The Haunting

1963, Robert Wise, UK

Content Note: Suicide

In between making West Side Story and The Sound of Music, Robert Wise directed The Haunting, an adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s iconic gothic horror novel, The Haunting of Hill House. Wise had an interesting and impactful career; in addition to the musicals mentioned earlier, he also directed the 1970s sci-fi film The Andromeda Strain (WFS 2024) and edited Citizen Kane.

In this film, Dr. Markway leads an investigation into reports of paranormal activity at Hill House by inviting a group of strangers with personal connections to the supernatural to spend time there together. This small group includes Eleanor (Julie Harris), a shy woman who has spent years caring for her sick mother; the more confident and urbane Theodora (Claire Bloom); Luke (Russ Tamblyn from West Side Story and Twin Peaks), who is set to inherit Hill House from his aunt; and Dr. Markway himself.

The Haunting, beloved by Spielberg and Scorsese, is a standout film adaptation of gothic literature, alongside other key examples like Rebecca, The Innocents, and The Shining. Come for the ghosts and stay for the queer subtext!

“It’s one of the most highly-wrought (indeed, overwrought) films ever made, with art direction, editing, sound effects, weird camera angles and lighting orchestrated to fill every frame with hints of the unsettling.” Ian Freer, Empire