The Haunting 4K 1963 Ultra HD 2160p

To investigate the mysterious nature of Hill House—a mansion built over a century ago by millionaire Hugh Crain for his new wife and child—Dr. Markway invites three people. They are Luke Sanderson, the heir to the estate; Eleanor, a young woman who subconsciously feels guilty about her mother’s death; and Theodora, who possesses psychic abilities. They learn that Crane’s first wife died during a trip to the estate after falling from a carriage. His second wife died inside the house after falling down the stairs. Hugh Crane himself drowned.

His only remaining daughter, Abigail, died when her nanny failed to respond to her cries for help. The housekeeper, who had inherited the house, soon committed suicide as well. This is the “cheerful” little place where Dr. Markway and his companions arrived. Gradually, the house exerts an ever-greater influence on its investigators. Creaks, rustles, moans, groans, and tapping sounds create an oppressive atmosphere…

User Review

Some people believe in the existence of the afterlife, while others deny it. Yet both groups can be avid fans of mystical horror films, particularly those centered on ghost stories and haunted houses. The challenge for the latter lies in the ability to present a story in such a way that it appears believable while still managing to truly frighten the viewer. One such exemplary horror film remains, perhaps, the best adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s most famous novel, *The Haunting of Hill House*.

Synopsis: Parapsychology professor John Markway is determined to prove the existence of the afterlife and decides to use an old mansion to conduct an experiment aimed at attracting real ghosts. To this end, he sends invitations to several people with psychic abilities, hoping to speed up the results. However, the initial plan goes awry, and the guests of the historic Hill House find themselves trapped in the midst of pure evil, which seeks to drive them mad or even kill them.

Acting The film features some quite decent acting. For instance, I would like to highlight the performance of Julie Harris, who played Eleanor, an elderly spinster who spent her entire life caring for her mother, and as soon as her mother died, found a new home on the sofa in her sister’s living room. Therefore, participating in this experiment becomes the most important event in her life—the realization that someone needs her, that she is free to take control of her own life. But the price of this freedom is a confrontation with an unknown evil. By and large, Julie Harris is the one who attracts the most attention among the entire cast. Of course, Claire Bloom deserves praise for her role as Theodora, a stylish and self-assured young woman who feels a clear attraction to Eleanor.

Direction For the modern viewer who is even slightly familiar with Robert Wise’s work, the director’s name is likely associated with such iconic musicals as *West Side Story* and *The Sound of Music*. It is therefore no surprise that he shocked his contemporaries by taking on a vulgar genre with which he had no prior experience. Nevertheless, the director managed to create one of the most exemplary psychological horror films with elements of the supernatural, in which the viewer is frightened not only by the sense of the ghosts’ presence but also by the psychological tension caused by the storm of thoughts and emotions that engulfed the main character. While watching, it is difficult to tell who is in the lead role—the sinister house or the protagonist’s faltering sanity. At the same time, the director masterfully demonstrates the presence of ghosts, their power, and their unpredictability, without ever showing them on screen. We hear sounds, voices, a child’s crying and screams, the thud of footsteps. The house’s bizarre interior design turns it into a labyrinth. In other words, the characters are effectively trapped, with no end in sight. And it is precisely this sense of doom and helplessness that is most unsettling while watching.

Screenplay The film opens with a lengthy sequence that reveals the history of Hill House and its inhabitants, each of whom died in turn under tragic or mysterious circumstances. All of this served as the basis for the creation of numerous legends about the cursed house of its former owner, Hugh Crain. For this reason, the house became a subject of interest for parapsychologist Dr. John Markway, who has long dreamed of proving the existence of the afterlife and, to that end, decides to rent Hill House. He also invites the house’s heir, Luke, psychic Theo, and the quiet Eleanor to join the investigation. In his opinion, these people possess supernatural abilities to one degree or another, which should serve as bait for the ghosts. That is exactly what happens, but instead of a couple of flying books or broken dishes, one of the participants falls under the influence of an evil force that seems intent on tearing him to pieces.

Conclusion In my opinion, *The Haunting of Hill House* is one of the finest examples of a mystical and psychological horror film, one that does more than just keep the viewer on edge or even scare them. At the same time, the subtle blend of horror and psychological drama only heightens the tension.

Info Video

Codec: HEVC / H.265 (85.0 Mb/s)
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1

Info Audio

#English: FLAC 1.0
#English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
#English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (Commentary by director Robert Wise, screenwriter Nelson Gidding and actors Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson and Russ Tamblyn)
#English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (Commentary by actor and writer Tracy Letts and film critic Sean Fennessey)
#English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (Commentary by Dr. Karen Stollznow, Matt Baxter, and Blake Smith of Monster Talk Podcast)

Info Subtitles

English SDH (PGS), Chinese (Hong Kong / Traditional), Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French (Metropolitan) (PGS), German SDH (PGS), Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian) (PGS), Portuguese (European), Russian, Slovenian, Spanish (Castilian) (PGS), Spanish (Latin American) (PGS), Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian.