The Best Haunted House Movies to Stream in October
Now that October has officially arrived, movies fans who are looking to get into the spirit of the [...]
'The Conjuring' - Netflix
Filmmaker James Wan took what he learned on films like Saw, Dead Silence, and Insidious and applied them to a more traditional haunted house movie, which will go down as one of the most successful forays in the horror genre of the decade.
Paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) offer their services to a family who is encountering unexplained events. As the duo delve into the history of the family's home, they uncover a nefarious past which refuses to let the family have peace.
The structure is pretty traditional for the genre, though Wan's directorial style makes the concept feel fresh, with this film inspiring a sequel and three spin-off films to-date. See where it all started by checking out the original chapter.
prevnext'Paranormal Activity' - Hulu
Similar to The Conjuring, Paranormal Activity kicked off a pop culture juggernaut on a shoestring budget, which saw five sequels.
Believing that there could be spirits in their apartment, a young couple purchases a video camera in hopes of capturing some of the unexplained occurrences. For better or worse, the couple begins witnessing strange happenings in their home, leading them to antagonize the "spirit" and incite even more madness in their abode.
Both to thank and to blame for the rise in found footage films, Paranormal Activity still remains effective when it comes to teasing audiences with subtle scares and heightening the stakes throughout the rollercoaster ride of a journey.
prevnext'The Woman in Black' - Amazon Prime
In the '60s and '70s, few horror studios churned out as many effective horror movies as Hammer Film Productions, which typically leaned into gothic and romantic themes. As the slasher subgenre came to prominence in the '70s and '80s, the studio slowed down their production, though made a brief comeback with this classic haunted house tale.
Following the loss of his wife, a young lawyer (Daniel Radcliffe) is sent to a small town to settle the affairs of a woman who has passed away in a creepy, old mansion. As is typically the case with creepy, old mansions, not all of the residents have truly left, leaving the lawyer to uncover the deadly secret of its former owner and of the residents of the nearby village.
prevnext'Under the Shadow' - Netflix
In 1980s war-torn Iran, a missile tears through a family's home, yet it doesn't explode. While the family might consider themselves lucky, a neighbor claims that the missile brought with it an ancient curse, which could pose more damage to the family than the explosive device ever could have. To eradicate these evil forces that she thinks are attempting to possess her daughter, a mother must confront the spirits head-on in hopes of any safety for her family.
Recent years have seen a rise in the horror genre of films that address not only the manifestations of otherworldly spirits, but also uses those forces as ways to represent much larger cultural themes. Under the Shadow not only delivers audiences a satisfyingly spooky story, but also features not-so-subtle allegories for female oppression.
prevnext'The Others' - Hulu
While some haunted house films rely on massive scares to thoroughly terrify audiences, The Others embraces the idea that all you need is a spooky mansion, a creepy concept, and a riveting performance from Nicole Kidman.
During World War II, Grace (Kidman) is left alone in a massive mansion with her two children as her husband fights in the war. The children have a health condition where they can't be exposed to direct sunlight, making it quite difficult to care for the house and maintain their safety. When Grace hires caretakers to help her look after the homestead, bizarre encounters begin to unfold, leading audiences to wonder if the caretakers are there to help or harm the family.
From the atmosphere to the performances to the surprising ending, The Others delivers a timeless ghost story that would have done Hammer Film Productions proud.
prevnext'Hell House LLC' - Amazon Prime
A different kind of haunted house, Hell House LLC chronicles a group of friends who put their passion of all things spooky into a new business, aiming to launch a haunted house in time for guests to visit for Halloween. To make the chilling experience more authentic, the group has decided to choose a hotel with a real-life sordid history, hoping that will amp up the scares.
Unfortunately, tragedy strikes during opening night of the haunted house, with the film chronicling the events that lead up to the tragedy in a mockumentary style. The film might be far from a masterpiece, but it will definitely make you second guess whether or not you really want to venture into someone else's haunted house this Halloween.
prevnext'The Shining' - Netflix
Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Stephen King's classic novel landing on Netflix gives fans an opportunity to fit in multiple repeat viewings or offer those unfamiliar an opportunity to experience the terror from the comfort of their own home.
Desperate for a job, Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) takes a job as a caretaker at a remote Colorado hotel in the offseason, bringing his wife and son along for the journey. The hotel is hiding many secrets, both in the real world and in a supernatural sense, sending Jack into a spiral of madness.
King famously disliked this adaptation of the source material for precisely the reasons why it works so well, which is Kubrick's calculated and disorienting depiction of the family unraveling. The film also features one of Nicholson's all-time great performances, which is just as impressive nearly 40 years later as when the film was released.
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