10 Horrifying Haunted House Films

John Russell (George C. Scott) moves to Seattle following the tragic deaths of his wife and daughter in a car accident. He hopes that a fresh start will help him to finally overcome his grief, so he can move on with his life.

John moves into a mansion which has been vacant for twelve years. He is then woken each night by a terrible banging from somewhere in the house; eventually he discovers the source and finds a hidden room. Within he finds clues to the murder of a young boy.

Perhaps to escape his own grief and loneliness, John becomes obsessed with solving the decades old murder. He single-mindedly pursues the investigation and uncovers a sordid conspiracy which covered up the grim circumstances surrounding the boy’s death.

The Changeling isn't averse to the odd jump scare - and it's very effective when it does use them - but it's perhaps one of the best films for communicating to the viewer what it would actually be like to live in a haunted house. The long sections when John is alone in the mansion are horribly oppressive and dread-inducing.