WithMike Flanagan’s addingThe Midnight Clubto hisiconic horror collection, released in early October, there’s no question that the Haunted House horror subgenre is going strong. Stretching all the way back to the early 1900s, audiences have loved to watch and be scared by settings that were as familiar as their own homes.
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There are some movies such asInsidiousorParanormal Activitywhich feature haunted houses that are normal, everyday places. However, what usually springs to mind when people think of them are ancient, gothic mansions with winding hallways and dark histories. Luckily, many films and shows have portrayed exactly this, to the point where some of these houses might be worth putting up with a few ghosts.
The Others (2001)
Set close to the end of the second World War, a woman lives in a mansion alone with her two children. Due to the condition that her children share, which makes them highly sensitive to the sun, the mansion is kept in almost complete darkness. After hiring three new servants for the house, the family begins to notice that they might not be as alone as they thought.
The house inThe Othersis very much the epitome of a creepy old mansion and is almost constantly blanketed in an eerie fog. At the same time, its English picturesque architecture is stunning, and while it is big, it isn’t so big as to feel overwhelming. Of course, it is pretty fitting with theever-popular Gothic style of horror movies.
The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)
After being hired by a man to look after his niece and nephew who have recently been orphaned, Dani Clayton moves into the Bly estate. There she meets the children, the family chef, and the housekeeper, but starts to notice strange occurrences around the house as well.
Similar to the house inThe Others, Bly Manor seems like the perfect spooky mansion, but what makes it stand apart are the interior sets, and how they manage to be both elegant and rustic. Yes, there is a murderous ghost called “The Lady in the Lake.” However, if you like the mansion, the good news is anyone who is killed by her gets to stay at Bly Manor for all eternity.
The Woman in Black (2012)
Following a personal tragedy, a young English solicitor takes an assignment to look into the documents of a recently deceased woman. Traveling to the remote Eel Marsh House, he begins to experience terrifying events and learns that the local superstitions around the house may not be completely unfounded.
It’s true that this house may have a few things going against it, such as its decrepit state, the suspicions of the nearby townsfolk, and the malicious woman in black which haunts it. Still, all it needs is a bit of love and care to get it back to its beautiful full potential. Plus the woman in black usually only kills children, so as long as the homeowner is an adult, they should be fine. Not to mention the fact that it’s almost completely cut off from civilization, so the town gossip won’t even be an issue.
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What Lies Beneath (2000)
One ofHarrison Ford’s less well-known movies,What Lies Beneathfollows Norman and Claire Spencer as a new husband and wife move in next door. After a while, Claire begins to grow suspicious of the husband’s activities. Her paranoia only grows as she believes that he murdered his wife and that she is seeing the wife’s spirit around the house.
As opposed to other older haunted houses, the Vermont residence of Norman and Claire Spencer is much more modern, having recently been renovated. Still, it is a lovely home that is right on the lakeside and is definitely worth its single ghost. Especially since she is only vengeful towards her murderer.
Winchester (2018)
Telling the somewhat true story of the titular character,Winchesterfollows the widow and heiress to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, Sarah. After the death of her husband, Sarah begins to believe that she is haunted by all the souls killed by Winchester rifles and that the only way to appease them is to keep adding to her home.
The real-life Winchester Mystery House may have a multitude of ghosts, including Sarah Winchester herself, but the sheer grandiosity of the mansion more than makes up for it. Plus the chaotic design would only add a persistent feeling of wonder and novelty to anyone living inside.
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Super Mario 64 (1996)
Inone of Nintendo’s most beloved games,Super Mario 64, there’s a relatively hidden area that the players can find by killing one of the game’s ghost enemies, called a “Boo”. Doing so allows Mario to be drawn into a miniature housecalled Boo’s Haunted Mansion.
While the exterior of Boo’s Mansion may appear a bit drab, the inside is full of all the things any self-respecting haunted house requires. There are secret passages, furniture pieces that come to life, and an interior that seems much larger than the outside. While it is full of Boo’s, they aren’t too difficult to get rid of, as long as you may jump high enough.
Crimson Peak (2015)
Rather than resign herself to being married off, young Edith Cushing falls in love with a mysterious stranger and is whisked off to his family home. Whilst living there with him and his sister, she begins to uncover the house’s secrets and find the horrors that are present within the walls.
Similar to the Eel Marsh House inThe Woman in Black,Crimson Peak’s Allerdale Hall is a bit of a fixer-upper. However, while the specters haunting it are pretty terrifying,it’s the living residents that the real problem. Still, you’re able to’t beat the Victorian Gothic style of the house, and its storied past gives it all the more character.
The Haunted Mansion (2003)
Consumed by his work, realtor Jim Evers derails his family’s vacation when he is asked to come to look at a house to sell. Along with their two children, he and his wife travel to Gracey Manor and meet the master of the house, Edward Gracey himself. When a storm traps them on the property, the family begins to see and hear several signs that it is haunted and realize that they may have been brought there for another reason.
In the end, only one of the ghosts in Gracey Manor is truly evil. The rest of the spirits are prisoners there just as much as the Evers family, and as a whole pretty friendly. Of course, there are several other terrors outside the house, but as long as you stay inside, most people would kill for the kind of lavishly antique home Gracey Manor is.
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The Haunting (1999)
Inone of the most famous horror book adaptations, a professor brings three people to stay at the mysterious Hill House as part of a research project. Although this is under the pretense of helping their insomnia, he is actually studying the effects of fear on the human mind. When the scares become more and more real, they must figure out the house’s true story before they meet certain doom.
Although the exterior house shares a similar quality to many old mansions, the interior is something completely different. One part palace and one part abstract art piece, Hill House was allegedly built by a textile tycoon for the many children he hoped to have. However, fate had different plans, as none of his children survived long after birth.
Casper (1995)
When the ungrateful daughter of a millionaire is only given his dilapidated mansion upon his death, she finds that it is already inhabited by a group of ghosts. As a solution, she calls a paranormal psychologist named Dr. Harvey. He arrives with his daughter and meets the house’s spirits, including a friendly ghost named Casper.
The house inCasperis called Whipstaff Manor and is just as unique as the name implies. Its architecture is somehow both ancient and futuristic, and it contains hidden passages, an underground laboratory, and a world-altering secret. Not to mention that while the other spirits are definitely a nuisance, they don’t seem to be totally malicious. Even the local school kids are excited when they get to use the placefor their Halloween party.
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