Haunted Mansion

Haunted Mansion
Starring LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Rosario Dawson
Directed by Justin Simien

They say people who are going through intense trauma and grief are more susceptible to spirits from the other side, who feed on their negative energy. Maybe that's why "Haunted Mansion" has been resurrected from its 2003 predecessor that met an untimely death at the box office and has gone on to infamy as one of the worst films of the 2000s. While this iteration won't receive such horrible accolades, it might get something worse: a film that's so safe it's forgettable, and something no one will be talking about in the minutes, hours, days, months, and years to come, relegating it to a lone grave growing moss in the middle of cinematic nowhere.

Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) and her young son Travis (Chase W. Dillon) have just moved into a mansion in Louisiana, and the first night they're haunted by several spirits at midnight. Even though they flee, they find themselves returning to the house because the spirits follow them and want them back. They enlist the help of astrophysicist Ben (LaKeith Stanfield), psychic Harriet (Tiffany Haddish), Father Kent (Owen Wilson), and Professor Bruce Davis (Danny DeVito) to discover the house's secrets and find a way to rid it of its ghostly inhabitants.


The Good:
"Haunted Mansion" succeeded where "The Haunted Mansion" failed by delivering a safe story with safe performances that safely lands itself above the equator of terrible movies. There's nothing specifically bad about it, but there's nothing that makes it stand out either. It's harmless fun, something that the entire family can enjoy during the Halloween season (even though the film was released in July, it's set for an October release on Disney+ just in time), and provides enough laughs and chills to satisfy, if not fill you up.

The performances are all on par, and the comedy is enough to sustain the film's runtime. Longtime comedic geniuses Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, and Danny DeVito revel the screen, but it's Haddish's traditional comedic delivery and DeVito's over the top zaniness that really steal the show. Even side characters like Jamie Lee Curtis's Madame Leota, Winona Ryder's uncredited role as a tour guide, and Dan Levy's theatrical performance bring some chuckles.

On the dramatic side, LaKeith Stanfield carries the weight as Ben, a former believer in the supernatural who lost his faith when his wife suddenly passed away, and he's still processing that intense grief. It's this grief that makes him a prime candidate for the spirits of the house - most notably the evil Hatbox Ghost - to pull him in and keep him there for all eternity. Rosario Dawson admirably plays the dutiful, loving mother Gabbie who will protect her son at all cost, and she mixes this resolve with dry comedic wit.

The effects are top-notch, with the house itself transforming into longer corridors, widening walls, hidden rooms, and moving pictures that all give the sense of fear while also being shot in a way where it feels like you're going through the Disneyland attraction the film is made after. The spirits are lively (get it?) with their animation and blend forbearance and a touch of sympathy as you learn they're not there on their own free will.

The story itself is safe as well, with the traditional haunted house tropes of gathering a group of people together to solve a baffling afterlife mystery while learning more about each other and connecting as human beings. The cast excels in this ensemble piece, all of them giving it their all (or at least all that the script allows them to), and their comradere is palpable and enjoyable. They feel like a nuclear family unit, and it comes off on screen rather well.


The Bad:
While there's nothing inherently wrong with the film, it plays itself too safe. There's nothing memorable that will stick in your mind, and sometimes that's a bigger detriment than being something totally terrible. Everyone still remembers that Eddie Murphy disaster twenty years later, but in 2043 no one will be talking about "Haunted Mansion."


The Verdict:
Playing it safe as to not spook any new viewers, "Haunted Mansion" won't be one of those spectral films haunting your mind for years to come, but rather be a simple, safe, enjoyable film to watch with your family when Halloween time comes around.


The Score: B