What the Haunting Remake Got So Wrong

Director Robert Wise’s The Haunting (1963) is a horror classic, but its bombastic 1999 remake is so full of problems that it’s best left forgotten. The original Haunting film, an adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s famous novel The Haunting of Hill House, was a box office dud upon release, and received a mixed reception from critics. The Haunting is one of those horror films that’s found its audience with time, being regarded today as one of the most effective ghost movies ever.

The Haunting was remade in 1999, although one could argue it’s more of a re-adaptation of the book than a straight-up remake of the prior film. The Haunting (1999) also boasted a cast full of current and/or future stars, including Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson, and The Conjuring‘s Lili Taylor. Jan de Bont, helmer of hits like Speed and Twister, was hired to direct. That seems like a winning formula, but unfortunately, The Haunting remake is now mostly regarded as an example of what not to do.

Despite bad reviews from critics, The Haunting was a mild hit at the box office, opening at #1 domestically. Word of mouth has not been kind since, with it often being treated as a laughing stock. Here’s why.

What the Haunting Remake Got So Wrong

One of the great things about Robert Wise’s The Haunting is that it realizes that less can be more, and that the unknown can often be much scarier than a monster roaring in one’s face. Lots of mileage is gotten out of strange sounds and a palpable feeling of lurking dread, as well as creative disturbances that leave the characters wondering if what they think they saw or heard was actually real. The acting from the cast, especially lead character Eleanor (Julie Harris), also effectively conveys deep fear for their lives. Unfortunately, The Haunting remake tosses all of that right out the window.

Technically, Jan de Bont is a skilled filmmaker, and the film’s production design is also eye-catching. Hill House is marvelous to behold, and full of hidden rooms and corridors. The problem is that there’s no there there, beginning with the script. The characters are very thinly sketched, and their motivations and behavior seem to suddenly change depending on the scene. However, the biggest issue is The Haunting (1999)’s over-reliance on CGI effects, lots of which didn’t exactly look terrific in 1999, and now look quite ancient. The Haunting remake completely trades in the original’s psychological scares for loud, obnoxious jumps and ghost attacks that seem to exist solely to give viewers’ home theater systems a workout. This end result possibly traces back to de Bont’s directing, as his prior movies were all action/adventure type outings with lots of bangs, crashes, and explosions, which is exactly what The Haunting shouldn’t be. Thankfully, Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House series would get it right.

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