be a writer too. But then stories appear by themselves. Now they all are being haunted by a ghostly or monstrous creature from those stories. They have to stop this vengeful ghost.
They are haunted by a scary scarecrow Harold, Big Toe, Red Spots, the Pale Lady , the Jangly Man and a Black Dog. All scary monstrous apparitions and out to get them. Based on the stories written by Alvin Schawartz and drawn by Stephen Gammell You can Read my Full Review.
Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)
Stars: Oh Ah-yeon, Wi Ha-joon, Yoo Je-Yoon, Park Ji-ah, Park Ji-hyun, Lee Seung-wook, Mu Ye-won, Park Sung-hoon (1h 35m)
Genres: found footage, haunted house, ghosts, surrealism, supernatural, asian horror, South Korea
The old asylum Gonjiam was first opened in 1961 but was closed in 1979 after a mass suicide. The director also disappeared and she was never seen again. Now is it supposedly haunted. A perfect place for YouTube channel Horror Times to explore and see if it really is haunted. Multiple people who went there to explore went missing or badly hurt. Especially room 402 is supposed to be cursed and you can’t open the door.
After they perform a ritual to summon the ghosts, something went wrong. Now they have seemed to unleash something evil. With a great creepy and ominous vibe and big scares, jump scares and surreal scares, the building and its ghosts won’t let them leave the asylum in this South Korean found footage.
Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel (2018)
Stars: Jillian Geurts, Vas Eli, Kyle Ingleman. Directed & written by Stephen Cognetti. (1h 29m)
Genres: found footage, occult, cults, haunted house
In the first film the Abaddon Hotel was turned into a haunted house attraction for Halloween. But the Hotel was actually haunted by means of a massive suicide of a cult who wanted to open the gate of Hell. That Halloween multiple people died and the crew vanished. Now Mitchell Cavanaugh is approached by Jessica Fox to go back for new information.
When the new investigating crew enters the hotel, the hauntings start immediately. Ghosts, overall creepiness and an uncanny atmosphere and even familiar scares like the piano music and the creepy clown mannequin show up. We also learn more about Andrew Tully and his cult and the purpose of the hotel. This sequel offers scares, entertainment and it expands the lore of the hotel and the cult. You can Read my Full Review. Or you can Read my Full Recap.
Insidious The Last Key (2018)
Stars: Lin Shaye, Kit Goldsmith, Spncer Locke. Directed by Adam Robitel. Written by Leigh Whannell. (1h 43m)
Genres: surrealism, supernatural, ghosts, other dimension
In the fourth film of this franchise we go further back in time when Elise Rainer has to go back to her old childhood home full of bad memories. She meets her nieces for the first time but this family reunion soon falls into the evil traps of The Further.
Although the cinematography and setting and decor don’t have that eerie creepy surreal atmosphere as in the first two films, The Further still remains a surreal location enhanced by the lantern with the bluish glow, the red door and the ghostly realm itself. This is mostly the story about Elise and her past and her own demons she has to face, which results in a scary film with jump scares and an atmosphere of dread.
Malevolent (2018)
Stars: Florence Pugh, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Scott Chambers, georgine Bevan, Celia Imrie, James Cosmo. Directed by Olaf de Fleur Johannesson. Written by Ben Ketai, Eva Konstantopoulos. (1h 29min)
Genres: haunted house, ghosts, eighties vibe
In 1986 Angela and her brother Jackson run a shady business conning people with their so-called psychic powers. Just like their mother did. With Beth and Elliot they get a job at an old orphanage where three girls haunt the place. Once there Angela gets a nose bleed just like her mother did. She might be psychic after all, and ghosts might be real too.
Like all conventional ghosts stories it’s all about the mystery of what happened in the past with the three girls and why are they still haunting the place. The story has a twist both about Angela and Jackson and the three ghost girls.
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This painting “Spring” is made with soft pastels. You can buy this fine art print on museum-quality paper in my shop at Printify. Take a look at my other art prints as well.
Terrified/ Atterados (2017)
Stars: Maximilliano Ghione (Funes), Norberto Gonzalo (Jano), Elvira Onetto (Mora Albreck), George L. Lewis. Directed & written by Demián Rugna. (1h 27min)
Genres: haunted house, ghosts, other dimensions, Argentinian
In a normal neighborhood in Buenos Aires something strange is happening. Voices coming out of the sink, strange deaths, a boy that has come back as a zombie, and strange occurrences inside houses. Paranormal scientists Dr. Mora Albreck, Dr. Rosentock, chief of police Funes and retired pathologist Mario Jano are on the case that leads them to a shocking conclusion.
This Argentinian horror feels like an anthology, several seemingly unrelated hauntings that are highly connected to each other. All these different stories and events form a bigger story that is terrifying. With great cinematography creating different vibes and atmospheres for the different stories . Still it results in a coherent creepy story, that four elderly people have to solve and stop. You can Read my Full Review.
The Vault (2017)
Stars: Francesca Eastwood, Taryn Manning, Scott Haze, Q’orianka Kilcher, Clifton Collins Jr, James Franco. Directed by Dan Bush. Written by Dan Bush, Conal Byrne. (1h 31min)
Genres: ghosts, haunted house
To help their brother Michael who owns a great debt to shady people Leah and Lee want to rob a bank with two other men. When the five of them find no cash inside the bank a clerk tells them there’s an old vault in the basement. But once opened they unleash a far greater danger.
It starts out as a crime movie but slowly turns into a supernatural horror with visions and other strange occurrences with the vault as climax. Inside hide ghostly spirits that have something to do with a heist in 1982 where people were terrorized and killed. And there’s a twist that connects it to the present.
