Welcome, Foolish Mortals! The wait is almost over for the release of Disney's Haunted Mansion. This live-action adaptation of one of the Disney parks' oldest and most famous rides has shown plenty of humor and horror in its many recent trailers, with the grim, grinning ghosts coming out to socialize in what seems to be a faithful adaptation.
That being said, now is the perfect time for a viewing party to get you in the mood for its many spooks, specters, and slapstick humor. These ten films are perfect for that list. Some match the scares we are expecting, some the tone. Some are even based on other famous rides. No matter which films you choose, though, you are guaranteed a frighteningly good time. Now, beware of hitchhiking ghosts because there's no turning back now!
Coraline (2009)
Adapted from the Neil Gaiman book, Coraline follows the wacky, weird, and spooky adventures of Coraline Jones. When her parents move her from Michigan, Coraline finds herself drowning in the dullness of the Pink Palace Apartments. Her neighbors are strange, her parents are too busy with work, and she misses her friends. Everything changes when she stumbles upon a tiny door in the wall of her living room and finds herself in another world. Run by the "Other Mother," this world is everything Coraline dreams of.
With magical gardens, fanciful machines, and parents who actually have time for her, this other world is perfect. A darkness lies buried behind the Other Mother's smile, though, and to escape this fantastical world, Coraline will have to face its deepest horrors.
Coraline was originally a children's horror book, and while not as dark as the work of Stephen King, it terrified readers of all ages. The movie is more kid friendly, focusing as much on the whimsical wonders of the Other World as the spider-like nastiness of the Other Mother, but that doesn't mean you aren't in for a shriek. The film manage to balance its scares with Coraline's sense of exploration, saving the worst for the third act of the film. If you're looking for that perfect spooky but funny film to watch before attending Haunted Mansion, look no further than Coraline.
Monster House (2006)
DJ Walters lives across the street from a monster. At least, that's what he comes to believe. After all, old man Nebbercracker, who steals kids' toys and chases them off his lawn, is rumored to have killed his wife. When the old man has a heart attack and is rushed to the hospital, the real monster comes alive. The house itself draws children in, its rotted boards shifting into teeth to devour them. After saving a child from the house's wrath, DJ and his friends must delve into the house's dark history in order to stop it from killing again.
While a children's movie, Monster House is one of the scarier films on this list. It isn't afraid to push the envelope with its scares, forcing DJ, Chowder, and their other friends to encounter the worst of their fears. The Nebbercracker House is terrifying, plain and simple, one of the best villains in children's movies. There is plenty of fun to be had in this film, but there are definitely more frights to make your skin crawl. After all, we all had that creepy house in the neighborhood that everyone joked was haunted. Monster House shows us what might happen if it actually were.
Frankenweenie (2012)
Prepare your tissues for this touching tale of a boy and his dog. His undead dog, stitched together and brought to life with a lightning bolt. A remake of the 1984 Disney film, Tim Burton's Frankenweenie is a kid-friendly retelling of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.When his beloved dog Sparky is run over by a car, young Victor Frankenstein cannot live with the grief. After his science teacher demonstrates the effects of electricity on a dead frog, though, Victor gets an idea. In true Frankenstein fashion, Victor builds a laboratory in his parents' attic and brings his best friend back to life, but not everyone in town is ready to accept a zombie in their midst.
As touching as it is creepy, Frankenweenie has all the hallmarks of a Tim Burton film. The characters are grim and creepy, from Elsa Van Helsing to Edward "E" Gore, but the cast is immediately lovable. The movie adapts Shelley's work in a truly meaningful way, focusing on acceptance in a much less terrifying way. Unlike the previous two items on the list, this isn't a horror movie for kids. At its heart is a tale of acceptance, of a boy simply trying to love his dog. There aren't any scares to drive you away, just the overall spooky atmosphere for which Tim Burton has become famous.
Beetlejuice (1988)
From touching family animation to raunchy spook fest, Beetlejuice is a complete tonal shift. Also directed by Tim Burton, this film follows Lydia Deetz as she and her family move into a very haunted house. The previous owners, the Maitlands, died in a car crash, and due to afterlife bureaucracy, they are forced to haunt their home for 125 years. In an attempt to scare the Deetz family away, the two ghosts hire the outlandish Beetlejuice, a self-proclaimed "bio-exorcist." What they don't know, though, is that Beetlejuice isn't the easiest spirit to work with, and summoning him could be the biggest mistake of their afterlife.
While the age demographic for this film is higher than the rest of these entries, Beetlejuice earns a spot on this list for its tongue-in-cheek humor and meta-commentary on the horror genre. From every trailer thus far, Haunted Mansion looks to take plenty of inspiration from this horror-comedy classic with its dark humor and spooky escapades. Michael Keaton's Beetlejuice is a pop culture staple, and Winona Ryder's performance as Lydia made her a horror icon. More laughs than scares, but plenty of both, this film is perfect for any Haunted Mansion watch party.
