The Haunting – United Kingdom/United States – 1963 – Horror, Supernatural
Directed by: Robert Wise
Written by: Nelson Gedding
Main Players: Julie Harris; Claire Bloom; Richard Johnson; Russ Tamblyn; Fay Compton; Rosalie Crutchley; Lois Maxwell
An creepy house in Massachusetts, the kind some people call haunted, is like an undiscovered country waiting to be explored. Hill House has stood for 90 years, and might even stand for 90 more. Whatever walked there, walked alone. Quick and ghastly exposition slaps us viewers in the face before the credits hit.
Based on a novel, it’s time for our plot to kick in! Scandal, murder, insanity, suicide. Perfect! What rich history for Hill House, an evil house which was born bad. The Crain family home led to multiple unfortunate passings, such as poor Abigail, a girl who went from child to elderly bedridden invalid who passed away in an upstairs chamber begging for help, unheard by anyone below. Tragic.
That’s not the end of the house’s tale however, nor the end of its life taking, as there were just oh so many deaths on the premises. Good thing, too, because Dr. John Markway (Johnson) has been looking for a haunted house all his life! He is a trained anthropologist and will report and investigate on the home as an experiment to prove whether or not it is abnormal.
As Markway and his assistants Eleanor, or Nell, Lance (Harris) and Theodora (Bloom) show up at the scene, what will they find? Will everyone just die as usual, since it is a horror film? Well, since it’s from the 60s, we can hope they have a shot at surviving the night.
The Haunting is very well shot and also well-acted, but I don’t much like the characters. I am not sure how accurate they are to the novel, but they may represent their written counterparts well. I find the film moves a bit slow and can be a touch overbearing with its narration and pacing at times, however it also is a product of its times so I don’t hold that against it much. For the most part, the director achieved the atmosphere desired, and it set an okay tone.
The story winds up being okay and unfolds interestingly enough to make it though a viewing, especially if you are into horror classics and used to films of older eras. The setting and house are fairly glorious to behold and provides an ominous playground for the great beyond. Things get eerie and psychological, so go along for a spooky time.
See This If You Liked:
The Haunting (1999); The House on Haunted Hill (1959; 1999); 13 Ghosts, Thir13een Ghosts; 1408; The Changeling (1980); The Others (2001); The Woman in Black (1989; 2012); The Legend of Hell House; The Conjuring; The Amityville Horror (1979; 2005)
Score:
7.0