10 Horror Movies Ruined By Bad CGI

3. The Haunting

Sleepwalkers Film.jpg
Dreamworks

The 1963 film, The Haunting, is an adaptation of Shirley Jackson's novel, The Haunting of Hill House. Unlike most horror flicks at the time, The Haunting didn't rely on cheap scares. Instead, it focused on using very subtle but precise camera work and editing to make the viewer feel unsettled. It was so masterfully made, legendary director, Martin Scorsese, said The Haunting is his favourite horror film.

Sadly, the remake cannot receive the same praise. This lacklustre adaptation trades all the subtle scares of the original for CGI ghosts, statues, and... bedsheets. You could forgive the remake a little if the special effects were good or even passable.

But they're not. Watching a CGI ceiling screaming is unintentionally hilarious. Watching a door punching someone looks ridiculous. What makes these effects look less convincing is the characters barely react when ghosts appear or when a pillow starts talking (WHO doesn't react to a talking pillow?!?)

The final showdown with the ghost of Hill House is especially ridiculous since the entire screen is filled with more CGI than the finale of an Avengers movie.

Contributor

James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows