Welcome to the American hellscape that is San Jose, CA, where Helen Mirren relentlessly constructs a labyrinthine mansion to trap marauding ghosts killed by rifles bearing her husband’s name: Winchester. The horror flick inspires this week’s robust gallery of 35 haunted house movies (with at least 20 reviews each) ranked best to worst by Tomatometer.
Housebound (2014, 97%)
Alternately hilarious, gross, and simply diverting, Housebound is the rare horror-comedy that delivers on both fronts.
The Innocents (1961, 96%)
Creepily atmospheric, The Innocents is a stylishly crafted, chilling British ghost tale with Deborah Kerr at her finest.
Hausu (1977, 90%) House is a gleefully demented collage of grand guginol guffaws and bizarre sequences.
Poltergeist (1982, 88%)
Smartly filmed, tightly scripted, and — most importantly — consistently frightening, Poltergeist is a modern horror classic.
The Shining (1980, 87%)
Though it deviates from Stephen King’s novel, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is a chilling, often baroque journey into madness — exemplified by an unforgettable turn from Jack Nicholson.
The Orphanage (2007, 87%)
Deeply unnerving and surprisingly poignant, The Orphanage is an atmospheric, beautifully crafted haunted house horror film that earns scares with a minimum of blood.
The Haunting (1963, 87%)
Both psychological and supernatural, The Haunting is a chilling character study.
The Conjuring (2013, 86%)
Well-crafted and gleefully creepy, The Conjuring ratchets up dread through a series of effective old-school scares.
The Others (2001, 83%) The Others is a spooky thriller that reminds us that a movie doesn’t need expensive special effects to be creepy.
Beetlejuice (1988, 82%)
Brilliantly bizarre and overflowing with ideas, Beetlejuice offers some of Michael Keaton’s most deliciously manic work – and creepy, funny fun for the whole family.
The Conjuring 2 (2016, 79%) The Conjuring 2 can’t help but lose a bit of its predecessor’s chilly sting through familiarity, but what remains is still a superior ghost story told with spine-tingling skill.
Monster House (2006, 74%) Monster House welcoms kids and adults alike into a household full of smart, monstrous fun.
Oculus (2014, 73%)
With an emphasis on dread over gore and an ending that leaves the door wide open for sequels, Oculus could be just the first spine-tingling chapter in a new franchise for discerning horror fans.
Crimson Peak (2015, 71%) Crimson Peak offers an engaging — albeit somewhat slight — diversion driven by a delightfully creepy atmosphere and director Guillermo del Toro’s brilliant knack for unforgettable visuals.
The Woman in Black (2012, 67%)
Traditional to a fault, The Woman in Black foregoes gore for chills — although it may not provide enough of them for viewers attuned to more modern, high-stakes horror.
Stir of Echoes (1999, 67%)
Kevin Bacon’s acting is so genuine that it’s creepy and director David Koepp knows how to create true suspense.
Haunter (2013, 53%) Haunter‘s premise is intriguing enough, though the film’s too low budget to truly pull it off.
Dark Water (2005, 46%)
All the atmospherics in Dark Water can’t make up for the lack of genuine scares.
Casper (1995, 44%)
A meandering, mindless family movie that frequently resorts to special effects and transparent sappiness.
Silent House (2011, 43%) Silent House is more technically proficient and ambitious than most fright-fests, but it also suffers from a disappointing payoff.
The Grudge (2004, 39%)
There’s some creepy imagery to be found, but not much in the way of logic or truly jarring scares.
The Skeleton Key (2005, 37%)
Thanks to its creaky and formulaic script, The Skeleton Key is more mumbo-jumbo than hoodoo and more dull than scary.
Poltergeist (2015, 32%)
Paying competent homage without adding anything of real value to the original Poltergeist, this remake proves just as ephemeral (but half as haunting) as its titular spirit.
The Amityville Horror (1979, 29%)
Dull and disappointing, the best that can be said for The Amityville Horror is that it set a low bar for its many sequels and remakes.
The Amityville Horror (2005, 24%)
A so-so remake of a so-so original.
The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death (2015, 22%) The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death is atmospheric and visually sharp, but it’s short on tension and scares.
The Haunting in Connecticut (2009, 16%)
Though it features a few scares and some creepy atmosphere, The Haunting in Connecticut ultimately relies too much on familiar horror cliches to achieve its goals.
The Haunting (1999, 16%)
Sophisticated visual effects fail to offset awkward performances and an uneven script.
Thirteen Ghosts (2001, 14%)
The production design is first rate, but 13 Ghosts is distinctly lacking in scares.
The Haunted Mansion (2003, 13%)
Neither scary nor funny, The Haunted Mansion is as lifeless as the ghosts in the movie.
A Haunted House (2013, 10%) A Haunted House seeks to offend every sensibility, but it’s greatest sin: not being funny!
A Haunted House 2 (2014, 8%)
Sloppy, vulgar, and manic, A Haunted House 2 might be worth a chuckle or two, but mostly it’s a string of pop culture references and crude gags that fail to hit their intended targets.
Dream House (2011, 6%) Dream House is punishingly slow, stuffy, and way too obvious to be scary.
Amityville: The Demon (1983, 5%)
A gimmicky Amityville retread with insufferable characters.
Darkness (2002, 4%)
Yet another predictable variation on the hoary old haunted-house movie, Darkness is an illogical, portentous mess.
