This horror film successfully taps into our most archetypal fears with simple sound effects, camera angles, and not one bit of color. Though the B-Horror films of the 50s and 60s are wildly entertaining, as are the Hammer films of the 60s and 70s, The Haunting is truly a top-notch, horrific piece of storytelling that stands the test of time and holds up against films that use more elaborate methods to push viewer’s adrenal buttons (see: The Haunting remake – a sacrilegious nightmare). Our heroine – Eleanor – is a lonely, awkward woman, desperate for SOMETHING to happen in her life. When she is invited to spend a week with a parapsychologist and two other guests at a spooky mansion with a grim history, her life finds meaning in an unexpected–and terrifying–way. This movie is why I adore horror.
