‘Crocodile’ – Biting Back into Tobe Hooper’s 2000 Nature Slasher

It was somewhere around the mid-1990s when animal horror came back into style. Not since the first cinema cycles of ecological and natural horror, specifically the ’50s through the ‘70s, had there been such a stampede of creature-caused carnage. Jurassic Park…
Ernie Stanton · 6 days ago · 3 minutes read


Haunted Houses: A Thrilling Tour of the Horror Subgenre

Enduring Appeal of the Haunted House Movie

Haunted house movies have become a cornerstone of the horror genre, captivating audiences with their spine-tingling atmospheres and unsettling psychological games. From classic masterpieces like The Old Dark House to modern re-imaginings like Steven Soderbergh's Presence, these films tap into universal fears of abandonment and the fragility of safety.

While familiar tropes like creaky floorboards and tragic backstories continue to define the subgenre, innovative films have dared to break these boundaries.

Films that Transformed the Haunted House

House (1977): A Kaleidoscope of Horror

Nobuhiko Obayashi's House is a cinematic anomaly. Combining live action with mind-bending animations, it follows a group of girls trapped in an isolated house that devours them one by one.

"It's a cinematic experience like no other, a psychedelic masterpiece that will forever haunt your memories." - Ariel Wagner, FilmSchoolRejects.com

The Deep House (2021): Submerging Horror Below the Surface

Flipping the script, The Deep House takes the haunted house concept underwater. As two explorers venture into a submerged sanatorium, they discover an unnerving claustrophobia that pushes the boundaries of horror.

Thir13en Ghosts (2001): Spectral Technology in the Haunted Domain

Steve Beck's remake of William Castle's classic updates the haunted house with state-of-the-art technology. A glass monstrosity with an occult-fueled machine at its heart, this house becomes a dangerous sanctuary for spectral beings.

The Frighteners (1996): Ghosts as Heroes and Villains

The Frighteners upends the traditional haunted house encounter. Frank Bannister, a psychic investigator, enlists the help of ghosts to pull off staged hauntings, but things take a dark turn when a sinister entity emerges.

Honorable Mentions

  • The Others (2001)
  • Paranormal Activity (2007)
  • Insidious (2010)
  • Below (2002)
  • The Sentinel (1977)
  • Housebound (2014)

Ghostwatch (1992): When Reality Blurs with Nightmare

Presented as a live news broadcast, Ghostwatch follows a team of journalists investigating a haunted house. Its convincing documentary style sparked controversy and earned it immediate cult status.

House II: The Second Story (1987): An Off-the-Walls Haunted Extravaganza

Ethan Wiley's bonkers sequel defies logic. A young man inherits a mansion and unearths a cursed crystal skull, leading to a whirlwind of time travel, zombie cowboys, and supernatural mayhem.

Skinamarink (2022): A Haunting Experiment in Liminality

Kyle Edward Ball's experimental film crafts a hypnotically eerie experience. Shot from a child's perspective, it follows two kids who find their home void of doors and windows, awakening dormant childhood fears.

Presence, a daring addition to the haunted house subgenre, is now taking theaters by storm. "An innovative and grim nail-biter with more on its mind than the logline suggests." - Meagan Navarro, Bloody Disgusting