More Bumps In The Night
The Night House is a spooky and atmospheric horror, sporting some pretty good chills and an excellent performance from Rebecca Hall. If you’ve finished watching this one, you may be itching for more of the same. Well, fret not! We’ve combed through the archives and saved you the hassle with our top 10 picks. Of course for all the movies we’ve reviewed, we’ve also added a handy link so you can check out our full review. So without further ado, we present 10 movies to check out when you’ve finished watching The Night House!
Paranormal Activity
Paranormal Activity is one of the better found footage movies out there, with the first film in this long-running franchise the best of the bunch. The premise is simple and revolves around a couple moving into a suburban home. Filmed entirely through security cameras and handheld footage, Katie and Micah find their world turned upside down as a paranormal entity takes over their home. Creepy, unsettling and with some genuinely good scares throughout, Paranormal Activity is a must-watch for horror fans.
Ghost
If you’re looking for a movie depicting a lover coming back as a ghost, you should look no further than Ghost. Everyone and their pet dogs know the famous pottery scene but Ghost is much bigger than that iconic scene. The story essentially combines the elements of the paranormal with a romance, leading to a uniquely toned movie about doomed love. On the one hand, you have banker Sam Wheat. His lover, Molly Jense, is an artist and they’re madly in love. So naturally, when Sam is murdered by his corrupt business partner Carl, Sam’s spirit sticks around and enlists the help of a psychic to try and protect Molly. Well written and timeless, Ghost is another decent flick well worth checking out.
Hereditary
Hereditary is quite the divisive horror movie, with some fans convinced that this is an absolute masterpiece and others dead-set on it being a waste of time. However, for a film about grief, Hereditary does a pretty decent job of accomplishing its goals. The aim of the game here is how the family handle the death of Annie’s mentally ill mother. Annie, her husband, son and daughter all turn to different coping methods, with Annie turning toward the supernatural. It’s best to go into this one completely blind and form your own opinion but it’s an undeniably unique movie.
Premonition
Although Premonition doesn’t do anything particularly unique within its genre, Sandra Bullock’s performance and a decent enough screenplay is enough to recommend. The story revolves around Lisa and Jim Hanson, who are stuck in a rut. When Jim dies in a car accident, Linda is distraught upon hearing the news. Only, when she awakens the next morning she finds Jim safe and sound at home. So what happened? What’s really going on here? These questions form the crux of Premonition’s story, which twists and turns across its 90 minute run-time.
The Awakening
If you’re looking for a horror movie that absolutely nails its atmosphere, look no further than The Awakening. The story is set in 1921, with England overwhelmed by the devastating loss of life in World War I. Hoax exposer Florence Cathcart is our protagonist, and she visits a boarding school to explain sightings of a child ghost. Only, her world is turned upside down when the “missing” begin to show up. Rebecca Hall is the stand-out in this spooky horror, although it does have a somewhat questionable ending.
The Sixth Sense
When it comes to a quintessential ghost movie about “seeing dead people”, The Sixth Sense is undoubtedly one of the most famous. The infamous plot twist that comes late on is an absolute game-changer and for those few souls who haven’t seen this, we won’t spoil what that is here. The story is simple enough, and revolves around a frightened child from Philadelphia who claims to be able to communicate with spirits. This boy is Cole, who seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist called Malcolm. Well written, with a good blend of heartfelt moments and genuine scares, The Sixth Sense is a wonderfully chilling film.
The Invisible Man (2020)
With a good dose of “show don’t tell”, the opening 10 minutes of The Invisible Man introduces us to Cecilia Kass, a woman stuck in a toxic, abusive relationship to a man named Adrian. Controlling everything in her life, Cecilia makes a decision to escape. Only, when Adrian winds up dead several weeks later, the film takes a very dark and chilling turn. The story ultimately plays out in two halves. The first sees the film fully embrace its horror roots, with some tense scenes and plenty of silent moments as Cecilia creeps through the house. The second half ditches the horror and instead focuses on the thriller aspects, bringing with it some nicely timed twists – some a little obvious and others not so much.
What Lies Beneath
What Lies Beneath is a creepy and slow-paced horror/thriller with a few well-placed jump scares and a nice twist at the end. The couple in question are that of Norman and Claire Spencer, who are seemingly happily married but for a terrible secret. When Claire begins seeing ghostly images and hearing strange voices around her home, Norman suspects it’s her imagination… until the images become real. With a slow build-up, the second half bursts into life as jump scares, thrilling reveals and some eerie segments combine to make this a thriller that still stands up 20 years later.
The Conjuring
The first Conjuring film is a great example of how to combine brilliant camera work and stylish visuals with a genuinely unnerving and scary horror. Loosely based on true events, The Conjuring has quickly established itself as a must-watch. The set-up is pretty straightforward, centering on paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren as they work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. This is their toughest case to date, and as they get further involved in the family’s issues, things take a horrible turn. In terms of modern horrors, this one is definitely up there with one of the best.
The Haunting (1963)
The Haunting is an old school black and white horror and by today’s standards – with numerous jump scares and frightening imagery to boot – may not stand up. However, if you can go in with some patience, the final 30 minutes makes the ride worth taking. The story centers on the infamous Hill House. It’s said to have stood for around 90 years and seems to be haunted. Dr. John Markway decides to assemble a team of people to test that theory. He’s determined to find out if the house is really haunted – regardless of cost. It’s a pretty straightforward set-up and if you’re after a taste of classic horror, this one’s an absolute classic. So there we have it, our 10 Movie picks to keep you busy after watching The Night House! What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!
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