10 Scariest Haunted House Movies Ever Made
5. The Conjuring (2013)
The shared universe model feels logical for a wide-ranging collection of superhero movies, but it seems less tailor-made for horror cinema. No one appears to have said that to James Wan, who has crafted a large patchwork of films surrounding The Conjuring - his 2013 haunted house movie, based on the 'true story' of paranormal investigators the Warrens.
This first film sees the Warrens, played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, sent to investigate ghostly goings-on at a Rhode Island farmhouse. It soon transpires the family living there is being haunted by the vengeful spirit of an accused witch who has cursed all those who attempt to live on the land she once owned.
It has since been obscured by the ever-expanding array of sequels and spin-offs attached to it, but The Conjuring is a near-perfect execution of the modern haunted house formula. There's nothing particularly ground-breaking about its approach to horror, but every cliché and convention it deploys is used to great effect by Wan, who has repeatedly proven himself to be a talented practitioner of the genre.
The Conjuring is proof that a brilliant haunted house movie doesn't always have to break new ground. If it plays the old hits with all of the right notes, a film like this will always bring the house down.