The Goonies (1985)
This 1985 classic needs no introduction. Following four friends after they discover an old treasure map, The Goonies, directed by the late Richard Donner, is a genre-defining masterpiece, bringing the "kids on bikes" genre to its popularity. The Goonies has inspired all kinds of film and TV, from Stranger Thingsto Paper Girls.The Goonies is all about adventure.
Kids of the '80s were inspired by this film to go explore on the off-chance that they'd find a treasure as well. It doesn't shy away from its darker moments, forcing the titular group to overcome their youth and defeat some truly terrifying enemies. This isn't a children's horror movie, but it leans into its chilling tone at certain points, giving fans of all ages that sense of dread.
Scooby-Doo (2002)
Adapting the story of the beloved talking dog, Scooby-Doo was the first film to bring Mystery, Inc. into the real world. After years of solving mysteries together, Mystery, Inc. has disbanded, its members going their separate ways. When they all receive tickets to a fantastical new theme park on a resort island, the team must reunite to take down one of their biggest foes yet. With real monsters and a villain from their past hounding them, can Scooby-Doo and his friends survive "Spooky Island?"
While adapting the fan-favorite mystery series was a tall order, Scooby-Doo absolutely nails it. The casting is perfect, bringing the meddling kids to life. Matthew Lillard as Shaggy is an especially stand-out performance. The shining achievement of this movie, though, is the way it blends horror and comedy together, bringing the gang into the real world. While critics generally panned this adaptation, fans of the original series have flocked to it and its sequel, and they have developed a major cult following.
Jungle Cruise (2021)
Jungle Cruise is Disney's most recent attempt at bringing one of its famous rides to the big screen. With Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson and Emily Blunt leading the cast, Jungle Cruise follows skipper Frank Wolff as he ferries the Houghton siblings down the Amazon River. Dr. Lily Houghton is on the hunt for the Tears of the Moon, sap from a mystical tree that is rumored to heal injuries and cure illness. However, on their trail is a monstrous, mystical threat: ancient, corrupted Conquistadors, cursed to roam the river for all time in search of the Tears.
While Jungle Cruise isn't the best adaptation of a Disney ride, it is still a fun film with plenty of laughs. Johnson perfectly channels the silly, punny humor that is iconic of the Jungle Cruise ride, and while the story can get a bit convoluted, the overall experience is a positive one. More importantly, Jungle Cruise showcases what Disney can do when they put big budget aspirations behind one of their beloved theme park experiences. Could this film act as a template for Haunted Mansion's release? We'll just have to see.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
While Jungle Cruise is the most recent ride adaptation from Walt Disney Studios, it is not nearly the most popular. That honor falls to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Curse of the Black Pearl introduced fans to the now beloved icon that is Jack Sparrow. Quirky, weird, and aspirational, Sparrow is one of the best pirates in film-making, and while the series has found less success with its more recent films, the original trilogy still stands as one of the best action series of all-time.
While Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl only dipped its toes into the supernatural elements of its world, this blending of historical fiction and sea-faring fantasy is a must-watch before you see Haunted Mansion.
Muppets Haunted Mansion (2021)
Silly, irreverent, and full of meta-commentary, The Muppets franchise has been a staple of the comedy genre for decades. Muppets Haunted Mansion is arguably not the best outing for Jim Henson's beloved characters, but for fans of the Disney Parks, there is no better representation of this incredible dark ride. Following Gonzo and Pepe as they attempt to face their fears among the 999 residents of the Haunted Mansion, the film references nearly every aspect of the ride in typical Muppets fashion. From the shifting portraits to Fozzy Bear playing the Hatbox Ghost, Muppets Haunted Mansion is a fun primer on everything you should know before seeing the new live-action film
The Haunted Mansion (2003)
It may come as a surprise to many, but this year's adaptation of Haunted Mansion is not the first. Following the success of Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, The Haunted Mansion released in November 2003 to less fanfare and lower reviews than its bigger-budget sibling. Nevertheless, this film has a lot of heart and plenty of laughs as Eddie Murphy's skeptical lead character is introduced to nearly every one of the 999 Happy Haunts that live in the Mansion.
Inspired more by the storyline of the Phantom Manor in Disneyland Paris, The Haunted Mansion follows Eddie Murphy's Jim Evers, a realtor. When he and his family are invited to stay at an old mansion to assess its viability on the housing market, they soon realize that they are not alone in this mansion. Sara, Jim's wife, is connected to the house in ways none of them knew, and with the spirits of the house trying to capture her, Jim and his children must solve the mysteries of this old house before it is too late. With the newest Haunted Mansion coming to the big screen, it only makes sense to see what came before. This makes The Haunted Mansion the perfect watch before you see the new film.
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