Haunted House movies have always been a constant staple in the horror movie genre, using our fears of the unknown to deliver some truly bloodcurdling scene.
Here is our Top 10 list of the best Haunted House Movies that’ll keep you awake all night. It’s a scary list of The Best Movies About Haunted House in the horror genre.
#10. The Amityville Horror (1979)
The mystique surrounding the Amityville mansion has produced an absurd amount of horror films. Most of these films aren’t worth watching, but The Amityville Horror, released in 1979, is notable for being the first to address the Lutz family’s alleged haunting. The Amityville Horror survives on mystique, cheap thrills, and a few flashes of horror genius, despite being fairly old by today’s standards and inconsistently played even for its period.
The Amityville Horror is a fun, clichéd haunted home movie that deviates from its real-life basis.
Watch The Amityville Horror (1979) Trailer
#9. Dark Water (2002)
Few endings in the films on this list have made me feel as uneasy as Dark Water did when I first saw it over a decade ago.
Dark Water is quite clear, coming from the same person who has worked on countless Ring/Ringu films. A young woman and her kid, newly divorced from their husband and father, start a new life in a run-down apartment. The eerie occurrences begin early in the film, and it swiftly becomes another example of a haunted home scenario in which nothing is taken for granted.
I guarantee you, that finale will stick with you. Hitomi Kuroki and Rio Kanno, who play the mother and daughter, respectively, will provide strong performances.
Watch Dark Water (2002) Trailer
#8. Insidious (2011)
After their oldest son (Ty Simpkins) slips into a coma, a schoolteacher (Patrick Wilson) and his wife (Rose Byrne) relocate their family into a new house, where they begin to experience a series of unexpected and odd intrusions.
Why it is one of the best-haunted house movies?
The Conjuring may be the more well-known James Wan film, and Saw may be his most iconic collaboration with writer Leigh Whannell, but Insidious is easily my favorite of the duo’s films because of its indelible, otherworldly visuals and clever twist on the haunted house genre, in which the house is not the one who is haunted.
Watch Insidious (2011) Trailer
#7. The Haunting (1963)
The Haunting is a classic psychological horror film set in a candidate for the genre’s finest haunted home, not to be confused with the lesser 1999 version. Hugh Crain’s Hill House is a Gothic masterwork, a huge home marked by unnatural architecture and off-kilter furnishings. Every room in this house has a terrible narrative to tell, and the movie does an excellent job of making Hill House feel alive.
The Haunting’s themes include despair, guilt, and latent sexuality, all of which were controversial issues at the time of its release.
Watch The Haunting (1963) Trailer
#6. Poltergeist (1982)
A ten year old girl from an ordinary suburban family begins to interact with some kind of playful supernatural entity that seems to be coming from the television set. At first, the spirit appears harmless. That is, until all hell breaks loose.
Drew Barrymore was almost cast for the role of Carol Anne, but director Steven Spielberg wanted someone who looked more angelic. Although Barrymore didn’t make the cut, her audition tape landed her the part of Gertie in Et.
A controversial detail about the making of Poltergeist is that the swimming pool scene was actually filmed with real skeletons, a detail the cast members weren’t aware of.
After the death of the actresses who played Carol Anne and the eldest daughter, Dana, a rumor started that the film set was haunted because of the human remains.
Watch Poltergeist (1982) Trailer
#5. The Orphanage (2007)
After reminiscing about the good times she had growing up in an orphanage, she convinces her husband to buy the old building and convert it into a home for sick children.
Her plants turn sour when her own adopted son, Simon, disappears because of his ill health, the boys presumed dead. It’s only at this point that the grief-stricken Laura begins to see spirits offering to help find her son.
The Orphanage is a spinetingling supernatural horror made by Spanish filmmaker J. A. Bayona aided by Guillermo del Toro, the film debuted at the Khan Film Festival and got a standing ovation that lasted over ten minutes.
The film was praised for its psychological horror aspects rather than the cheap scares that are frequently seen in other movies.
Watch The Orphanage (2007) Trailer
#4. The Conjuring (2013)
James Wan’s The Conjuring is the first of a generally constant trilogy that draws inspiration from Ed and Lorraine Warren’s paranormal investigations, which include the Amityville Horror. The Conjuring’s power is based on its devotion to classic horror tropes, and the 2013 film focuses on the Perron family’s experiences in a Rhode Island farmhouse. This is a movie that might have been made at any point in the previous four decades.
Wan, a maestro of horror, takes his time establishing up the characters and plot of The Conjuring, throwing in frights along the way to a thrilling and nightmare-inducing final act.
Watch The Conjuring (2013) Trailer
#3. The Changeling (1980)
Directed by Peter Medak, Starring George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, and Melvyn Douglas. It is a pitch-perfect pick for a haunted house film.
The Changeling is the quintessential haunted home film, with George C. Scott, a wheelchair, and a thrilling murder mystery. The premise is straightforward: a composer comes into a mansion, strange things start happening, and a furious ghost must be avenged. The Changeling stands out for one thing in particular: its protagonist, John Russell, lends a level-headed maturity to the tale that grounds the supernatural happenings interspersed throughout the picture.
The Victorian home of The Changeling is effective and spooky, making it an excellent choice for a haunted house scene.
Watch The Changeling (1980) Trailer
#2. The Others (2001)
A devoutly religious mother moves her children to the English Coast during World War II. As she waits to hear from her missing husband, she takes care of her two children, who both suffer from a rare photosensitivity disease that causes the sun to harm them.
After her daughter, Anne begins telling her that she sees ghosts, chilling events soon follow that torment the family home.
This is one of those horror movies you absolutely need to see when you’re all by yourself, preferably during a dark autumn or winter night.
Many critics praised the performance of Nicole Kidman, who was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Drama and also a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a leading role, something that is incredibly rare for a horror movie.
The movie was rated at 7.6 on a scale of ten on the IMDb website and received a meta score of 74 on Metacritic.
Watch The Others (2001) Trailer
#1.The Shining (1980)
Based on the bestselling novel by Stephen King, Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation soon became a cult classic. It followed the Torrents family and their time spent in the remote Overlook Hotel.
Because of the heavy snowfall Jack, Wendy, and their young son Danny are forced to stay in the hotel for months without any way of leaving. As time goes on, it becomes clear that some of the overlooked guests never checked out.
Although the book and film were huge successes in their own rights, both have many differences that were done on purpose. King and Kubrick had many disagreements about the production, which led to a lot of hostility between the two.
As a result, Kubrick went out of his way to make changes to annoy the author. For example, he changed aspects of Jack Torrence’s character that King thought were crucial.
Watch The Shining (1980) Trailer
This was our Top 10 list of the best Haunted House Movies ever made. We have been able to compile a great list of the best haunted house horror movies that’ll keep you awake.
Do you agree with our list? If you have any suggestions or comments please shoot them down in the comments below. best haunted house movies
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