10 Horror Movies Where The Villain Is Never Seen
6. The Haunting
Robert Wise’s immensely influential and atmospheric 1963 horror seems to lay out its villains early on. In a voiceover, paranormally inclined scientist Dr Markway gives a potted history of Hill House, the cruelty inflicted there by former owner Hugh Crain, and the tragic loss of life in its 90-year story.
From there, Markway assembles a team to reside in the mansion for a few nights in order to determine whether it’s truly haunted. Some see this as a lark; for guilt-ridden Eleanor, the overwhelming feeling of death reminds her of her late mother, for whose passing she feels responsible.
The Haunting is an incredibly effective exercise in mounting tension. We’re expecting, any minute now, to see the ghosts in full flight, but we never do. Instead, fear is conjured through creaks, rattles, and a pervading mood of not-quite-rightness.
Unlike the misfiring remake, Wise refuses to give any simple answers throughout the film, and his refusal to pay us off with a sight of ghostly villains - or even confirm whether they even exist - makes The Haunting far more scary.