The Best Horror Movies About Haunted Houses

Summary

• Haunted house tales often showcase psychological horror, drama, and tragedy, captivating audiences with dark atmospheres.
• Top horror films like The Conjuring, Poltergeist, and The Changeling masterfully blend suspense with supernatural elements.
• Iconic haunted house movies like The Haunting or The Others rely on eerie atmospheres and masterful storytelling for scares.

Ever since Roman author Pliny the Younger wrote the first-ever recorded haunted house story, the concept has captivated and scared audiences with its dark atmospheres and the element of unpredictability. From unexplained noises to seeing spectres roaming the halls at night, haunted houses remain a popular setting in both literary works and films alike.

A fixture in telling the quintessential ghost story is characters undergoing mental and emotional torture, questioning if they’re seeing things or not while slowly unravelling the tragic history behind every haunted house. Most haunted house tales are a blend of psychological horror, drama and tragedy, and these films are some of the best out there.

8

The Woman In Black

2012

The Woman In Black is a horror tale that takes place in the English countryside, centering on the grand but decrepit Eel Marsh House. The movie scores points due to Radcliffe’s believable performance as the grief-stricken lawyer Kipps, as well as excellent pacing, moody atmosphere, and top-notch camerawork.

Although Eel Marsh House is largely unlived, Kipps travels in from London to sort out the house’s affairs after the death of its previous owner. He soon learns that not only is the house haunted, but the nearby village is being terrorised by the ‘Woman In Black’, a woman who used to live in Eel Marsh House. The latter had hung herself after the death of her son, and, as a ghost, began killing the village’s children. What starts as an average task turns into Kipps trying to banish the curse in a bid to save his own son’s life as he’s about to travel in from London.

7

The Conjuring 2

2016

The second instalment in The Conjuring series, James Wan’s imaginative horror series continues with another of the Warrens’ infamous cases, this time of the Enfield Poltergeist. In this film, Wan takes both the story and the spooks to another level, and introduces new monsters to the tale, such as Valak and The Crooked Man.

The story centres on the Hodgsons, who initially didn’t experience any paranormal events in their home until one of the children, Janet, decided to mess around with a ouija board. As soon as that happens, the door to the other side opens and the family is terrorised, though the one who seems to be at the centre of it all is Janet. Naturally, the Warrens were called in, and what they assumed was first a case that was deliberately created by Janet for publicity, quickly turns into something more sinister as the Warrens uncover the existence of a more malevolent entity behind it all.

6

Poltergeist

1982

Poltergeist is yet another horror classic that deserves recognition, with a well-executed story written by Steven Spielberg. The film is noted for its superb special effects, script and cinematography on a relatively modest budget of $10 million.

The movie, as you can tell by its title, follows the Freeling family as they are plagued by a poltergeist. When weird things start happening around their house, the Freelings aren’t afraid, and instead see it as both innocuous and harmless. However, it’s only when the happenings turn up a notch that they start worrying, especially after the youngest child, Carol Anne, disappears. Not only do the Freelings have a dozen or so ghosts to contend with, but Carol Anne has also attracted the attention of a violent poltergeist, with a whole load of scares, tension, and creeps galore in this horror extravaganza.

5

Monster House

2006

A film that likely invokes nostalgia in many Millenials and Gen-Z growing up in the 2000s, Monster House is a horror animation set in the Midwest and directed by Gil Kenan. The movie centres on a 12-year-old DJ and his friends, Jenny and Chowder, who grow up in a neighbourhood with a haunted house where an old grump named Nebbercracker resides. However, when Nebbercracker is hospitalised, DJ begins to notice that the house is seemingly alive, with a mind of its own.

The trio starts investigating the house after witnessing it consume visitors and launches their own operation of putting a stop to the house when none of the adults believe them. Monster House takes a refreshing spin on the haunted house concept, where, instead of a ghost terrorising the house, the ghost possesses ​​​​the house itself.

4

The Haunting

1963

The first film adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, 1963’s The Haunting is praised for its excellent performances, eerie atmospheres, and fantastic set design. Regarded as a traditional ghost story, the film, interestingly, does not feature a single ghost or jumpscare throughout its entire run but is masterful in injecting a crippling sense of unease in audiences.

The story follows a group of paranormal investigators led by Dr John Markway, who is keen on finding proof of the paranormal by staying in the notoriously haunted Hill House for several days. While the team experiences loud, banging noises and unexplained cold spots throughout the castle, one of the assistants, Eleanor grows obsessed with Hill House, claiming that it wants her and refusing to leave when prompted. Throughout the film, it shows Eleanor seems to be the only one being terrorised mentally, as the ghosts of her past come to torment her.

3

The Conjuring

2013

The Conjuring remains a memorable staple in the supernatural horror genre. The Conjuring series focuses on the most notorious cases of paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren, and this film is a portrayal of the haunting the Perron family experienced in a remote farmhouse. Immediately after moving in, the family is terrorised by extreme paranormal occurrences, and at their wit’s end, the Perron matriarch, Carolyn, seeks out the Warrens for help.

The Conjuring is a masterpiece when it comes to jumpscares, always keeping you on your toes due to its, at times, unexpected scares. The haunting of the house centres on the violent spirit of Bathsheba, a former resident of the farmhouse, a serial murderess, and a reputed witch, who is a real-life figure in the legends of the actual farmhouse. Other victims of Bathsheba feature as spectres that haunt the grounds, though Bathsheba certainly takes the cake as one of the most terrifying monsters in the series.

2

The Changeling

1980

Considered to be a horror classic, The Changeling is the best of the best when it comes to haunted house stories. Starring the accomplished George C. Scott, who plays the protagonist John Russell, a celebrated composer who lost his family after they were killed in an accident at the beginning of the movie. Unable to deal with his grief, he decides to move to Seattle and rents out an old Victorian mansion. Pretty soon, he experiences loud noises, taps turning on by themselves, and starts seeing a little boy.

Although the film is more creepy than outright scary, The Changeling stands the test of time due to its well-paced storyline that deals with themes of grief and the fight for the truth. While exploring, John finds a hidden room covered in cobwebs. He soon finds himself investigating the years-long murder of a disabled boy who used to live in the mansion, unmasking a tale of deceit, greed, and a sinister case of identity fraud.

1

The Others

2001

One of the most superb horror films of all time, 2001’s The Others focuses on the Stewarts, who live in a manor on Jersey Island. The film is set not long after the Second World War ended and sees the religious and, at times, hysteric, mother Grace take three servants into her employ. The atmosphere is instantly set in the first few minutes of the film, with the manor seemingly always cloaked in darkness due to the extreme photosensitivity Grace’s children suffer from.

From the appearance and reactions of the servants straight through to every bit of dialogue, the film is riddled with clues hinting that nothing is as it seems with the Stewarts. At first, it’s the children who seem to be terrorised, but then more unexplainable things begin to happen, from banging to the curtains disappearing. Even the hauntings caused by ‘the intruders’ are a red herring, culminating in one of the most masterfully done twist endings in movie history, making you question everything you’ve seen with the family.