Review: Haunted Mansion

Director:  Justin Simien

Stars:  Rosario Dawson, LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish

I may be in the minority here, but there was enough goodwill in the 2003 Eddie Murphy-led The Haunted Mansion for me to roll the dice on a reimagining of the material 20 years later, especially when said reboot boasts the likes of director Justin Simien (Dear White People, Bad Hair), and stars Rosario Dawson (everything), Danny DeVito (everything else) and LaKeith Stanfield (everything good). Sometimes its just a hoot to put your feet up with some family-orientated entry-level horror and meet it on its own terms. This being a Disney flick based on a theme park attraction, you’d be setting yourself up for a fall if you expected too much. And while the end report is a little mixed, Simien’s update at least meets its own amiable criteria while throwing a couple of welcome surprises in to boot.

We’re in the preternaturally spooky neighbourhoods of New Orleans, where squirrelly former-prodigy Ben Matthias (Stanfield) is eking out a living as a sceptical tour guide, defiantly staying under the radar as he contends with the grief of losing his beloved wife Alyssa (Charity Jordan). He is goaded out of his doldrums by hustling ‘priest’ Father Kent (Owen Wilson), who lures him to the aide of Gabbie (Dawson) and her son Travis (Chase W. Dillon); the new owners of the titular homestead out in the sticks. The property’s ghastly menaces have made themselves known and won’t allow anyone to leave. Unfortunately, stepping over the threshold means that Ben is now just as cursed as the others.

Armed with a spectral camera of his own invention, Ben acquiesces to helping the others so as to help himself, but not before drawing a couple more misfits into the mix; to wit mystic Harriet (Tiffany Haddish) and crackpot professor Bruce (Danny DeVito). The cast fleshed out, its time to Scooby this Doo with some paranormal investigations into the dastardly past of the mysterious Hatbox Ghost (a mercifully disguised CG creation supposedly voiced by Jared Leto).

Haunted Mansion irks in some aspects. The product placement is laughably brazen and always a reminder of the pervasive capitalist stride of the Disney machine. It knocks you out of the picture a little. And while aspects of the theme park ride that inspired this thing are dutifully peppered in, the new or ingenious is in drastically short supply. But taken as a way in to tales of the fantastic of a more macabre intention, this is a perfectly fine offering to transition youngsters from the safety and security of their formative roster of films into a more mature (and spooky!) selection of titles. Ironically, it’s a path away from Disney.

A coming-of-age movie for the audience, if you will.

In keeping with this, Haunted Mansion handsomely tackles some more difficult material. Namely grief. The through-lines for both Ben and young Travis are thoughtfully played. Their shared experiences bring them together for some warm interactions in the middle of the film, while the finale takes a two-pronged approach to dealing with loss and it’s acceptance, going to work on both characters who fundamentally help each other. Stanfield is a natural lead and its a pleasure to see him placed in such a position again, while young Dillon holds his own.

Elsewhere, with such a busy cast, not everyone gets a lot to play with. DeVito’s professor is barely sketched, while Dawson – great upfront – is increasingly forgotten in the mix. This can prove a blessing for others. A guesting Jamie Lee Curtis is mercifully under-utilised. Wilson and Haddish fare better, keying into the pitch of the piece perfectly. Leto? Well, at least you can’t see him.

There’s no reinvention of the wheel here, and the pacing wobbles in certain places, but overall this is a fun adventure into the unknown for kids, and into the cosily familiar for grown-ups. The tone and ambitions of the piece are akin to a ’90s fantasy outing (OG Jumanji, for instance), while director Simien – evidently a nut for horror – is having a good time on a jobbing assignment. Throw in some pleasing cuts from the roster of New Orleans jazz and the sole remaining mystery is why on earth this got released in August instead of October. I guess that’s about when it’ll hit Disney+ for that post-trick’or’treat feast.