The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)
Stars: Brian Cox, Emile Hirsch, Ophelia Lovibond, Olwen Catherine Kelly. Directed by André Øverdal and written by Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing. (1h 26min)
Genres: art horror, folkore, psychological horror
When the body of a young woman is found, her body is to be examined in the morgue by Tommy and his son Austin. While outside a storm rages, strange things start to happen inside the dark morgue and they even get locked in. They have to solve the mystery of her death before it’s too late.
The mystery of the body is rooted in witchcraft, but in a very folklore subtle way. The atmosphere is dark and gloomy with ambient lighting to create a suspenseful atmosphere. It has a smart premise with two smart people who rationally want to solve a mystery that might not be rational. In the meantime Tommy and Austin have some issues about their deceased wife and mother and it gives them the opportunity to reconnect. You can Read my Full Review.
Lights Out (2016)
Stars: Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Alexander DiPersia, Billy Burke, Maria Bello. Directed by David F. Sandberg. Written by Eric Heisserer. (1h 21min)
Genres: haunted house, ghost, evil entity , dysfunctional family
Martin is afraid for his mother Sophie because she isn’t doing well. He hears her talking at night to no-one, she suffers from depression and manic episodes but refuses her medication. When Martin’s dad gets killed under suspicious circumstances and Sophie is getting worse, talking to her secret friend Diana, he asks his half-sister Rebecca for help.
It’s a story about mental illness, neglect and a dysfunctional family that gets harassed by an evil entity. The family is mostly attacked at home with an original haunting twist, where Diana lurks in the dark and the shadows, literally. She also functions as a metaphor for mental illness, an oppressing thing that can’t be shaken and can’t be seen.
The Other Side of the Door (2016)
Stars: Sarah Wayne Callies, Jeremy Sisto, Sofia Rosinsky, Logan Creran, Suchitra Pillai. Directed by Johannes Roberts. Written by Ernest Riera, Johannes Roberts. (1h 35min)
Genres: ghosts, mythology
Maria and Michael live in India with their children Oliver and Lucy. When they get in a car accident Maria can only save Lucy and Oliver dies. She is devastated. The nanny tells her about a temple where you can talk to the deceased one final time, behind a door. But you can never open that door. Marie goes to the temple, talks to Oliver and, opens the door with terrifying consequences.
Based on Indian mythology and the Goddess Myrthu who separates the soul from the body. Her depiction is beautiful and creepy. It’s a ghost story about grief, loss and letting go. Focused on an ominous and tragic atmosphere, this is a sad story with some scary ghostly scenes.
We Go On (2016)
Stars: Clark Freeman, Annette O’Toole, John Glover, Giovanna Zacarías, Jay Dunn, Laura Heisler. Directed & written by Jesse Holland and Andy Mitton. (1h 30min)
Genres: ghosts, psychological horror, existentialism
Miles Grissom is afraid of everything but most of all he is afraid of death. To take back some control he wants to find out what death entails. So he offers a reward of 30,000 dollar to the one who can prove that there’s something after death. Three people who responded are worth a try.
It’s a very introvert and intimate film. It’s about the biggest fear of all, the unknown. This results in an original film with an elusive atmosphere. It’s about the existence of ghosts and poses existential questions. It combines psychological horror with actual scares and is sometimes even very emotional. You can Read my Full Review.
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Did you know I also make Art & Designs.
This design of a Creepy Crawling Spider Eye is made with pen and alcohol markers. You can buy this design on a Unisex Baseball T-Shirt and other apparel in my shop at Threadless.
Hell House LLC (2015)
Stars: Gore Abrams, Alice Bahike, Danny Bellini, Jared Hacker, Ryan Jennifer-Jones, Adam Schneider. Directed & written by Stephen Cognetti. (1h 33m)
Genres: found footage & mockumentary, occult, haunted house, ghosts, cults, creepy doll, creepy clown, Halloween
Five friends want to turn the old Abaddon Hotel into a Haunted House attraction for Halloween. Inside strange things start to happen and some of them have strange encounters with a ghostly woman and a creepy clown mannequin that seems to move on its own. There’s also the eerie piano music that plays all by itself. At the opening night things go really wrong.
It has some great scares and jump scares, but the overall atmosphere is build on suspense and dread. It’s a great entertaining and scary found footage horror that was only the beginning of a bigger franchise that expanded the lore about the haunted Abaddon Hotel. You can Read my Full Review. Or you can Read my Full Recap.
Insidious Chapter 3 (2015)
Stars: Lin Shaye, Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, Angus Sampson, Leigh Whannell. Directed & written by Leigh Whannell (1h 37m)
Genres: supernatural, fantasy, ghosts, other dimension, surrealism
This third installment of the franchise takes us back to the time where Elise Rainer first met Specs and Tucker. The three of them help Quinn a teenage girl who is bound to a wheelchair and is harassed by an entity of The Further.
The film has some great scary shots and The Further itself remains a surreal nightmarish place that is always good for a very creepy atmosphere as is the entity that has its eyes on Quinn. This story is set in a more dramatic backstory which makes it not less uncanny.
We Are Still Here (2015)
Stars: Barbara Crampton, Andrew Sensenig, Larry Fessenden, Lisa Marie. Directed and written by Ted Geoghegan. (1h 24m)
Genres: ghost story, ghosts, haunted house, splatterpunk, dark humor, seventies vibe
After Paul and Anne have lost their adult son Bobby in a car accident they move to a new house. When strange things happen, Anne is convinced it’s Bobby’s ghost. But after their neighbor has secretly past them a warning note, and their friends hold a seance that doesn’t end well, there might be something more sinister at play.
