Choosing just five movies for our list of best haunted house movies looked like a pretty daunting task when we started – which is ironic when you consider that was the very reason we swapped out werewolf movies for haunted houses. To make things easier on ourselves, we decided to rule out anything that wasn’t a house/hotel as well as anything that involved demonic possession, rather than straight up hauntings. That made things easier.
A little easier, anyway.
It was still difficult to settle on just five. In this
category, part of the problem was remakes. Do you go with the 1959 version of House
on Haunted Hill or the 1999 version? How can you possibly choose when they’re
both brilliant movies?
Well, it involves a lot of discussion and, in some cases, watching
both movies again. After a week of deliberation, I can finally offer you our
list of…
Top 5 Haunted House Movies
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5. House on Haunted Hill (1999) House on Haunted Hill was one of the toughest choices for us because of how strong the original is. The 1999 version only just won out over the 1959 version because of improvements in special effects. (And only just because, you know… Vincent Price.) The ’99 version managed to keep
the cheekiness, twists, and surprises of the original but brought it up to date
with gritty, gruesome effects. It might not be the scariest movie on the list,
but it sure is fun to watch. For more, click here. Wondra’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Jay’s Rating: |
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4. Thir13en Ghosts (2001) Another original vs remake battle. This one was a bit easier to decide, though, because the technology and graphics made such a huge difference to the appearance of the ghosts. The Black Zodiac are what ensured Thir13en Ghost’s place here before we even took a red highlighter to the longlist. (Well, that and the way I turned to Jay and told him that I’d fight him for this one. That helped too.) Thir13en Ghosts remains one of my favourite horror
movies, thanks to the brilliantly entertaining cast, twisted storyline, and freaky
ass ghosts that still make me sleep with the lights on after watching
it. For more, click here. Wondra’s Rating: Jay’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ |
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3. Ghost Ship (2002) Ghost Ship nabbed this week’s Wild Card spot by being set on an ocean liner, rather than a house/hotel. It was just too good not to include, despite not fitting our strict criteria. Ghost Ship stars one of my favourite horror actors, Gabriel Byrne, and has one of the best intros I’ve ever seen in a horror movie. That opening sequence is savage. This one never lets up; it maintains a level of OMGWTAF all way through, with a well-placed reveal and a cracking twist at the end. For more, click here. Wondra’s Rating: Jay’s Rating: |
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2. 1408 (2007) It’s rare for a movie to make both me and Jay go, “Yes!” when we get to it on a longlist. We just enjoy different things from movies. 1408, though, damned near shot straight to the top of the list before we’d gotten halfway through. It’s that good. You’ve got to say that a lot of it is down to the writer, Stephen King. It’s difficult to start with something as good as a King short story and make a bad movie. (I said difficult, not impossible.) 1408 is a typical King mindfuck with a side of Samuel L.
Jackson. Even better, it offers two different endings to choose from: bittersweet
happy or frightful sad. For more, click here. Wondra’s Rating: Jay’s Rating: |
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1. The Haunting of Hell House (1973) Beating out all the modern films on this list, The Haunting of Hell House is proof that you don’t need a massive budget or CGI-enhanced special effects. All you need is a little bit of atmosphere and four people stuck inside a haunted house. For its age and simplicity, The Haunting of Hell House remains remarkably effective thanks, in part, to a powerful score, well-placed sound effects, and a satisfying twist coming just when you think the remaining characters have gotten their happy ending. I love
Roddy McDowall’s transformation through the movie as a survivor with obvious
PTSD, to his grim determination to survive yet again, to his mocking tirade
that drove the Belasco ghost over the edge and sealed his doom. Someone should have warned Bitty Belasco: don’t fuck with
survivors, man. We care far more about fucking you up than we do making it
through another round. For more, click here. Wondra’s Rating: Jay’s Rating: |
Well, if you’ve been keeping up, you’ll know that we still have two more categories to go before Birthdayoween rolls around. Check back tomorrow if you want to find out what the next category will be. In the meantime, leave a comment, share, etc.
