15 Best Haunted House Movies You Really Shouldn't Watch Alone
Stream these old and new horror films on Netflix, Amazon Prime or Hulu.
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Everyone has their favorite genre of movies. For some, there's nothing better than romance and rom-coms. For others, few things beat the thrill they get from action-packed survival flicks. And then, there are people who can't get enough of scary movies — you know the type who watch classic Halloween films all year 'round. If you're the latter, you've come to the right place.
While some horror movies derive thrills and chills from ghosts, goblins, witches, vampires or other kinds of mad killers, others make the setting itself the centerpiece of the plot. The best haunted house movies don't just have to be about houses either — sometimes the genre sets the scene in haunted hotels, hospitals, farmhouses or other buildings where strange secrets lurk in dark corners, attics or basements.
The flicks on our list of the best haunted house movies are for adult eyes only. If you're in need of some family-friendly scary movies, check out our list of scary movies for kids. So whether you're setting up for a movie marathon for Halloween or any other night of the year, get ready for a home movie night that might make you wonder what skeletons are hiding in your very own closets...
The Haunting (1999)
As if chronic sleep deprivation isn't scary enough, this 1999 film follows three insomniacs who agree to sleep in a haunted mansion as part of a sleep study. Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Owen Wilson star.
The Haunting (1963)
Want to watch the original? In this classic '60s-era horror film, a group confronts supernatural forces in a 90-year-old New England haunted house. What they find is truly horrific.
The Shining (1980)
A bestselling writer and recovering alcoholic, played by Jack Nicholson, hopes to find a cure for his writer's block at the Overlook Hotel in Colorado. Needless to say, things get interesting.
Winchester (2018)
Helen Mirren stars as the widow who occupies a possessed mansion in this chilling story, inspired by real events.
Poltergeist (1982)
This classic '80s horror film is nothing short of iconic. In it, a family moving into their new house hits, uh, a few snags while unpacking their things. The biggest being their young daughter gets abducted by evil ghosts.
The Amityville Horror (2005)
This 2005 remake of the 1979 original inspires serious chills after a young family moves into a house with a sinister past. The film stars Ryan Reynolds, Melissa George and Jesse James.
The Conjuring (2013)
This movie is based on real case files from paranormal investigators, who try to assist a family terrorized by some creepy force lurking in their farmhouse.
The Houses October Built (2014)
In this creepy, found-footage-style flick, five friends hit the road in an RV for an adventure in search of the scariest haunted houses.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Even if you've never seen this timeless horror movie, you probably already know its most famous line: "I see dead people!" But nothing compares to seeing it uttered for the first time ...
Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971)
In this creepy ’70s flick, a recently institutionalized woman moves into a country farmhouse, where weird things happen to her. Is she going crazy, or…?
The Attic (2007)
Elisabeth Moss stars in this 2007 haunted house flick from Mary Lambert, the director of Pet Sematary. In it, Moss' character moves with her family to a new house... where a doppelganger lives in the attic.
Boo (2005)
Five teens trapped in a hospital on Halloween night must figure out who is alive and who is dead as spirits take them over.
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)
Katie Holmes stars in this flick written by Guillermo del Toro, based on the '70s telefilm by the same name. In it, a girl sent to live with her dad and his new girlfriend believes that she has released creatures from a sealed pit in the basement of the house.
Beetlejuice (1988)
Tim Burton directs this iconic '80s Oscar winner, in which a dead couple's spirits face off with the family that has moved into their home. Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, and Michael Keaton are all in the all-star cast.
The Resort (2021)
What's more fun for chills and thrills than a haunted house? Well, a haunted resort, of course! In The Resort, friends head to Hawaii to investigate a haunting in paradise.
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