It’s a wonderful mashup that starts out as a ghost story drama about loss and grief, but then takes a turn to comedy with their friends, to horror with the real truth about the house. To finally turn into a brilliant splatterpunk with a wonderful role for Anne. With great characters, a mystery, ghosts and a haunted house this film succeeds to turn a conventional genre into something amazing that feels like a rollercoaster of events. You can Read my Full Review.
Housebound (2014)
Stars: Morgana O’Reilly, Rima Te Wiata, Glen-Paul Waru, Ross Harper. Directed & written by Gerard Johnstone. (1h 47min)
Genres: comedy, haunted house, ghost story, mystery, slapstick, deadpan
Kylie is in her twenties and a mess. She gets house arrest instead of going to jail and now has to live with her mother and stepdad. While housebound she notices strange things happening in the house. As it turns out her guard is also a ghost hunter in his free time. So he helps her to track down the ghost. They even think it has something to do with a neighbor. But things are not as they seem.
It’s a very fun hilarious comedy mystery that has a haunted house twist that is very funny and even ends in some bloody gory mayhem. With great quirky characters this is an original feel good horror comedy.
Haunter (2013)
Stars: Abigail Breslin, Peter Outerbridge, Michelle Nolden, Stephen MacHattie, Samantha Weinstein. Directed by Vincenzo Natali. Written by Brian King. (1h 37min)
Genres: ghost story, mystery
Lisa Johnson seems an ordinary 16-year-old girl with a normal family. But they experience the same day over and over. From the moment she realizes this, irregularity start to happen. Through an ouija board she comes in contact with Olivia and she starts to discover what is really going on. Only, that’s just a small part of this mystery.
It’s a ghost story with a mystery and a twist. It’s all about Lisa that you just have to watch and experience without knowing much about it.
Insidious Chapter 2 (2013)
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey, Lin Shaye. Directed by: James Wan. Written by: James Wan, Leigh Whannell. (1h 45m)
Genres: supernatural, fantasy, ghosts, demons, other dimensions, surrealism
The second installment and a direct sequel to the first film of the franchise. After Josh saved Dalton from the Further, something follows them home. The Bride possesses Josh but with the help of Elise in a special way and another medium the family has to fight entities from The Further once again.
This sequel is just as scary with a creepy surreal nightmarish realm and scary entities that roam inside it. It connects this film with the first in a very smart way, revealing mysteries from the first film you never thought existed.
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Did you know I also make Art & Designs.
This design of an Angry Gingebread Man is made with pen and alcohol markers. You can buy this design on a Unisex Apron and other apparel and on other various products in my shop at Redbubble.
Mama (2013)
Stars: Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier, Isabelle Nélisse. Directed by Andy Muschietti. Written by Niel Cross, Andy Muschietti, Bárbara Muschiettit. (1h 40min)
Genres: ghosts story
When the father of Victoria, 3 years old and Lily, 1 year old, takes them to a cabin in the woods to kill them and himself, something saves the girls. The girls call her mama. Their uncle Lucas and his girlfriend Annabel take them in, but the girls keep longing for mama and she for them.
It’s a tragic ghost story that has a tragic shocking beginning and a tragic ending, and a scary mid part. The entity, the ghostly spirit mama behaves like a malevolent being for others and a benevolent one for the girls. The reason is a very sad one, that turns this horror in a sad emotional drama.
The Pact (2012)
Stars: Caity Lotz, Casper Van Dien, Agnes Bruckner, Haley Hudson, Kathleen Rose Perkins, Samuel Ball, Mark Steger. Directed & written by Nicholas McCarthy. (1h 29min)
Genres: ghost story, mystery
Nicole Barlow returns home to bury her mother. She calls her sister Annie and Skypes with her daughter Eva who asks: who is standing behind you? After that Nicole disappears and Annie returns home to look for her. That night Annie is attacked and manages to flee with Eva. Something is in the house with them, which sets Annie on a search for the truth.
While it starts out as a haunted house story, it has a great creepy twist. A womanly apparition has something to do with it. It’s a search for Nicole but also a personal search in Annie’s past.
The Awakening (2011)
Stars: Rebecca Hall, Dominic West, Imelda Staunton, Isaac Hempstead-Wright. Directed by Nick Murphy. Written by Stephen Volk, Nick Murphy. (1h 47min)
Genres: ghost story, ghosts, haunted house
Florence Cathcart has studied at the University of Cambridge and her mission is to debunk all the seances that are now being held during the Antebellum. Until she is asked by Robert Mallory a teacher at a boy’s boarding school to find a ghost that is dwelling the school grounds. Soon she realizes she might be wrong after all.
It’s a great period gothic ghost story set in a time when spiritualism was all the rage. Florence has her own reasons to debunk the frauds. She uses all kinds of equipment which makes it interesting but in essence it’s about whether ghosts are real or not. Leading to a tragic ghost story, with great visuals and ominous atmosphere.
Grave Encounters (2011)
Stars: Sean Rogerson, Ashleigh Gryzko, Merwin Mondesir, Juan Riedinger, Mackenzie Gray. Directed & written by Colin Minihan, Stuart Ortiz. (1h 32m)
Genres: found footage. supernatural, haunted house, ghosts, other dimension
The crew of the tv show Grave Encounters and a psychic go spend the night in the famous Collingwood Psychiatrical Hospital that is supposed to be haunted. While it’s all an act they find themselves locked in and real hauntings are happening and even hurting them. They even end up in a ghostly dimension where they loose all sense of reality.
