The Haunted Mansion movie does right by the ride’s scariest ghost

Disney’s 2023 movie Haunted MansionThe film is filled to the brim of ghosts that are lifted straight from the ride at the theme park. The notorious Hatbox Ghost, played by Jared Leto in the film, has a huge role, as does psychic-in-a-crystal-ball Madame Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis). But other, subtler ride appearances include the portraits on the walls and the ghosts dangling from the dining room’s chandelier. Some ghosts act as allies to the protagonists Ben (LaKeith Stanfield) Gabbie (Rosario Dawson), and their friends. Other ghosts are true threats. Many are only there to #vibe.

But while the Hatbox Ghost gets a central role out of proportion to his historical appearance on the ride (though certainly in accordance with his huge fandom), the actual scariest ghost — and the one who has always been the scariest part of the ride, in my opinion — gets her time to shine in what’s definitely the spookiest moment in an often not very spooky movie.

[Ed. note: Spoilers ahead for Haunted Mansion, both the 2023 movie and the Disney Parks attraction.]

Image: Disney

Haunted Mansion gives the Bride — aka Constance Hatchaway, a serial killer who murdered all of her husbands with an ax, and who now haunts the mansion’s attic — her time to shine. She doesn’t have a critical role in the movie, but her scenes are some of the most memorable parts, which is fitting for the character.

The Haunted Mansion was terrifying to me as a child, but I also found it fascinating. In spite of my fascination for Halloween and anything spooky, after a bad experience at a haunted attraction as a child, I avoided the Haunted mansion during my first Disney visits. After gaining internet access I finally looked at the Wikipedia page of the Haunted Mansion ride in the hope that memorizing and studying it beforehand would help me prepare for its horrors.

I was only genuinely frightened by the description of Bride’s residence in the attic. It’s not scary anymore, according to the Wikipedia article. But I remember it being a terrifying read as a youngster. The ride was not as scary as I had expected. I thought it would be. I enjoyed the whole experience thoroughly — and the attic scene stuck with me as the attraction’s most haunting moment.

The Haunted mansion may be a little creepy, but the ghosts that greet you at the start of the ride have nothing to do with horror. They’re just chilling in their home, moving books around in the library or dancing in a ballroom. It’s just a tour of a pedestrian day in the (un)life of a ghost.

All that changes when the ride gets to the attic. Each man’s head is knocked out by the beating of the heart, and swinging of the ax when you reach the attic. You Know more this ghost isn’t friendly. The anxiety is heightened by the disappearance of the Ghost Host, the narrator who’s been extolling the virtues of the mansion to you from the moment you enter the attraction. At this point, he just disappears. Instead, you hear a discordant version of the Bridal March with Constance reciting her vows and really emphasizing that “till death do us part” bit.

The moment the characters in 2023’s Haunted MansionWhen I saw the Bride in the attic, it was clear that she would be arriving. Ben started up the stairs. Even though I thought the door was going to close behind him and the other characters would join, I still got a shock. Justin Simien builds slowly to the shocking reveal. I was aware of what lay at the top, but it still surprised me.

Image: Disney

Ben is exploring the attic and we can see the portraits of Constance, her husbands and how, just as in the ride they are losing their heads, one by one. It’s clear that there’s someone watching Ben, building up to a jump scare. But Ben immediately tries to dissuade the ghost from chopping his head off by telling her that he’s an ally to women, and her husbands probably deserved to die. That moment is genuinely funny — and a testament to just how well Simien pulls off a haunted house movie that older kids can still enjoy.

The attic scene isn’t Constance’s only appearance. She’s one of the biggest threats in the movie, aside from the villain. She’s the one who leads the ghostly hordes after our heroes. We know she’s not simply a lost soul looking for something, like some of the other ghosts wandering the mansion — she’s a bloodthirsty murderer. When she snarls and raises her ax, it’s delightfully threatening. This isn’t a ghost that can be talked to, like Master Gracely, the owner of the house. She’s out for blood.

Haunted MansionThis is scary. You can also read more about scary. Jump scares tend to be punctuated with jokes. The creepiness of the film comes from the atmosphere, not the shocking scenes. Sure, the Hatbox Ghost reveal is kinda scary, but the attic scene gets the movie’s best buildup by far. Personally, I’m just glad Simien did right by Constance and her attic.

Haunted MansionNow in theatres.