The Night House: Horror film branded ‘scariest ghost story in years’ after Sundance premiere

It’s said to ‘break the rules of jump scares’ to terrifying degrees

A brand new film is being hailed the “scariest ghost story in years” following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.

The buzz surrounds The Night House, a film directed by David Bruckner (The Ritual), which stars Rebecca Hall in what is said to be a “towering” and “incredible” performance.

The film, which also stars Stacy Martin and Sarah Goldberg, received its world premiere at the festival’s Midnight section a few days back – and word-of-mouth is spreading like wildfire.

The Night House tells the story of a woman who is haunted by her deceased husband in the house he built for her years before.

It’s said to evoke the chills of 1970s horror while also featuring jump scares akin to Ari Aster’s Hereditary, which was a Sundance breakout in 2018.

According to IndieWire, the film “breaks the rules of jump scares”, which “arrive without any warning whatsoever” and are so loud that “one sequence shrieks into action with a sustained jolt that seems to last for 15 seconds”.

David Ehrlich adds: “Great horror movies should feel unsafe, but this one just leaves you feeling beaten down.”

The word-of-mouth has led to The Night House becoming the first film to land a major deal at this year’s festival: Searchlight Pictures acquired worldwide rights for $12m.

There is currently no word on a UK release date.