The hauntings and ghosts are creepy, although conventional, and not subtle at all. The ghosts are not afraid to show themselves or to attack. You can Read my Full Review.
The Innkeepers (2011)
Stars: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis. Directed and written by Ti West. (1h 41min)
Genres: gothic, haunted house, ghosts, satire, dark humor
Claire and Luke work in the Yankee Pedlar Inn which is allegedly haunted. Now that the Inn is closing they only have one weekend left to register paranormal phenomena with their equipment. With only a couple of guests they finally find what they are looking for.
While it starts out as a dark comedy with a laid back atmosphere and a cosy vibe and two quirky characters, it slowly becomes more dark and when the ghost appears it really gets dire and scary. It has a whimsical style that clearly mixes styles and genres into a original haunted hose story that can even feel like a satire sometimes. It has some good jump scares with a scary ghost, a tragic background story and an interesting plot and cinematography. You can Read my Full Review.
Insidious (2010)
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey, Lin Shaye. Directed by James Wan. Written by Leigh Whannell. (1h 42m)
Genres: supernatural, fantasy, ghosts, demons, other dimensions, surrealism
When Josh and Renai move in to a new house, their eldest son Dalton falls into a strange coma. With the help of medium Elise Rainer they find out that his astral self is lost in another dimension she calls The Further. While entities from that realm prey on his body to possess it, they have to find a way to get Dalton home into his body.
The scenes of The Further are a surreal nightmare. It’s a dark dreamscape full of creepy entities, both ghostly and demonic who dwell there and want to find their way back to earth. The Further is a very creepy stylized place that feels dead and static with a dreadful atmosphere. When Josh descends into the Further to look for Dalton, he encounters nightmarish scenes which are very surreal and frightening. You can Read my Full Review.
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Did you know I also make Art & Designs.
This design of a Vintage Cat Skull is made with pen and alcohol markers. You can buy this design on a Unisex Acid Washed T-Shirt and other apparel in my shop at Printify.
The Messengers (2007)
Stars: Kirsten Stewart, Dylan McDermott, Penelope Ann Miller, John Corbett. Directed by Pang Brothers. Written by Stuart Beattie, Todd Farmer, Mark Wheaton, Scott Derrickson. (1h 30min)
Genres: ghost story, haunted house, ghosts
Roy and Denise move to the country into a farm house with their teenaged daughter Jesse and little son Ben. The real reason they’ve moved has something to do with Jesse and Ben who doesn’t speak anymore. Roy hires a help John. Then Ben starts to behave strangely which only Jesse notices. With the help of local boy Bobby they investigate what happened at the Fram.
It’s a ghost story with a house that is been haunted by ghosts and a twist. It’s about Jesse who is the only one who figures out that strange things are happening. It has some good scares, but it’s a rather conventional ghost story.
The Orphanage (2007)
Stars: Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Príncep. Directed by J.A. Bayona. Written by Sergio G. Sánchez. (1h 37min)
Genres: ghost story, ghosts, mystery, haunted house, Spanish
Laura grew up in an orphanage in Spain and now returns with her husband Carlos and adopted son Simon, who also has HIV. They want to turn the house into a shelter for special needs kids. During the grand opening Simon goes on a treasure hunt led by his five new friends. After a fight with Laura he disappears. Six years later they are still searching for him. She hires a medium and finds out a shocking truth about the orphanage’s past.
This Spanish film is a classic ghost story about a wrongful past and vengeful spirits that affects the present in a tragic way. It has an atmosphere of dread, mystery and a big twist at the end.
Wind Chill (2007)
Stars: Emily Blunt, Ashton Holmes. Directed by Gregory Jacobs. Written by Joe Gangemi, Steven Katz. (1h 31m)
Genres: ghosts, drama, mystery, winter
When a nameless student, Girl gets a ride home by another student, Guy, they go off road. He has a surprise for her. He has had an eye on her and has brought all kinds of food and drinks to have a picnic at an idyllic road. But the car crashes and they are stranded in the cold. When a cop comes they are in real trouble, wanting to take advantage of them. On top of that she sees ghostly figures on the road.
It’s a wintry ghost story about a mystery and some cruel events that played out in the past on that road. A mystery Girl soon discovers.
Ju-on: The Grudge 2 (2003)
Stars: Noriko Sakai, Shingo Katsurayama, Chiharu Niiyama, Emi Yamamoto, Yui Ichikawa, Takako Fuji, Yuya Ozeki. Directed & written by Takashi Shimizu. (1h 35min)
Genres: haunted house, ghosts, curse, Japanese
In this fourth installment a crew is making a documentary about the haunted house in Nerima. But during filming something terrible is happening to the crew.
Although it doesn’t bring anything new to the story, this film has some good kills and hauntings that now have become intertwined with J-Horror like creepy moving mold spots and black hair. And it does have some very scary scenes that also have a twist that is shocking. Again this film is divided in vignettes or segments where we follow the different people that now have to deal with the curse. You can Read my Full Review.
Ghost Ship (2002)
Stars: Gabriel Byrne, Julianna Margulies, Ron Eldard, Desmond Harrington, Isaiah Washington, karl Urban, Alex Dimitriades, Emily Browning. Directed by Steve Beck.Written by Mark Hanlon, John Pogue. (1h 30min)
Genres: haunted house, ghosts, ghost story, supernatural
A salvage crew is approached by Jack Ferriman to salvage a ship. It turns out to be the lost cruise ship the Antonai Graza that has been missing since 1962. They find a load of gold but no people. But the ship is haunted and Jack isn’t who he says he is. He is here to salvage something else.
