The Haunting

Dr. David Marrow brings three people to Hill House, a vast and forbidding mansion that has stood empty for generations, telling them they are taking part in a study of sleep disorders. In truth the doctor cares less about their insomnia than about the house itself, and the volunteers find themselves drawn into its dark history. Nell, who has just broken away from her family, feels the place calling to her, while Theo and Luke sense that the experiment has gone well beyond anything they agreed to.

Jan de Bont directed the film, his fourth feature after Speed, Twister and Speed 2: Cruise Control. David Self wrote the screenplay, and the producers were Colin Wilson, Susan Arnold and Donna Roth. Liam Neeson plays Dr. Marrow, with Lili Taylor as Nell, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Theo and Owen Wilson as Luke Sanderson; Bruce Dern and Marian Seldes appear as Mr. and Mrs. Dudley. Around thirty credited cast members and one hundred fifty-eight credited crew worked on the production.

Made for a substantial budget and released in July 1999, the film took a solid worldwide gross, suggesting broad audience interest despite a divided response. On IMDb it holds 5 out of 10 from roughly eighty-four thousand votes, and on TMDB 5.5 out of 10 from far fewer. A film critics' rating of 4.1 out of 10 from just over a hundred reviews sits below the audience scores.