House on Haunted Hill movies in order House on Haunted Hill Marathon
Page Last Modified:
15 December 2025
Most Recent Release:
Return to House on Haunted Hill - 2007
Total Runtime:
174 Minutes
Total Items:
2
Average User Score:
(5.5)House on Haunted Hill movies in order
This franchise has it all: an iconic haunted mansion, deranged doctors, cursed artifacts, and a hefty dose of supernatural thriller vibes. It's a delightful blend of late '90s horror remakes and cult-classic creepy moments. But with a sequel that came out years later, with a big change in setting and tone, it's confusing: what's the best order to watch them? No worries, we've got you covered. So, get your popcorn ready, gather your horror crew, and turn off the lights. Here's the best way to watch House on Haunted Hill.
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House on Haunted Hill Movie 93 min. 1999An amusement park mogul offers a random group of diverse people $1 million to spend the night in a decrepit former mental institution.USER SCORE 6 -
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Return to House on Haunted Hill Movie 81 min. 2007Eight years have passed since Sara Wolfe and Eddie Baker escaped the House on Haunted Hill. Now the kidnapped Ariel, Sara's sister, goes inside the house with a group of treasure hunters to find the statue of Baphomet, worth millions and believed to be the cause of the House's evil.USER SCORE 5
House on Haunted Hill (1999)
We'll start where it all came back to life: with the 1999 House on Haunted Hill. This remake of the 1959 horror classic was given a modern twist by director William Malone and produced by Dark Castle Entertainment, a studio that made a name for itself in the 2000s with stylish, spine-tingling remakes. Geoffrey Rush is amazing as Stephen Price, a weird millionaire who loves to tell dark jokes. And Famke Janssen is great as Evelyn Stockard-Price, with her super-sweet venom. Add Taye Diggs, Ali Larter, and Peter Gallagher to the mix, and you've got an A-list cast in a B-movie setting (and we mean that in the best possible way). The film is set in the Vannacutt Psychiatric Institute, an abandoned asylum with a dark past that slowly comes to life, room by room. Imagine a place like an asylum with ghosts, with traps like the ones in Saw, and a bit of a gothic vibe. The atmosphere is always tense, the jump scares are effective, and the practical effects are still great. This film is a blast to watch during a marathon because it mixes classic haunted house horror with a psychological, almost surreal twist. And trust us: Dr. Richard Vannacutt (played by horror veteran Jeffrey Combs) will be on your mind long after the film is over.
Return to House on Haunted Hill (2007)
Fast forward to 2007, and you get Return to House on Haunted Hill, the direct sequel set a few years after the events of the first film. Director Víctor García's approach is a bit different, with more action, more gore, and a lot of mystique. This time, we're following Ariel Wolfe (Amanda Righetti), the sister of one of the characters from the first film. She returns to the Vannacutt Institute seeking answers, and, of course, unwittingly awakens the horrors once more. This sequel builds on the lore of the house, but it adds a new element: the quest for a forbidden, occult artifact—the digital key to the house's secrets. It's like a mix of a found treasure curse plot and a supernatural thriller, with demons, cult members, and of course, Dr. Vannacutt, who's still after his patients. The haunted asylum setting is still strong, and while Return to House on Haunted Hill isn't as tightly directed as the first one, it's full of great horror fun. Plus, it's a nice expansion of the Dark Castle horror universe for those who want to dig deeper.
Why This Order Works
The House on Haunted Hill franchise is short but powerful. Two films, one crazy doctor, and a house that literally swallows you whole. If you want to get the most out of your marathon, you should watch them in the order outlined above. It's not just because of the ongoing storylines, like the Wolfe sisters and the aftermath of the original murders, but also because the second installment explicitly references what happened in 1999. The mystery of the house, the digital key revelations, and the deeper lore of Vannacutt and his experiments really come together when you know how it all began.
Plus, there's the build-up of atmosphere. The first film takes its time to let you feel the house: the corridors, the sounds, the history. The sequel, on the other hand, gets into the action faster, but it feels like a natural next step. It's like you start off with a guide at the haunted house, and then they send you into the basement with only a flashlight. And trust us: that's exactly how you want it.
For fans of haunted house horror and late '90s vibes
If you're into haunted house horror films, you're in for a treat. This franchise has it all: creepy locations, unreliable characters, flashbacks that keep you on the edge of your seat, and, of course, a supernatural mystery bigger than the house itself. It's also a cool throwback to the late '90s horror remakes, when studios like Dark Castle Entertainment made movies that were stylish and gruesome. You can definitely feel the influence of directors like William Malone in every shadow. But the sequel directed by Víctor García really ups the tempo with more lore and more flesh on the bones, both literally and figuratively speaking. Plus, it's one of those franchises you can enjoy in a single evening. Two films, together good for about 3 hours and 20 minutes of creepy fun. That means you'll have plenty of time for an intro game (who survives the house?), snack breaks, and maybe even a post-movie discussion about who you trusted the least. Pro tip: it's always the doctor.
House on Haunted Hill Movie Night Ideas
Want to do it right? Go all out with your marathon. Start the evening off with House on Haunted Hill 1999, so you can enjoy the darkness by the time it gets late. Prepare snacks that fit the theme—like bloody jelly shots—and assign everyone a character role from the film. Who's the cynical Evelyn? Who's the under-pressure good guy Eddie Baker? And who's secretly the cult leader?
Crank up your speakers and get ready for some serious sound design. Both films deserve to be heard, especially the chilling screams and echoes in the Vannacutt Psychiatric Institute. And if you really want to go all-in, print out a map of the house and track who disappears where. You'll be amazed at how many details are hidden, from symbols on the walls to references to former patients and experiments. These movies are jam-packed with ghosts and Easter eggs.
What about a sequel or reboot?
For now, it's just these two movies, but the House on Haunted Hill franchise is still a cult favorite, especially among those who are into haunted asylum settings and psychological horror. Dark Castle Entertainment has talked about rebooting a few titles, and with horror making a comeback on streaming platforms, it wouldn't be a stretch to think Vannacutt might make a comeback too. For now, we're sticking with this spooky pair. That's more than enough for a perfect night of fun and excitement.