We find out with flashbacks what happened at the ship and with a very shocking scene that is very original we learn what happened to the people on it and the girl Katie who tries to help them as a ghost. While not the best ghost story, it has some good hauntings and kills and a fun twist that connects the past with the present.
Ju-on: The Grudge (2002)
Stars: Megumi Okina, Misa Uehara, Takako Fuji, Yuya Ozeki, Takashi Matsuyama, Kanji Tsuda, Shuri Matsuda, Misak Ito, Yōji Tanaka.
Genres: haunted house, ghosts, curse, Japanese
Rika is a social worker who takes care of an elderly woman. The house in which the woman lives with her family is the Nerima house that is haunted. Soon Rika is haunted by the curse, by the little boy Toshio and his cat and his mother Kayaki who were murdered by their father and husband Takeo. Both Rika and her family as detective Toyama who investigated the case are now victims of the curse.
This film is the third installment of the franchise and offers more scares and creepy hauntings, that are typical J-Horror, like the creepy movements, the suspense, the creepy sounds and surreal atmosphere. It’s also divided in different segments where we follow the new victims, which are also connected to the previous film. You can Read my Full Review.
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Did you know I also make Art & Designs.
This painting “The Sentinel” is made with soft pastels. You can buy this fine art print on museum-quality paper in my shop at Printify. Take a look at my other art prints as well.
Thirteen Ghosts (2001)
Stars: Tony Shalhoub, Matthew Lillard, Embeth Davidtz, Adam Kaminski, Shannon Elizabeth, Alec Roberts, Rah Digga, F. Murray Abraham. Directed by Steve Beck. Written by Robb White, Neal Marshall Stevens. (1h 30min)
Genres: haunted house, ghosts
When Arthur inherits a house from his uncle he decides to move in with his two children. It turns out that he was an eccentric collector of ghosts and the house is made of glass. The house in fact isn’t a house at all, but a machine that holds 12 angry hideous ghosts. When something goes wrong the machine lets the ghosts free and now they have to try to survive.
It’s an original remake of the 1960 film Thirteen Ghosts but with a whole other approach. The ghosts are original, very scary and deadly it feels sometimes like a supernatural action horror with humor. With all sorts of gadgets like glasses that you can see ghosts with, the latin incantations written on the glass and the changing of the walls and the house are inventive and fun.
Ju-on: The Curse 2 (2000)
Stars: Yūrei Yanagi, Ryōta Koyama, Takako Fuji, Takashi Matsuyama, Yūko Daike, Makoto Ashikawa, Tomohiro Kaku, Taro Suwa, Kahori Fujii. Directed & written by Takashi Shimizu. (1h 26min)
Genres: haunted house, ghosts, curse, Japanese
In this second installment of the franchise and a direct-to-video, Kayako returns with the curse in the Nerima house to make more victims. This film is also divided in different vignettes or segments where we follow different people like the real estate agent, the new residents and people we already knew from the first film. The curse spreads and becomes more sinister.
It has a very creepy atmosphere with a disturbing vibe and surreal visuals. It focuses less on blood and gruesome kills and more on suspense and disturbing and terrifying atmosphere. You can Read my Full Review.
Ju-on: The Curse (2000)
Stars: Yūrei Yanagi, Chiaki Kuriyama, Hitomi Miwa, Asumi Miwa, Ryōta Koyama, Takako Fuji, Takashi Matsuyama, Kazushi Andō, Yūko Daike, Makoto Ashikawa. Directed & written by Takashi Shimizu. (1h 20min)
Genres: haunted house, ghosts, curse, Japanese
The first film in the franchise starts with teacher Shunsuke Kobayashi who goes to the Nerima house when Toshio hasn’t come to school for days. We also follow the people who moved into that house a few years later and it becomes apparent something terrible has happened that now has caused a curse that affects the people who are in contact with or live in the house.
Told in different segments or vignettes this direct-to-video has some pretty scary scenes with great cinematography that creates a surreal disturbing vibe. Ju-on is a curse born out of a strong grudge held by the one who died. And it spreads. You can Read my Full Review.
Ringu 0: Birthday (2000)
Stars: Yukie Nakama, Seeiichi Tanabe, Kumiko Asô, Takeshi Wakamatsu, Ryûshi Mizukami, Kaoru Okunuki, Daisuke Ban, Masako, Atsuko Takahata. Directed by Norio Tsuruta. Written by Hiroshi Takahashi. (1h 39m)
Genres: supernatural, psychological horror, cursed object, Asian horror, surrealism, Japanese
The third film and prequel of the franchise where we learn more about Sadako and how it all led to a cursed video tape with creepy surreal imagery. It is set 30 years before the events of the first film took place. Journalist Miyaji wants to expose Sadako as a murderer. Sadako is now a theater student and finally wants to lead a normal life. She is actually very sensitive and kind but with a gift. We learn what drove her after her violent death to create the cursed videotape.
It has some very scary scenes but overall it is a tragic ghost story full of symbolism.
Ringu 2 (1999)
Stars: Miki Nakatani, Rikiya Otaka, Fumiyo Kohinata, Hitomi Satō, Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rikiya Ōtaka, Yôichi Numata.Directed by Hideo Nakata. Written by Hiroshi Takahashi. (1h 35m)
Genres: supernatural, psychological horror, cursed object, Asian horror, surrealism, Japanse
The story continues with other characters who are looking for Reiko and her son Yôichi who have disappeared. Mai who was Ryūji’s assistant wants to find out what happened to them. She finds Yôichi and together they travel to the island where it all began for Sadako.
