The Red Circle

By Tom Nix

Robert Wise is no slouch. The man has made multiple classic films in multiple genres. But The Haunting is my favorite film he’s ever produced. It’s one of the most purely cinematic experiences one can have. Also, its genuinely creepy.

Shot in glorious black and white, The Haunting could be described as a dense film. There is so much going on in the production design of this film that it would be impossible to immerse yourself in it without multiple viewings. From the ingenious use of mirrors to the hidden messages written on the walls, this film has a way of keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. The brilliance of this is that The Haunting contains neither any ghosts nor a single drop of blood. It is all atmosphere, and it is this that makes the movie the best hannted house movie ever filmed.

The movie tells the story of Hill House, a huge mansion built by a shut-in billionaire for his sick and dying wife. A psychologist has decided to take over the house years after the house has become vacant to conduct a study on the paranormal. He aims to prove ghosts exist, and has enlisted the help of some “subjects” with experience in the paranormal. One of the women has a very powerful ESP ability, and the other is trying to forget her poltergeist experience. The lone male subject is the heir apparent to Hill House, simply there to make sure his future cash cow is protected.

What happens to them is almost completely up to debate. Is the house haunted? Maybe. Like I stated before, the movie features zero ghosts, but that doesn’t mean that the house itself has intentions for its guests. Robert Wise makes this film so memorable by making the film unbearably spooky during scenes that would otherwise be commonplace.

Keep an out for the constant use of statues and faces hovering just at the edges of the frame. Some of them even appear to move with the camera. Watch how he manages to make the wallpaper subtly undulate before your eyes. Consider how the reflections in the mirrors just don’t exactly line up with the people standing in front of them. The film, even if it weren’t for a tight, snappy script that hits all the right beats, would be a design and cinematography masterpiece.

There are no other films made that feel like The Haunting. Nothing gives the audience that little sense of dread of the things that may not even be there. It’s almost unfair to call it just a movie. With no action, blood, guts, or confrontations, The Haunting manages to be one of the ultimate cinematic adventures.

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