When Roger Corman told American International Pictures (AIP) that he wanted to make a film based on Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher, the studio balked. They didn't think that younger people would pay to see a movie based on reading that teachers handed out in school. Never one to take "no" for an answer, Roger Corman pressed the issue. He loved reading Edgar Allan Poe when he was younger. The classic author's gothic tales of the ghastly and the macabre were ripe for the film treatment. The issue was that The Fall of the House of Usher was more psychological. AIP was known for quick films featuring creatures of every ilk that viewers knew were bad. Edgar Allan Poe's story didn't seem to have that going for it.

Eventually, AIP, probably thinking they had him licked, asked Roger Corman, "Where's the monster?" He replied, "The house is the monster." And with that, Roger Corman would begin a cycle of films based on the many works of Edgar Allan Poe. There had been horror movies that had taken place in scary homes before, but these works from Edgar Allan Poe represented a whole new level that horror could reach in the haunted house genre. We're celebrating the haunted house and all the richness that the milieu can give a film on the screen. In this small space, terror can be lurking around every corner. The familiar becomes unfamiliar. The place that is supposed to be one's sanctuary can become their own personal hell in the best haunted house movies.

Updated on July 31st, 2023 by Rachel Johnson: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.

22 Hillbillys in a Haunted House (1967)

A scene from Hillbillys in a Haunted House
    Woolner Brothers Pictures Inc.

What can you make of a film that features country singers, ghosts, a gorilla, and a spy ring all under one roof? Hillbillys in a Haunted House also features such film icons as Basil Rathbone, Lon Chaney Jr., and John Carradine. If you are looking for a good scare... This movie isn't it.

If you want camp, comedy, and the occasional WTF moment then you have found your film. A movie like this was probably met with head-scratching befuddlement when it was released in 1967. In 2022... It would probably be compared and canonized much in the same way The Evil Dead was.

21 We Are Still Here (2015)

Barbara Crampton as Anne in We Are Still Here
Dark Sky Films

Following the devastating death of their beloved son in a car crash, grief-stricken parents Anne and Paul Sacchetti move to a remote home in New England to cope with their loss, where they become the target of the malevolent spirits of the family that once inhabited the centuries-old manor in We Are Still Here.

The spine-tingling film features terrifying twists despite its seemingly formulaic premise, as the married couple faces an unfathomable evil that bleeds out of their new home and into the nearby town; Rolling Stone named the chilling picture as one of the ten best horror films of the year.

20 The Woman in Black (2012)

The Woman in Black
CBS Films

Daniel Radcliffe plays a lawyer who ventures to a distant village and soon discovers that a female ghost is wreaking havoc. From there this movie follows the usual tropes we are used to seeing in horror movies.

Things appear and then just as quickly disappear; the lines between reality and illusion are blurred, and most importantly, the story builds to a climax that pretty much comes out of nowhere. The Woman in Black disarms us with moments that, on the face of it, seem typical. However, as the movie plays on it becomes something unique and truly terrifying.

19 Stir of Echoes (1999)

Kevin Bacon in Stir of Echoes
Artisan Entertainment

Stir of Echoes is more a film about a haunted mind than a house. Still, it is pretty darn creepy and given the time of year we are in, it is one that deserves its spot on this list. The story follows a man (Kevin Bacon) who is hypnotized.

After waking from a deep trance, suddenly finds himself trying to figure out a murder from beyond. While not one of the haunted house films that people might deem a classic, Stir of Echoes endures because, while haunted houses are scary, a tormented mind is even more so.

18 The Innkeepers (2012)

The Innkeepers
Magnet Releasing

Ti West is not afraid of big sets with which to cast his lot in. For The Innkeepers, this tale is set in the Yankee Pedlar Inn. The story follows two employees who want to let the world know about the paranormal events that have gone on here.

This whole plan gets upended when ghosts, literally, begin to re-inhabit the inn. This movie may not be as groundbreaking as The House of the Devil, but a haunted hotel film from Ti West is better than most films of this ilk.

Related: 10 Scary Haunted House Movies From the '60s and '70s

17 The House of the Devil (2009)

The House of the Devil
MPI Media Group

This movie burst on the scene in 2009 and knocked just about everybody who saw it on their butt. With its 1980s visual style and pacing, and its seemingly thrown-away title; the moment the first frame of the film lands on your eyeballs, you know you are seeing the work of a true horror genius.