There are more surreal creepy scenes added to the cursed videotape and an elaboration of the lore.
Ringu (1998)
Stars: Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rikiya Ōtaka, Yôichi Numata. Directed by Hideo Nakata. Written by Hiroshi Takahashi. (1h 35m)
Genres: supernatural, psychological horror, cursed object, Asian horror, surrealism
After her niece dies under strange circumstances Reiko starts an investigation and stumbles upon a cursed video tape. Not only are there really scary and surreal images on it but you’ll die seven days later after watching it.
It’s a very scary film with very creepy disturbing looking deaths, but also with reality defying scenes. Like Sadako crawling out of the well and to the screen and out of the tv into the living room. The footage on the tape itself is very surreal and creepy, not so much scary, but weird in a way it gets disturbing. It feels like an experimental art student film, with illogical visuals. But they lead Reiko to the discovery of a devastating tragic ghost story.
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Did you know I also make Art & Designs.
This design of a Seanohorse is made with pen and alcohol markers. You can buy this design on a Unisex Ringer T-Shirt and other apparel in my shop at Threadless.
The Frighteners (1996)
Stars: Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, Chi McBride, Jim Fyfe, Jake Busey. Directed by: Peter Jackson. Written by: Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson. (1h 50min)
Genres: comedy, ghosts
Frank Bannister has become able to see ghosts after he had a car accident, but he also lost his wife in the crash. He is still grieving and from architect he is now conning people with the help of three ghosts Cyrus, Stuart and The Judge. It’s all rather innocent until a body is found with a ghostly number carved on his forehead. It’s the work of a ghostly serial killer couple. Together with his ghost friends and Lucy he must stop these evil ghosts.
It mixes comedy with some funny ghosts and very scary ghosts. It’s playful, yet with serious themes and a dark sinister plan, that has a strong supernatural fantasy vibe with great CGI effects.
Ghostbusters 2 (1989)
Stars: Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, Dan Akroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, Peter MacNicol. Directed by: Ivan Reitman. Written by: Harold Ramis, Dan Akroyd. (1h 48min)
Genres: comedy, fantasy, ghosts
After their success wore out, they split up, but when there seems to be something terribly wrong in the sewers and Dana and her baby are harassed by a ghost from a painting who wants to be reborn, they have to come into action again.
It has the same vibe, original fun ghosts and a fun supernatural story as the first film. Their dynamics are great and are cause for some fun interactions and action. Vigo the Carpathian is an evil 16th century tyrant and sorcerer whose painting Dana has to restore. He is trapped inside of it making him a human villain instead of from another dimension.
Lady in White (1988)
Stars: Lukas Haas. Directed & written by Frank LaLoggia. (1h 53m)
Genres: ghost story, coming-of-age, supernatural, surrealism, social commentary, sixties vibe, halloween
In 1962 at Halloween night Frankie is locked inside the coat cabinet at school by some bullies.That night he sees something strange. A ghostly scene is played out before him by a man who kills a girl. Later that night a real man comes in to look for something inside a grate. The ghost of the girl now asks Frankie for his help and that sets him on a dangerous path of discovering a killer and helping the girl.
It’s a tragic ghost story that has a nostalgic feel but with a dark ugly side. With some surreal dreamlike imagery, the atmosphere of the sixties, humor and a brave young boy this is a wonderful ghost story for Halloween. You can Read my Full Review.
House (1986)
Stars: William Katt, George Wendt, Richard Moll, Kay Lenz, Mary Stavin. Directed by Steve Miner. Written by Fred Dekker and Ethan Wiley. (1h 33min)
Genres: haunted house, demons, surrealism, comedy, campy humor
Roger Cobb is a horror writer who has recently lost his son, is divorced and now has inherited his aunt’s house. When he moves in he is greeted by neighbor Harold and the house seems to be haunted. Together with Harold he has to fight them.
It’s a fun comedy with practical effects and special effects that create great ghosts like Big Ben, a dead army buddy that is a resentful ghost, and all kinds of apparitions. The monsters from an otherworldly dimension are great, like a demon, a witch and a monstrous troll-like creature that poses as his ex-wife. They toy with his mind preying on his traumas and personal vulnerabilities. You can Read my Full Review.
Ghostbusters (1984)
Stars: Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, Ernie Hudson. Directed by: Ivan Reitman. Written by: Dan Akroyd, Harold Ramis. (1h 45min)
Genres: ghosts, other dimension, demons, comedy, deadpan humor, witty humor
Parapsychologists Peter Venkman, Egon Spengler and Raymond Stantz and later Winston Zeddmore are the Ghostbusters. With their own created Proton Pack that generates energy to capture ghosts, Neutrona Wand to shoot the energy at the ghosts and the Ghost Trap to trap them they make New York a saver place. They catch small ghosts, but when they are approached by Dana they suddenly have to deal with Gozer the Destroyer a deity from another realm.
It has typical eighties action with lots of chaos and loud talking and great playful fast dynamics. The ghosts are original and fun and while it’s not scary, it’s a great comedy horror for the whole family.
One Dark Night (1982)
Stars: Meg Tilly, E.G. Daily, Melissa Newman, Robin Evans, Leslie Speights, Donald Hotton, Adam West. Directed by: Tom McLoughlin. Written by: Michael Hawes, Tom McLoughlin. (1h 34min)
Genres: occult, supernatural, fantasy, haunted house
As a revenge prank some girl students lock another girl inside a mausoleum. What they don’t know is that occultist Karl Raymar was found dead alongside other girls who used their energy. Now he is buried inside the mausoleum, and comes back to live as a telekinetic corpse. When he also raises other corpses like puppets, all the girls inside are in danger.
