10 Horrifying Haunted House Films

A certified horror classic. Directed by Tobe Hooper, and produced and written by Steven Spielberg, the film is generally seen as a collaboration between the two and there has been much discussion over who had greater authorship over the project.

The Freeling family move into their new home on the just completed Cuesta Verde estate. Their daughter, Carol Anne, is the first to notice the progressively strange occurrences: TVs turning themselves on, objects moving around the house seemingly of their own volition, mysterious noises.

At first, these occurrences fill the Freelings with a sense of wonder - and even amusement.

Things take a darker turn one night when the ghosts attack and kidnap Carol Anne. Afterwards the haunting becomes increasingly violent as the ghosts are whipped into a murderous frenzy by their ringleader: a malevolent spirit dubbed, “The Beast”.

No one who stays in the house afterwards is safe: during one stomach-churning scene, one of the paranormal investigators the Freelings employ hallucinates his face is starting to rot, and we get some of those excellent '80s practical effects when he rips his own face of with his bare hands.

In terms of a haunted house movie, Poltergeist is the equivalent of a greatest hits album; every trope associated with the genre is present, and they're all executed with aplomb. It's an absolute must see for fans of the genre