Words Luke Croucher

When single mother Gabbie and her son Travis move into an old and dingy mansion, things go about as well as anyone who’s heard a scary story would expect. All manner of ghosts and ghouls appear to inhabit the walls and dark corners of the building. As the haunts continue, Gabbie decides enough is enough. But to rid these horrors from her new home, she’s going to need some help.

Rosario Dawson stars as Gabbie, and those who answer her call are Owen Wilson’s overly enthusiastic priest, Danny DeVito’s grumpy history teacher, Tiffany Haddish’s strong- willed psychic, and LaKeith Stanfield’s sceptical tour guide. Can this motley crew of  so-called experts work together to exorcise the mansion?

That’s already an enticing cast, but even more characters from the Disney attraction come to the screen with Jamie Lee Curtis’s Madame Leota and Jared Leto’s Hatbox Ghost completing the all-star ensemble.

There’s far less concern about the expertise of the team behind  the scenes as the film comes from the co-producer of The  LEGO Movies and the writer of The Heat and the Ghostbusters reboot. With the creator of Dear White People at the helm, too, you’re guaranteed a good time when you dare to get in line for this spine-chilling, yet light-hearted experience that's frightful fun for all the family.

A Ghostly Tour

Get an idea of what to expect  from Haunted Mansion with our guide to the attraction it’s based on. While the ride differs slightly at each park, its core theme remains the same. You begin in a large room that starts to stretch as a mysterious voice beckons you down and gives you a simple task: escape. Seated in a two-person Doom Buggy, you embark on a whistle-stop tour through every classic horror trope in the book. Whether it’s spirits, the undead, floating candles, pianos that play themselves, or eerie animals, Disney’s Haunted Mansion has it  all. If the ride is a “must do” at any Disneyland, then the film is definitely a must see.