Instead of a haunted house this is a haunted mausoleum where some creepy things start to happen. With a spooky atmosphere in an isolated locked place, creepy decomposed corpses this film that has some great practical and special effects is an original entertaining occult haunted house story.
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Did you know I also make Art & Designs.
This design of an Sphynx Cat Skull is made with pen and alcohol markers. You can buy this design on a Mug and other products and on other various apparel in my shop at Redbubble.
Poltergeist (1982)
Stars: Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Heather O’Rourke, Dominique Dunne, Oliver Robins, Zelda Rubinstein, Beatrice Straight, Martin Casella, Richard Lawson. directed by Tobe Hooper. Written by Steven Spielberg. (1h 54min)
Genres: haunted house, ghosts, other dimensions, demons
Steve and Diane Freeling move to a new neighborhood that he helped accomplish, with their kids Dana, Robbie and little Carol Anne. Strange occurrences start to happen and Diane thinks it rather fun, until the people from inside the tv make contact with Carol Anne and take her. They get the help of paranormal investigator Dr. Lesh and her team, but they are all in over their heads with these poltergeists and ghosts and another dimension where Carol Anne is kept. Medium Tangina is adamant to get her out.
This classic is a very feel-good haunted house story with ghostly appearances and monstrous demonic hell beasts from another dimension, a creepy clown doll and even an evil tree that tries to grab Robbie. It’s a family affair, full of heartfelt moments, some comic relief, spicy characters and great special effects. You can Read my Full Review.
The House by The Cemetery (1981)
Stars: Catriona MacColl, Paolo Marco, Ania Pieroni, Giovanni Frezza. Directed by Lucio Fulci. Written by Elisa Briganti, Dardano Sacchetti, Giogio Mariuzzo. (1h 26m)
Genres: slasher, supernatural, surreal
Norman and Lucy move with their son Bob to Boston for his research work. They temporarily live in the house where his predecessor lived and killed himself. But before they move Bob sees that house on a picture with a girl behind the window warning him not to come. The house hides many secrets, like a tomb and something far more sinister.
With surreal visuals, dreams and ghosts this feels like a haunted house, but there’s a big twist that ends in bloody gory violence. You can Read my Full Review.
The Changeling (1980)
Stars: George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Melvyn Douglas. Directed by Peter Medak. Written by Russell Hunter, William Gray, Diana Maddox. (1h 47min)
Genres: haunted house, ghosts
After musician John Russell has lost his wife and daughter in an accident he moves to Seattle to teach a course at the university. He rents a huge house from the Historical Preservation Society, with the help of Claire Norman. When the house seems haunted and a ghost of a young boy is reaching out to John it sets him and Claire on the devastating path to uncover the truth of a horrible crime.
It’s a classic ghost story with the accompanying classic hauntings. It has an ominous vibe and is filmed with a sophisticated style and remnants of the typical surreal shots of the seventies. It’s all about digging up the truth and giving peace and justice to the ghost. It’s a stylish film with great cinematography and music.
The Fog (1980)
Stars: Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, John Houseman, Janet Leigh, Hal Holbrook. Directed by: John Carpenter. Written by: John Carpenter, Debra Hill (1h 29min)
Genres: ghosts
The little coastal town of Antonia Bay has a legend about a ship with gold, pirates and injustice that has been done in that past to a colony. When Nick picks up a hitchhiking Elizabeth they soon find themselves in a strange situation when they find a boat with a missing crew. That night a strong fog comes in just when the town’s festival is about to start. In that fog hides something evil, something that wants back that was taken from them.
A small group of people fight the ghostly pirates that are looking for their gold. It’s a fun creepy ghostly tale where multiple different characters finally come together to solve the town’s mystery and fight the ghost pirates.
The Shining (1980)
Stars: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Scatman Crothers, Danny Lloyd. Directed & written by Stanley Kubrick
Genres: haunted house, art horror, ghosts, surrealism
Jack Torrance is going to be the caretaker during the winter of the Overlook Hotel. He takes his wife Wendy and son Danny with him. While Jack soon spirals out of control, the haunted hotel uses its ghosts to get to Danny who has a special gift. Now Wendy has to protect Danny from her own husband.
This haunted hotel has some very creepy ghosts that seduce Jack and use him to get to Danny. With great cinematography, stunning art decoration and a stylish story it has a lot of creepy and disturbing ghosts to offer and an elevator with gallons of blood. You can Read my Full Review.
The Haunting of Julia (1977)
Stars: Mia Farrow and Keir Dullea. Directed by Richard Loncraine. Written by Harry Bromley Davenport, Dave Humphries, Peter Straub. (1h 38m)
Genres: gothic, mystery, ghosts, surrealism
After Julia’s daughter dies she wants a divorce and gets her own place. When they have a seance at her new house, she gets convinced that a boy was murdered here. She also sees a young girl that looks like her daughter. This sends her on a dangerous mission to find out more about this boy.
The story has a unreliable narrator. While we don’t know if what she sees is real or all in her mind, she also has to fight off a controlling and dangerous husband. It’s a gothic tale about loss and grief but also a very real ghost story with a surprising ending. You can Read my Full Review.