The house in the title truly seems to have a mind of its own. The way it is shot throughout this movie, it seems to grow and grow, engulfing both the viewer and the actors until we realize that there really is no escape. This movie could've been number one on this list. A truly original gem that shows that you can take something old and make it truly something original.

16 The Changeling (1980)

The Changeling stairs shot
Pan-Canadian Film Distributors

Widely regarded as one of the most influential Canadian films of all time, The Changeling centers on a brilliant New York City composer who relocates to Seattle after tragically losing his wife and daughter, only to discover that the vacant mansion he's renting has a malicious evil lurking within its walls.

The gripping film is a tension-building spectacle that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats with its taut atmosphere and profound feeling of impending dread and was lauded for leaning into the ghost story premise while keeping audiences temporarily at ease due to the fearless and formidable performance of lead star George C. Scott.

15 The Orphanage (2007)

The Orphanage
Warner Bros. Pictures Spain

The Spanish have a way with horror films, and The Orphanage certainly is a standout, even among the best haunted ones. This film sees a mother taking her family to the house she grew up in. The haunted home used to be an orphanage.

Before anybody knows what is happening, her son is communicating with entities both past and present. Shot with what seems like a candle lighting each scene, The Orphanage is literally crawling with horror. If you like your haunted house films to burn slowly, then bundle up on a cold Fall night and get ready to be scared... really scared.

14 The House on Haunted Hill (1959)

The House on Haunted Hill
Allied Artists

Just the name alone qualifies that film for this list, right? The premise is simple. A millionaire offers five people a lot of money if they can stay in a house overnight. Vincent Price leads this cast, who was a favorite of Roger Corman and his haunted house films.

However, one needs to look no further than the title to see that the house in this movie is a character unto itself. With dark corridors lurking around every turn, this monstrous house (both in size and inhabitants), certainly takes its place amongst the cast, which also includes a credited skeleton!

13 The Others (2001)

The Others
StudioCanal

Revered for its epic plot twist that left moviegoers both dazzled and speechless, Alejandro Amenábar's acclaimed horror masterpiece The Others stars Nicole Kidman as a mother of two children who reside in a remote country house in the island country of Jersey in the wake of World War II.

They come to suspect their residence may be haunted after the young brother and sister experience strange paranormal phenomena. With its gothic atmosphere, almost suffocating tension, and Kidman's intense and vulnerable role, The Others won numerous accolades like three Saturn Awards and a whopping eight Goya Awards (including Best Director and Best Film).

Related: 10 Horror Movies That Take Place in Haunted House Attractions

12 What Lies Beneath (2000)

Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer in What Lies Beneath
DreamWorks Pictures

Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford have never been better in this thriller with a twist, that masquerades as a haunted house film. Basically, Michelle Pfeiffer's character thinks that her house is haunted.

Of course, her husband thinks she is crazy. Then things start happening that prove the house is being visited by the paranormal. From there, this horror movie turns into a thriller with truly unexpected consequences. While the house itself isn't ever really at the forefront of the scares, it is there enough to remind you to never let your guard down.

11 The Haunting (1963)

The Haunting (1963)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Adapted from the celebrated Shirley Jackson novel, the phenomenal horror classic The Haunting tells the spooky story of a group of strangers who are brought together to help investigate the paranormal activity allegedly occurring at the 90-year-old Hill House in Massachusetts, with the study being conducted by anthropologist Dr. John Markway (Richard Johnson). The souls that were brave enough to accept the invitation quickly realize an overpowering force of evil dwells on the land and in the foreboding mansion, becoming terrorized by the sinister entity attached to the home.

The Haunting utilizes its erie black-and-white cinematography and delivers a truly terrifying ghost story that is sure to dazzle horror movie enthusiasts; it has landed on numerous critics' lists as one of the scariest horror films of all time and since its release has continued amassing praise and appreciation in the decades since its debut.

10 Beetlejuice (1988)

Beetlejuice movie
Warner Bros. 

Michael Keaton is so big as the title character, we almost miss what an incredible house Beetlejuice takes place in. With its white exterior, multiple levels, long hallways, and hidden spaces throughout, Beetlejuice works because we honestly believe that the events on screen could take place here.

There is so much happening in this movie that we need to believe that this house is real. We want it to be real. Sure, Beetlejuice may not be that scary. However, it does show that sometimes what happens in the spirit world vs. what happens in the real world makes a lot more sense.

9 1408 (2007)

A scene from the Stephen King adaptation, 1408.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).

