1979's The Amityville Horror was a massive success and became a haunted house horror classic. The supposed true tale of the Lutz family, who claimed to be terrorized by ghosts and demons, has since been dunked, but the film still resonates with horror fans.
Stuart Rosenberg's film took its place in the pantheon of cinematic haunted house chills and spawned endless sequels and a remake. Be they spooky black and white chillers from the 1950s to big studio productions or old-school British creepy mansion thrillers to low budget creepers, horror cinema has given the world many potent and scary haunted house classics.
Insidious (2011)
James Wan earned his place at the table of modern horror masters with his 2011 ghost tale Insidious, the story of a family who tries to save their young child from evil spirits. This is a well-crafted and effective haunting film that turns into an otherworldly Japanese horror-infused trip to the netherworld in its spooky finale.
Wan gets some truly chilling moments from his ghosts and started a rare franchise where every chapter received good reviews and big box office. Actress Lin Shaye solidified herself as a modern horror icon with her work in this film series.
Amityville II: The Possession (1982)
Surprisingly, the best film of the Amityville franchise is 1982's Amityville II: The Possession, an origin story about the family who went through a violent death before the Lutz family moved into the infamous house on Long Island, New York.
Due to crisp direction and an effective atmosphere, the film is absolutely terrifying and achieves some real nail-biting tension, while giving audiences a terrifying ending that pays proper homage to The Exorcist. The film didn't do well at the box office nor did critics care for it, but many fans of the film series claim this one as the most frightening of them all.
Sinister (2012)
In Sinister, Ethan Hawke stars as a true-crime writer who moves his family into a house that has a dark past where previous owners have died violent deaths. The film immediately creates a terrifying atmosphere and a heavy sense of dread that doesn't let up until its final frame. The film makes you feel every creepy moment through its unique sound design unlike anything in modern horror films.
Director Scott Derickson's haunted tale was rewarded with good reviews and a big box office take, taking its place amongst the most respected horror films of its decade.
The Legend Of Hell House (1973)
A research team of parapsychologists and mediums move into a house that is said to be haunted by the spirit of a murderer.
Richard Matheson adapted his own novel and the film gets mileage out of its things-that-go-bump-in-the-night style. The creepy English mansion is a place of long empty hallways and dark rooms and winding staircases. The production design is some of the best of its day and is still a standout.
The Conjuring (2013)
James Wan created another haunted house universe with 2013's The Conjuring. Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren try to help a family rid their house of evil spirits before it kills them. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play The Warrens, while Lili Taylor is the mother of the haunted family and delivers award-worthy work as a woman who will risk her soul to save her family from peril.
Wan creates a terrifying atmosphere that starts with noises and builds to a very palpable haunting. The film was a big success that spawned a sequel and spin-off films that had audiences glued to their seats with fright.
The Haunting (1963)
Considered one of the classic haunted house films, Robert Wise's The Haunting truly scared audiences around the world in 1963. Based on the Shirley Jackson novel "The Haunting of Hill House," the film follows a group of people who come together to debunk the deadly and ghostly myths of Hill Manor.
The film steers clear of special effects in favor of creating an unnerving mood through sound and shadowy camerawork. Wise's film inspired many haunted house films over the decades and the source novel was adapted for a well-received miniseries for Netflix in 2018.
The Shining (1980)
Stephen King's The Shining was brought to frightening life in Stanley Kubrick's cinematic adaptation. Although King wasn't happy with what the filmmaker did to his story of a family haunted by the ghosts of an isolated hotel, Kubrick did create a terrifying thrill ride with ghosts and paranormal dangers.
Kubrick's film was a hit and went on to become a horror classic due to Jack Nicholson's wild performance and the unshakable terror that wraps around the film's every moment.
The Changeling (1980)
One of the great gothic horror films, Peter Medak's 1980 scare-fest, The Changeling, is a film that stands as a giant of the haunted house genre. George C. Scott plays a music professor who buys an old mansion, as he wants to live alone after the tragic death of his wife and child.
This vast, old, and dark house holds a ghostly terror that haunts the man in his every waking moment. Scott's character tries to dismiss the strange occurrences until finally recognizing the presence of ghosts. Agreeing to a seance only makes the hauntings worse until the film's absolutely terrifying final act. Director Medak uses the darkness and sound design to craft his ghostly terrors and in one sequence, with just a ball on the stairs, creates one of the creepiest haunted house films of its decade.
Poltergeist (1982)
Tobe Hooper and Steven Speilberg's Poltergeist scared audiences in the summer of 1982. The story of the Freeling family being haunted by ghosts over a desecrated burial groud was presented as a rollercoaster of thrills and chills. Hooper's style blended well with Speilberg's big production values.
Jobeth Williams received the best reviews of her career and went down as one of the strongest horror film mothers as the determined mother who will literally go beyond this world to save her young daughter from the vengeful spirits. Hooper and Speilberg's film is considered by many fans of 80s horror to be the best ghost film of them all.
The Innocents (1961)
Most critics and many horror fans consider Jack Clayton's The Innocents to be the finest ghost tale on film. Based on the Henry James novella, "The Turn of the Screw," the film stars Deborah Kerr as a British governess who cares for two young children at an English estate who becomes convinced that the grounds and house are haunted. In her investigations, Kerr discovers that the children may be possessed by the spirits of deceased lovers whose presence, when they were alive, affected the children in negative ways.
Deborah Kerr gives one of the horror genre's best performances as she brings forth a sense of true fear and pure hysteria as she stops at nothing to protect the children, even though they frighten her. Director Clayton uses backlighting and elections to enhance the chilling atmosphere and takes advantage of the quiet moments to keep his audience at unease while making sure every scene exudes pure gothic haunted house horror.