Hausu (1977)
Stars: Kimiko Ikegami, Miki Jinbo, Ai Matsubara, Kumiko Ohba, Mieko Satô, Eriko Tanaka, Masayo Miyako. Directed by Nobuhiko Ôbabyashi. Written by Nobuhiko Ôbabyashi, Chigumi Ôbayashi, Chiho Katsura. (1h 28m)
Genres: art horror, fantasy, supernatural, slasher, comedy, surrealism, Japanese
Seven girls spend the summer at a house in the country with their aunt. But the house is haunted and the aunt might be a witch. The house however is hungry and eats the girls one by one. To accomplish that it uses the piano, the grandfathers clock, the well and more, which results in a very original film with surreal, absurd and comical and cartoonish imagery and a creative bizarre atmosphere. This is is unique film with a unique haunted house. You can Read my Full Review.
Continue reading below this announcement.
Did you know I also make Art & Designs.
This design of a Green Witch Hand is made with pen and alcohol markers. You can buy this design on a Unisex T-Shirt and other apparel and on other various products in my shop at Redbubble.
Burnt Offerings (1976)
Stars: Karen Black, Oliver Reed, Bette Davis, Lee H. Montgomery. Directed by Dan Curtis. Written by Dan Curtis, William F. Nolan. (1h 56m)
Genres: haunted house, surrealism, summer
When the Rolfe family rents an old house in the country to spend the summer everything seems perfect and idyllic. But soon they start to act strange, get ill or go mad, while the house starts to renew itself. The story is all about decay and madness. Slowly they fall prey to the house. With surreal nightmares of father Ben, the creepy old lady on the second floor, and mother Marian whose behavior is becoming more odd.
It’s a gothic haunted house story with a surreal atmosphere and a very creepy hearse driver that add to this vibe. It’s subtle, but creepy and has a shocking ending. You can Read my Full Review.
The Legend of Hell House (1973)
Stars: Pamela Franklin, Roddy McDowall, Clive Revill, Gayle Hunnicutt. Directed by: John Hough. Written by: Novel & Screenplay: Richard Matheson. (1h 35min)
Genres: occult, haunted house
A team of paranormal investigators is send to the legendary Belasco house, to research life after death. It’s supposedly the most haunted house where a lot of people have died. Now a parapsychologist Lionel Barrett, and his wife Ann, a medium Florence Tanner and Ben Fischer the only man who survived the house once start a seance. Soon they all undergo the malevolent presence of the house.
It’s an evil house that lets loose its hauntings that are very sexual in nature, while Barret has made a giant machine to suck up all the evil energy. With few blood, but focused on the extremities that took place in the house and the perversities this is an occult horror that has toned down the book by Richard Matheson a bit where it was based on.
The Haunting (1963)
Stars: Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, Russ Tamblyn, Fay Compton, Roslaie Crutchley, Valentine Dyall. Directed by Robert Wise. Written by Nelson Gidding. (1h 54min)
Genres: haunted house, psychological horror
Dr. John Markway is a psychologist and anthropologist and researcher of the paranormal. He invites a few psychic people to investigate Hill House. Eleanor Lance and Theodora are the only ones responding. With Luke Sanderson, nephew of the owner of the house, they stay for a couple of nights. Strange things are about to occur and affect Eleanor, Nell the most.
The film is a psychological haunted house story where the hauntings are affecting them psychologically. With only a few characters, their interactions are of importance, as is the character of the house. The hauntings are very subtle but all the more scarier, because it’s in the little creepy things. Like Nell and Theodora thinking they held each other’s hand in the dark. It’s a great film based on the book The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson.
13 Ghosts (1960)
Stars: Charles Herbert, Jo Morrow, Rosemary DeCamp, Martin Milner, Donald Woods, Margaret Hamilton, John Van Dreelen. Directed by William Castle. Written by Robb White. (1h 24min)
Genres: ghosts,, mystery
When Plato Zorba a rich eccentric dies he leaves his house and his collection of 13 ghosts to his nephew Cyrus, his wife Hilda and children Medea and Buck. He has also left them goggles to see the ghosts with which Buck uses and even makes friends with some ghosts. It not only appears that Plato is the 12th ghost, and the 13th ghost unknown, it’s also very mysterious where all his money is.
It’s a very mild horror, with likable characters, not too scary ghosts and a very fun gimmick Willam Castle used to see the ghosts, Illusion O. Each moviegoer got a viewer with a red and blue cellophane strip, through which you could watch if the screen turned blue. There is a variety of ghosts to see, like a lion tamer without a head and his lion, a dancing couple, a butcher and more. It’s spooky, with humor and a mystery.
House on Haunted Hill (1959)
Stars: Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Long, Carolyn Craig, Alan Marshal, Elisha Cook Jr., Julie Mitchum, Leona Anderson, Howard Hoffman. Directed by William Castle. Written by Rob White. (1h 15min)
Genres: haunted house
Frederick Loren a rich eccentric invites five people to a party at his house where they can earn 10,000 dollar each if they spend the night in the locked house. The legend goes that the house is haunted and when they agree they find strange things, a creepy housekeeper and Annabelle, Loren’s wife dead. One of them must be a murderer and paranoia and chaos set in.
It’s a very fun entertaining film with a gimmick that was a flying skeleton in the movie theater. The film is shot in black-and-white and with great lighting, effects and great creepy props the question is whether this is a real haunted house or if there’s something else going on.
Read more Lists of Horror Films:
- The List of Christmas Horror Films
- The List of Creepy Dolls in Horror Films
- The List of Found Footage Horror Films
- The List of Halloween Horror films
- The List of Summer Horror Films
- The List of Winter Horror Films
Did You Know I Also Make Art and Designs?
you can buy my designs on apparel or stationary, mugs and more. You can learn more about it on my art & design shop page or go directly to one of my shops.