Typically, I split the weekly list over two days, but other circumstances made it impossible for me to do a Thursday article. So, special news - here is an entire list for Friday! This one is on scariest homes in horror. Whether the house itself is haunted or it simply has the visual equivalency of a nightmare, the homes presented in this list are the ones that wrap and wind, creak and groan, and are ultimately unsettling.
While not the most iconic, the country home of Deborah Logan is a choppy antiquity. With sharp corners and plenty of doors, the divided up house must have been hard to get comfortable in. Even filled with the young group of students filming a project, the house in The Taking of Deborah Logan should cause some pause for the haunting, hollow features of furniture that hasn't been properly used, room that are rarely open and the empty woods surrounding it,
9. Bates' House (Psycho)
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| (retroweb.com) |
Name a more iconic house than the Bates' house on a hill. The home of the titular killer of Psycho is the stuff of legend. Dark and dusty, his original home and its later revival in the television series Bate's Motel, create for a stuffy atmosphere worthy of mention. The Bates; house isn't the scariest, there is a certain lived in quality, even if it's offset by poor lighting and skeletons out of the closet. So, while it definitely is one of the most recognizable on this list, it doesn't always do much to stand out as the most horrifying. In other words, I could probably fall asleep here.
8. Settler Farm (The Witch)
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| (BFI.org.uk) |
Poor, poor souls. The farm and surrounding forest of The Witch seemed destined to ruin the religious family at the center of the film. Between the grey, muddy backdrop and lighting to the lowly conditions of the house, the farm provides plenty of feels. At night, the darkness of the home is exclusively lit by candles, further enhances the creepy feeling, The plot of land isn't anything to write to the homeland about- it's dark and questionably dangerous and for a period piece, the ability to create a setting that is still scary in 2017 is noteworthy.
7. Apartment Building (Insidious: Chapter 3)
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| (ign.com) |
While not as recognizable as the original craftsman of the Insidious franchise, the apartments in the third installment offer a lot with a little. Featuring some of the biggest bang for their buck, the simple yet lived in features of the Brenner's apartment create a comfy feeling that becomes all too uncomfortable. Chapter 3 is an underrated gem. The apartments featured - the aforementioned Brenner’s' and the vacant one upstairs - offer a much grounded take on horror houses. It gives viewers very "it could happen to you" vibe and for that, I'm all in.
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| (jamesjohnston.com) |
What ever happened to good ole fashion, southern hospitality? The country mansion featuring massive cement pillars is one of modern horror's most emblematic. The interior of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre home is definitely country-living themed, but underneath the doilies and ornate decorations is a much more sinister atmosphere.
5. Semi-Attached (The Babadook)
Spooky and grey, those are the two words that best describe The Babadook, mostly thankful to almost entirely B&W home of the mother-son duo central to this film. The Babadook offers viewers an extremely stark setting for a home that by all means should be bright and cheery. But the problematic lives of the single mother who works too hard and her troubled son makes for a home that feels cold. It's an impressively large house featuring tall ceilings and expansive rooms that never brighten up.
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| (quartertothree.com) |
This is the worst apartment building. Even before the scares start, everything about this building is haunting. It’s greenly lit, damp-looking and outdated. Then as the tenants move through their apartments, it becomes increasingly clear that they were all living in disparaged, spooky conditions. Even when they move into some of the nicer ones, there is a constantly dark undertone that conjures up scares easily. The atmosphere feels ghastly, even when the scares aren't ghostly.
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| (userpages.umbo.edu) |
Yeah, technically no one lives here. But, for a list of horror homes, not including at least one abandoned property feels negligent and the abandoned house in the woods featured in The Blair Witch Project is a worthy addition. Its empty, disparaged interior, paired with its blank, rundown exterior, make for something I'm truly terrified I'll stumble upon one day.
2. Overlook Hotel (The Shining)
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| (forgottenflix.com) |
Is the Overlook Hotel technically a house? I'd argue yes. The snowed-in family of three is the only (living) occupants and one could say that if home is where the heart is; their hearts are definitely in it. From the winding halls rode through by Danny to the sprawling rooms of emptiness, the Overlook is not only one of the most stunning visual sets in horror; it is also one of the scariest. The Overlook Hotel is scary. Its sprawling hedge maze and similarly confusing halls provide a lost feeling that viewers won't shake even after the credits role. The Shining is a classic, and a lot of its merit is thanks to the Hotel that the Torrance's made home.
1. Perron Family House (The Conjuring)
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| (moviepilot.com) |
The Conjuring is an amazing piece of work. Whether discussing its cinematography, its acting or its plot, the talent of its cast and crew is undeniable. But, the truest star of this show is the home of the Perron family. This house is everything; it's old, discolored and eerie - despite the attempts to brighten it up. The basement alone is enough to send chills down my spine. The most telling sign of the effectiveness of the Perron's home is the ability for it to be scary, even in the daylight. Even if rooms are lit with natural sunlight, The Conjuring carries a heavy atmosphere of horror. The old house is undeniably the best horror house ever.
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