These movies offer a variety of chilling experiences within haunted houses, some inspired by real events and others purely works of fiction.

1. The Amityville Horror (1979) 

A family moves into a house with a dark history, and they experience malevolent paranormal activity. Notable Actors: James Brolin, Margot Kidder; Director: Stuart Rosenberg; Based on True Story

2. Poltergeist (1982)

A suburban family encounters supernatural disturbances when malevolent spirits take over their home. Notable Actors: JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Heather O’Rourke; Director: Tobe Hooper

3. The Haunting (1963) 

A paranormal investigator gathers a group to explore a haunted mansion with terrifying consequences. Notable Actors: Julie Harris, Claire Bloom; Director: Robert Wise; Loosely inspired by the haunting of the Borley Rectory.

4. The Shining (1980)

A family is isolated in a remote hotel for the winter, where supernatural forces drive the father to madness. Notable Actors: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall; Director: Stanley Kubrick

5. The Conjuring (2013)

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren assist a family tormented by a dark presence in their farmhouse. Notable Actors: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson; Director: James Wan; Based on True Story case files of the Warrens.

6. Sinister (2012)

A true-crime writer discovers disturbing home movies that connect a series of murders and a malevolent entity. Notable Actors: Ethan Hawke; Director: Scott Derrickson

7. Insidious (2010)

A family seeks to rescue their comatose son from a realm inhabited by malevolent spirits. Notable Actors: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne; Director: James Wan

8. The Others (2001)

A woman with photosensitivity and her children experience eerie events in their dark, isolated mansion. Notable Actors: Nicole Kidman; Director: Alejandro Amenábar

9. Crimson Peak (2015)

An aspiring author is swept into a dark and twisted romance while living in a decrepit, haunted mansion. Notable Actors: Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain; Director: Guillermo del Toro

10. The Woman in Black (2012)

A young lawyer is sent to a remote village to settle a deceased woman’s estate, but he encounters a vengeful ghost. Notable Actors: Daniel Radcliffe; Director: James Watkins

11. Paranormal Activity (2007)

A couple documents the supernatural events plaguing their home with a video camera. Notable Actors: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat; Director: Oren Peli

12. The Entity (1982)

A woman is tormented by an invisible, malevolent force that attacks her in her home. Notable Actors: Barbara Hershey; Director: Sidney J. Furie; Loosely based on the Doris Bither case.

13. The Changeling (1980)

A composer moves into a historic mansion and encounters supernatural occurrences tied to a tragic past. Notable Actors: George C. Scott; Director: Peter Medak

14. The House on Haunted Hill (1959)

A millionaire offers five strangers $10,000 each to spend the night in a haunted mansion. Notable Actors: Vincent Price; Director: William Castle

15. 1408 (2007)

A skeptical author checks into a notorious haunted hotel room, only to experience terrifying events. Notable Actors: John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson; Director: Mikael Håfström

16. Dark Water (2002)

A mother and daughter move into a dilapidated apartment building with unsettling water-related hauntings. Notable Actors: Hitomi Kuroki; Director: Hideo Nakata

17. The Innkeepers (2011)

Two innkeepers, on the verge of closing their haunted hotel, encounter paranormal activity during its final days. Notable Actors: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy; Director: Ti West

18. Winchester (2018)

A psychiatrist investigates the mysterious Winchester mansion, built by a grieving widow to house vengeful spirits. Notable Actors: Helen Mirren, Jason Clarke; Directors: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig; Based on the Winchester Mystery House.

19. The Orphanage (2007)

A woman returns to her childhood orphanage, only to uncover dark secrets and ghostly encounters. Notable Actors: Belén Rueda; Director: J.A. Bayona

20. The Skeleton Key (2005)

A hospice nurse takes a job caring for a stroke victim in a Louisiana mansion, uncovering a dark voodoo secret. Notable Actors: Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands; Director: Iain Softley