The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Boy Erased
Ant-Man and the Wasp
American Vandal
Log in with Facebook
OR
By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies, and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango.
Please enter your email address and we will email you a new password.
Critics Consensus: A Haunted House seeks to offend every sensibility, but it's greatest sin: not being funny!
Critic Consensus: A Haunted House seeks to offend every sensibility, but it's greatest sin: not being funny!
View All A Haunted House News
All Critics (52) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (5) | Rotten (47)
Along comes Marlon Wayans to do in A Haunted House what he once did in Scary Movie. And do it much, much worse.
A movie that offends every moral sensibility but delivers few comedic rewards.
Does it even qualify as a movie? Why did it take two people to write and cost $2.5 million to make?
You might chuckle at Wayans huddled in the tub, frantically trying to scrub himself clean of something slightly more earthly-freaky than evil spirits. But watching him get it on with stuffed animals? Ick.
There are vague hints that the story is "really" about the difficulties and anxiety of commitment, but then one of many variations on a fart joke distracts from any actual idea.
If the opening gag in your R-rated movie is an extended flatulence joke you should reconsider whether you're qualified to make such a movie.
Neither worthy of my laughter nor capable of inducing sleep. No, this is one of those rare films where its badness turns the cogs of your brain.
A Haunted House is technically inept, monotonous, and stiflingly cheap-looking. How this cost $2.5 million dollars to produce is beyond me.
Too banal to be offensive, it's certainly one to miss
Frustratingly, there's actually talent on-screen that hints at what could have been a cleverly comical take on the found-footage genre.
Heck, worse films starring Robert De Niro have been released this year.
Yet another spoof from Wayans and Alvarez, this movie isn't nearly as bad as it could have been (they also produced the resolutely unfunny Scary Movie 2 and Dance Flick).
This $*%! ain't paranormal! Mediocre funny movie! There's not much you can say about this film. This is one of those cases where you either are the audience for this film or you're not. If you're a fan of the first two Scary Movies, have an admiration for the Wayans brothers, and dig the advertisements for this film, you'll walk out of there with some good laughs here and there. If you completely despise these movies, or this type of humor in general, you'll walk out feeling cheated. All in all, it's not as bad as you're led to believe, but it's still pretty flimsy. Malcolm and Kisha move into their dream home, but soon learn a demon also resides there. When Kisha becomes possessed, Malcolm - determined to keep his sex life on track - turns to a priest, a psychic, and a team of ghost-busters for help.
Super Reviewer
It is what you should expect.
Malcolm: You made a deal with the devil for a pair of shoes? "This $*%! ain't paranormal." For some reason beyond my control, I have watched a movie that I said I never would. I'm more sick of these ridiculous horror spoofs than anyone, but for some reason, my better judgement is always one upped by my fascination for how bad these things can be. In the end, the only thing that keeps me watching these, is seeing just how terrible they can get. A Haunted House happens to be pretty fucking terrible. Malcolm's new girlfriend moves into his house and he is going to document their new beginning. When things start happening in the house it is brought to Malcolm's attention that his a demon followed his girlfriend to his house. So basically think Paranormal Activity, but taken to the most ridiculous levels. The humor is what you'd expect. A lot of race jokes, fart jokes, etc. None of the humor was at all intelligent or in any way funny, but as long as the 10 year olds are laughing, I guess that's all that matters. I don't know how anyone could find any enjoyment in this at all. A Haunted House is a disgrace and just a terrible movie in general. As far as a recommendation goes, my recommendation would be to stay as far away from this one as possible. Don't see it. Unless of course seeing a sheet move because of a woman's gas puts you into fits of laughter. If not, this one is not for you.
When this film begins, you think that you are in for something different from what you are used to seeing in new spoof comedies, and you kind of do get that, but with some horrible jokes as well, but once the second Act kicks in, the film follows everything that every single spoof movie does nowadays. It makes dumb turns in it's story and almost follows beat for beat the plot of "Paranormal Activity." Sure it's supposed to spoof the film, but at least make up something new. "A Haunted House" is the type of film that will hold your slightest attention for about 20 minutes and then you will o longer laugh and your mind will begin to wander. This is lowest-common-denominator filmmaking at it's finest, and I hated this film, but it has a few fine chuckles throughout so I will give credit to where credit is due. It tried a little harder than some of the other attempts. Just don't bother.
View All Quotes
200 Essential Movies
Chosen by RT staff!
200 Freshest Movies
The best-reviewed since 1998
30 Great Scenes
30 great scenes in Rotten movies
Best of Netflix
Movies and shows to binge now
More News & Features
View All