Roses Have Thoughts

While The Haunting (1999) has often met a chilly reception, there’s an undeniable allure to this stylish, gothic horror that makes it a guilty pleasure for me. Directed by Jan de Bont, this adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House takes liberties with its source material, amping up both the visual effects and atmospheric grandeur to deliver a ghost story that, for all its flaws, offers a deliciously macabre spectacle.

The film follows Eleanor “Nell” Vance (Lili Taylor), a fragile woman haunted by her past who joins Dr. David Marrow’s (Liam Neeson) sleep study at the ominous Hill House. Unbeknownst to the guests, Dr. Marrow is researching fear itself, and he hopes the spooky old mansion will provide the perfect setting for his secret psychological experiment. Alongside Nell are Theo (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a magnetic and free-spirited woman, and Luke (Owen Wilson), a sceptic quick with a quip. Together, they face not only their own inner fears but also the disturbing mysteries of Hill House.

Where The Haunting truly shines is in its atmosphere. The lavish, labyrinthine mansion filled with towering statues, creaking corridors, and looming, ornate décor feels both enchanting and sinister, pulling the viewer into a fantastical, almost surreal world. De Bont’s direction, though heavy-handed, crafts a highly theatrical environment that brings the house to life as its own character. The cinematography revels in these grandiose settings, emphasizing the mansion’s vastness and eerie beauty.

While critics have argued that The Haunting suffers from an over-reliance on CGI effects, I find a certain charm in its stylistic choices. The ghostly manifestations may not be subtle, but they exude a sense of adventure, as though de Bont intended the film to feel as much a gothic fantasy as a horror story. It’s this unapologetic commitment to spectacle that makes it so oddly satisfying.

The performances are surprisingly effective, with Lili Taylor’s portrayal of Nell lending the film a core of vulnerability and sincerity that grounds it. Zeta-Jones and Wilson add energy to their roles, bringing moments of levity that offset the film’s darker tones.

IMDB