John Cusack is darn near perfect in this haunted hotel room tale. He plays a man who specializes in showing how certain paranormal experiences aren't paranormal at all. He checks into the famed 1408 room at the Dolphin Hotel. This room is known for a brand of terror all its own.

It is so bad that Cusack's character has to threaten the hotel with a lawsuit just to be let in. As you can guess, what starts off as his character's tongue-in-cheek take on the room, soon changes dramatically when he realizes that everything he's heard is real. Set inside this claustrophobic, one-room set, we as viewers find ourselves wanting to break out.

8 The Evil Dead (1981)

The Evil Dead
New Line Cinema

The making of this demonic tale is just about as iconic as the film itself. Taking place inside one cabin, with cheaply done FX that looks fantastic, The Evil Dead mixes horror and humor in the best way. This collaboration between director Sam Raimi and actor Bruce Campbell shows just how perfect these two men were for one another.

The most amazing thing about this film is that it never feels small. It essentially takes place in one spot, but once the demons are unleashed that never seems to call attention to itself. This film isn't a haunted house movie so much as a haunted movie that just happens to take place in a house!

Related: Evil Dead: Every Film in the Franchise, Ranke

7 The Innocents (1961)

The Innocents
20th Century Fox

Based on the novella The Turning of the Screw, The Innocents stars Deborah Kerr as a first-time governess who travels to a large Victorian country estate to take care of two orphans, and quickly becomes uneasy when the older child returns home from boarding school and bizarre occurrences begin to happen.

Miss Giddens (Kerr) begins to believe both the sprawling mansion and its grounds are haunted by the spirits of the former governess and valet and sets out to protect her wards from being possessed by supernatural entities. The Innocents is a revered psychological horror classic that has retrospectively been praised for its creepy atmosphere, heart-racing thrills and chills, and layered storyline, with both scholars and critics analyzing the '60s masterpiece via film theory.

6 Insidious (2011)

Insidious
FilmDistrict

Taking place in the present, the first three-fourths of Insidious are quite possibly some of the best moments ever put on screen. Not just in the haunted house genre but in any genre. The home in this movie is as unassuming as it gets.

There is nothing about it that calls attention to itself. However, it plays with us, making us wonder... is the house possessed? Is it someone in the family? Eventually, all is revealed, and the final 1/4 of this film (especially when the paranormal people arrive) leaves little to be desired. However, if you want a good scare inside your home, Insidious certainly fills that need.

5 The Conjuring (2013)

Vera Farmiga in The Conjuring 2
Warner Bros. Pictures

It is saying something about films of the past like The Exorcist and The Amityville Horror that The Conjuring, a film very much of that ilk, did as well as it did upon its release in 2013. This tale of a large family moving into their home in the 1970s knocked the YouTube Generation on its keister.

Set in a huge house that was in need of a lot of work, this movie played and worked like a relic of a bygone era. Once it becomes apparent to the parents just how much danger their family is in, it is only a matter of time until this large, darkly lit home seems to be working against everybody in the film.

4 Paranormal Activity (2007)

Katie being possessed while she sleeps in Paranormal Activity
Paramount Pictures

Like Poltergeist, Paranormal Activity was set in familiar suburbia. So when this little tale came out of nowhere to scare the hell out of us, it was really jarring because horror films had kinda lost their mojo. The Saw franchise had become ridiculous, and other "scary" movies were banking on editing, rather than their own content, to provide the chills.

Oren Peli set his movie in "Everywhere, USA". The house was nondescript. This worked to excellent effect because once the scares started happening, viewers got to see them in a place they were familiar with. Also, by the time things were really going crazy, the house seemed to creep up on us. As if it was saying, "Hey, I'm a part of this too, and you've made a big mistake ignoring me."

3 The Amityville Horror (1979)

the amityville horror true story movie
American International Pictures

With eyes that look like windows, this creepy house (to this day!) is a place that I find hard to visit on film. There is something about the way it is structured that just seems to be a den of evil. Add the fact that the film is based on a true story and that makes it even that much scarier. This film follows the Lutz clan. This family of 5 moves into their new home even though they are told by their realtor of the previous carnage that has happened there.

Things start getting crazy, then they get crazier, priests are brought in, and suddenly it becomes apparent that everything going on isn't just bad pipes and a rotting foundation. The Amityville Horror is a great horror movie. It functions like The Exorcist in its ability to scare. This is probably because it is based on true events, and thus we can't keep it at arm's length.

Related: Best Haunted Houses in Horror Movies, Ranked