8 horror films about cursed houses that will scare the hell out of you.

You will find horror stories in the spirit of the 70s, gothic horror by Guillermo del Toro and a mystical film with Nicole Kidman.

8. I'm the darling that lives in the house

I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House

• Canada, 2016.
• Horror, thriller, drama, detective.
• Duration: 89 minutes.
• IMDb: 4.6.

A young nurse, Lily, is hired as a caregiver to an elderly writer, Iris, who has made a name for herself writing scary detective stories. She stubbornly calls the girl Polly - just like the heroine of one of her novels. Lily, left to her own devices in the big house, decides to read the work, despite the fact that she hates horror.

Oz Perkins, son of Anthony Perkins, who played Norman Bates in the famous Psycho , began his career as an actor. But he did not progress beyond episodic roles and decided to become a director. Now he has already made three horror films, in each of which he tries to rethink his difficult life experience: Oz lost his parents at an early age.

Perkins Jr.'s works are melancholic, creating a feeling of isolation and discomfort. Perhaps this explains the low audience ratings of his films: they have a lot of atmosphere, but, as a rule, there is very little action.

7. We're still here

We Are Still Here

• USA, 2014.
• Horror, detective.
• Duration: 84 minutes.
• IMDb: 5.7.

After the death of their only son, the no longer young couple Anna and Paul Sachetti decide to start over with a clean slate and move into an old house. Soon the heroine begins to feel someone's invisible presence. At first it seems to her that it is the ghost of her child trying to get in touch with her. Only the unknown entity, as it later turns out, has little in common with the dead guy.

Ted Gaghan's debut work is stylized as slow horror of the 70s, and the plot is inspired by the famous “The House on the Edge of the Cemetery” by Lucio Fulci and the novels of Stephen King . If you are a connoisseur of horror classics and appreciate clever imitation of retro, you will definitely like the film. But if you watch the film as an ordinary horror film, there is a high risk of disappointment.

6. Pact

The Pact

• USA, 2011.
• Horror, thriller, detective.
• Duration: 89 minutes.
• IMDb: 5.8.

Nicole returns to her mother's house to organize her funeral. The heroine's sister, Annie, does not want to attend the event due to unpleasant memories associated with their childhood. In the morning, she arrives and discovers that Nicole has disappeared without a trace, and terrible and mysterious things are happening in the house.

Director and screenwriter Nicholas McCarthy based his debut film on his own short film. Moreover, this work very interestingly combines a slasher film and a classic plot about a haunted house.

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5. Cursed house

The Witch in the Window

• USA, 2018.
• Drama, horror.
• Duration: 77 minutes.
• IMDb: 5.8.

Simon and his twelve-year-old son Finn move to Vermont to clean up their old and creepy country house. While doing repairs, they begin to notice strange things. It soon becomes clear that the house used to belong to a dangerous witch.

The author's horror film by Andy Mitton contains deep psychological overtones. After all, behind the plot about the fight against an evil spirit, there are actually hidden themes such as fear of loss, difficult experiences after divorce and loneliness.

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4. The Amityville Horror

Amityville Horror

• USA, 2005.
• Horror, thriller.
• Duration: 90 minutes.
• IMDb: 6.0.

Married couple George and Kathy Lutz and their three children are buying a beautiful home at a bargain price. However, it was not for nothing that it was given away cheaply: once upon a time, an entire family was killed inside. And soon the heroes begin to notice that strange things are happening in the house.

The first film with this name was released in 1979. It is based on the novel of the same name by Jay Anson, supposedly based on real events. But after so many years, it is already difficult to figure out where in this story is truth and where is fiction.

Now the picture is already quite outdated, so you can start right away with the remake with Ryan Reynolds in the title role. Both the old and new versions spawned many sequels and continuations, and now the Amityville franchise has more than a dozen films. But there are very few successful ones among them.

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3. Crimson Peak

Crimson Peak

• USA, Canada, 2015.
• Horror, fantasy, thriller, drama, melodrama, detective.
• Duration: 120 minutes.
• IMDb: 6.5.

The daughter of an American businessman, Edith Cushing, marries the sophisticated English aristocrat Thomas Sharpe. He takes the heroine to his family mansion, where he lives with his sister Lucille. But the walls of their family estate keep a terrible secret.

The gloomy Victorian manor plays a key role in creating the atmosphere of Guillermo del Toro's gothic horror . This is practically a living organism, the roof of which constantly leaks, and creepy ghosts walk through the halls.

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2. Others

The Others

• Spain, USA, France, Italy, UK, 2001.
• Horror, thriller, detective.
• Duration: 101 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.6.

While her husband is fighting at the front, Grace Stewart takes care of her daughter and son, who cannot stand sunlight. One day, all the servants suddenly disappear from the house. After this, the children begin to see ghosts in the house, and their mother slowly goes crazy.

The mansion in Alejandro Amenábar’s mystical thriller is no less important a participant in the events than the heroes themselves. The gloomy beauty of its rooms and corridors can hypnotize even the most sophisticated viewer.

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1. Innocent

The Innocents

• Great Britain, 1961.
• Horror, thriller.
• Duration: 100 minutes.
• IMDb: 7.8.

Unmarried Miss Giddens, a pastor's daughter, is hired to look after the nephews of a wealthy London dandy. The orphaned brother and sister joyfully welcome their new governess. However, the heroine soon begins to suspect that something wrong is going on in the house. The fact is that she sees the ghosts of her previous nanny and her master’s servant, who died a year ago.

The story “The Turn of the Screw” by Henry James has been filmed many times. Some of the most recent adaptations include The Haunting of Bly Manor and Floria Sigismondi's recent film The Nanny. But Jack Clayton's 1961 version, to the script of which the legendary Truman Capote had a hand, has not yet been surpassed by anyone.

By the way, almost all modern films about ghosts are based on the classic images from The Innocents, and the picture itself is still capable of scaring, even if you know the main intrigue.