It is no secret that haunted house movies are staples of the horror genre, and for a good reason – paranormal thrills will never go out of style as long as floorboards are creaking, doors slamming shut, and spirits going bump in the night. It seems that ghostly apparitions and supernatural spooks have never gone out of style, contrary to the slashers and creature features that come and go from cinematic trends. Possibly it is because the haunted house genre consists of various themes.
The genre offers filmmakers who live in apartments for rent in Irving, TX, a wide variety of opportunities, including Gothic romance, quirky comedies, and tales of terror. In addition to being visceral, ghost stories are fundamentally unknowable, unlike zombies and slashers in other horror films. Filmmakers can bend the rules using this mysterious freedom without breaking the suspension of disbelief and create countless ways to evoke fear from the dead.
1. Paranormal Activity (2007)
If you are a young couple experiencing supernatural activity in your home, there is one thing you have to do: get proof! Paranormal Activity, a 2007 film by Oren Peli, follows Katie and Micah on their quest for answers.
Like many horror films based on haunted houses, the couple’s best-laid plans go awry when they decide not to approach a demonologist to get some assistance. When they first set up their surveillance cameras in their bedroom, they captured mundane phenomena: flickering lights, slamming doors, the average low-level haunting.
However, it all goes downhill when the paranormal presence sets fire to Ouija boards and drags Katie out of bed at night.
2. The Amityville Horror (1979)
Not only due to its terrifying take on a haunted house movie and its mix of true and sensationalized events, but The Amityville Horror also became a massive success in 1979. It is based on the 1977 novel of the same name by Jay Anson. Supposedly based on true events, the book tells the story of a married couple who moved to Amityville, Long Island, to raise their family. After experiencing several terrifying paranormal events, the family fled the house 28 days later. Despite its questionable reliability, the Lutz family’s story became highly well-known.
There are several similarities between the movie and the book. Approximately a year ago, a young man killed the Lutz family in the home they now occupy. It doesn’t take long for strange events to begin. Several familiar haunting manifestations have been reported, such as odd noises, strange voices, strange smells, moving objects, cold spots, and malfunctioning electronics.
As the film progresses, the intensity of the scares increases dramatically, leading to tense viewing of The Amityville Horror. It may seem a bit cliché to viewers seeing it for the first time, but that’s because it influenced later haunted house films.
3. Poltergeist (1982)
One of Steven Spielberg’s rare attempts to scare his audience members occurs in a friendly family home. The movie Poltergeist made some American suburbanites question their real estate purchases, reinforcing the adage, “Location, location, location.” I highly recommend watching the film again (or for the first time) if you are unfamiliar with why the Freeling family’s house was built in the worst possible location.
In addition to the special spectral effects on display, Craig T. Nelson leads the cast of Poltergeist with charisma and charm. As if they were related by blood, the five actors seem earnestly family-oriented. Spielberg’s extraordinary ability to conjure heartfelt emotion plays a big part, but it’s also the pure talent and spot-on casting.
Due to the house’s peculiar position between this world and the next, the real scares swoop in after the parapsychologists and spiritual mediums leave. Its picture-perfect casting and stellar special effects stand the test of time more than 35 years after its release.
4. The Conjuring (2013)
Veronica Farmiga and Patrick Wilson star as Lorraine Warren and Ed Perron, paranormal investigators determined to discover why the Perron family is haunted in their own home. In addition to investigating the real-life mystery of the Amityville house purchased by Kathy Lutz and George, the Warrens also focused on exploring the paranormal.
In The Conjuring, the story is also based on what happened to the Perrons in Rhode Island’s home. Farmiga and Wilson met with the Warrens many times while the film was being shot, and the Perrons often visited the film set while it was being shot for them to better understand the characters they were portraying.
5. Hereditary (2018)
The horror film Hereditary splashed in 2018 when it debuted as the first haunted house film of the year. Despite Aster’s limited experience as a director, this was one of the most successful films the studio has ever made, and it became the studio’s best-grossing film to date.
There are many shocks that bereaved families undergo, but one particularly horrifying accident nearly tears them apart due to the horrific circumstances. Toni Collette plays the matriarch Annie Graham, who learns to conduct seances to communicate with the departed, leading to a terrifying haunting. It’s psychological horror done right, with a twist that will stay with you long.
6. Insidious (2010)
This haunted house movie begins with a new home being moved into by a young family. Still, viewers can expect some surprises in this supernatural horror film! It is a version of the haunted house tale where one of the family’s sons falls into a coma and is projected into space to carry out the bidding of an evil spirit.
In an interview with Variety, James Wan stated that he developed this film to respond to the Saw franchise of films. There was a desire within him to prove that movies could be just as good and scary without the level of gore that makes this franchise famous. You can also learn effective ways to download movies for free and enjoy them at home.
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