A film which the some of the previously mentioned films in particular The Conjuring owe so much to, The Haunting is one of the archetypal haunted house films and, as we have seen before on this list, a scary film which sails in uncharted waters is generally all the more frightening as a result. The Haunting follows anthropologist Dr Markway (Richard Johnson) as he tries to get to the bottom of paranormal activity supposedly blighting a New England home. Like all the haunted dwellings in the genre, the house has a few skeletons in its closet (pardon the pun) the spouse of its first tenant supposedly died immediately after entering the accursed abode and ever since it has been a hub of evil. With the help of two clairvoyants Theo and her partner the more introverted Nell Dr Markway must unearth the houses hidden secrets. Director Robert Wise should be an example to modern horror directors as to why throwing bags of cash at cruddy CGI ghouls and daemons isnt the secret to making an audiences palms sweaty with dread. We never see a ghost but Wises mastery over the power of suggestion make this one of the most terrifying movies on all time indeed Martin Scorsese recognised it as such, putting it at the top of his list of the 11-scariest films ever.
Hailing from South East London, Sam Heard is an aspiring writer and recent graduate from the University of Warwick. Sam's favourite things include energy drinks, late nights spent watching the UFC with his girlfriend and annihilating his friends at FIFA.
