Review of The Haunting (1963) by David G — 13 May 2012
Vintage pant-wetter about a team led by anthropologist Dr. Markway who hole up in a supposedly haunted house in order to experience and document supernatural activity. The film is very old-fashioned and not particularly scary by today's desensitised standards but it's still interesting to watch since we're not entirely sure until the very end as to what exactly is causing the disturbances.
Is it a con? Is it a genuine haunting? Or is it some kind of madness? The latter is of particular interest thanks to a creepy performance from Julie Harris as Eleanor, a young woman with a tragic past and few screws firmly in place.
OK, she overacts a little bit but hey, that's the 60s for you. It's also nice that the film doesn't rely on grisly deaths and cheesy special effects for its scares. It's all about what you don't see and that fits in nicely with one of the film's key themes - fear of the unknown.
This review of The Haunting (1963) was written by David G on 13 May 2012.
The Haunting has generally received positive reviews.
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