The Haunting

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The Haunting

G

1963

1h 52m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

46 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Dr. John Markway, an anthropologist with an interest in psychic phenomena, takes two specially selected women to Hill House, a reportedly haunted mansion. Eleanor (Julie Harris), a lonely, eccentric woman with a supernatural event in her past, and the bold Theodora (Claire Bloom), who has ESP, join John and the mansion's heir, cynical Luke (Russ Tamblyn). They are immediately overwhelmed by strange sounds and events, and Eleanor comes to believe the house is alive and speaking directly to her.

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Critics Consensus

Both psychological and supernatural, The Haunting is a chilling character study.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

An elegantly sinister scare movie, literate and expensive (though basically a traditional ghost story), with those two fine actresses Claire Bloom and Julie Harris.

Jul 6, 2022

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Ian Freer

Empire Magazine

Wise brilliantly uses black and white widescreen to strand his characters in odd-shaped rooms or corridors, making the watcher's eye skitter frantically over the letterbox screen to catch every ingeniously rendered detail.

Rated: 5/5

Sep 8, 2020

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James Powers

The Hollywood Reporter

When The Haunting digs into the internals of its story, summons its spirits and lets them play havoc with cold reason, it has a power and fervor unmatched by any film ghost stories.

Nov 2, 2018

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Joe Lipsett

Horror Queers Podcast

Wise's use of the camera is vital to creating a sense of tension and atmosphere; it's practically its own character. Meanwhile, Theo is a vital LGBT character in horror history: an out woman in a 60s film is a true rarity.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 1, 2023

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Samantha Allen

them.

Dripping with queer subtext, this 1963 adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House is a master class in reading between the lines.

Oct 27, 2022

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David Reddish

Queerty

The Haunting endures as a horror classic, albeit one that doesnt quite the credit it deserves as an unusual queer love story. Heres a movie both scary and romantic as Hell.

Rated: 4/4

Mar 20, 2022

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Andrew A

A little heavy on the melodrama, but spooky in spades to be sure and a terrific adaptation

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/07/25

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Kyle M

Way before the cheaply resorted scare tactics, one of the best horror films resides here is naturally haunting as it ascends its ominous grip that effectively peaked across definitive terms between the performative array venturing the grounds just as uneasily as us viewers. (B+)

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/18/25

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Isaiah Y

Classic horror film that isn't as dated as expected

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/16/25

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revolver.0 8

Despite excellent visuals, campy writing (scenes & dialogues) doesn’t hold up

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/08/25

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thiago s

Filme mais ou menos, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são mais ou menos, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, a história é mais ou menos a, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

04/16/25

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Trevor T

Possible the best ghost story ever filmed. Being old (1963) and being low budget it relies on imagination and is not spoilt by special effects.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/22/25

Full Review

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Robert Wise

Director

Julie Harris

Eleanor "Nell" Lance

Claire Bloom

Theodora "Theo"

Richard Johnson

Dr. John Markway

Russ Tamblyn

Luke Sanderson

Lois Maxwell

Grace Markway

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Synopsis

Dr. John Markway, an anthropologist with an interest in psychic phenomena, takes two specially selected women to Hill House, a reportedly haunted mansion. Eleanor (Julie Harris), a lonely, eccentric woman with a supernatural event in her past, and the bold Theodora (Claire Bloom), who has ESP, join John and the mansion's heir, cynical Luke (Russ Tamblyn). They are immediately overwhelmed by strange sounds and events, and Eleanor comes to believe the house is alive and speaking directly to her.

Director: Robert Wise
Producer: Robert Wise
Screenwriter: Nelson Gidding
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount Pictures International
Rating: G
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2009
Runtime: 1h 52m

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