House on Haunted Hill (1999)
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A group of strangers is offered a million dollars to survive a night in a haunted, abandoned psychiatric hospital.
The story
In 1999, Evelyn Stockard-Price and her husband, an amusement park mogul, host a party at an abandoned psychiatric hospital. The guests are not the ones the couple intended to invite, but the host continues the game, offering each guest $1 million if they can survive the night. However, the building's security system is triggered, locking everyone inside. As the night progresses, the guests must navigate the labyrinthine halls of the decaying facility while facing mysterious threats and a looming sense of dread, all while trying to survive until morning.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film features a dual timeline: in 1931, the staff of the Vannacutt Psychiatric Institute are attacked by patients during a revolt, leading to a fire that kills everyone except five staff members. In 1999, a group of strangers is invited to a party at the same location, which has been converted into a residence. The host, Stephen Price, offers $1 million to each guest who survives the night. When the building locks down, the guests are hunted by supernatural forces. It is revealed that the guests are descendants of the 1931 survivors. Amidst the chaos, it is revealed that some guests are conspiring against Price. A massive, amorphous entity composed of the spirits of the house eventually emerges, consuming those who encounter it. In the end, only two guests remain, who find the prize money but are left stranded on a ledge. A post-credits scene shows the 1931 spirits tormenting the Prices in the afterlife.
- First release year
- 1999
- Runtime (minutes)
- 93
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- William Malone
- Writers
- Dick Beebe · screenplay; Robb White · story
- Cast and characters
- Geoffrey Rush · Stephen Price; Famke Janssen · Evelyn Stockard-Price; Taye Diggs · Eddie Baker; Ali Larter · Sara Wolfe; Bridgette Wilson · Melissa Marr; Peter Gallagher · Donald Blackburn; Chris Kattan · Pritchett
- Genres
- supernatural horror; horror thriller
- Themes
- revenge; medical ethics; legacy
- Tone and mood
- horror; dark; suspenseful
- Setting
- An abandoned psychiatric hospital in Los Angeles, 1999.
- Premise and plot tags
- haunted house; survival; remake; supernatural
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1959 film of the same title directed by William Castle
- Franchise connections
- House on Haunted Hill
- Content notes
- gore
- Reception
- The film was a commercial success but received largely negative reviews from critics, who criticized its use of special effects and gore, while praising the performances.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 28 · scale: 100 · review count: 17
- Production trivia
- The film's production was the debut for Dark Castle Entertainment.; The film's visual effects were inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and Rorschach inkblots.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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