House (film series)
Series of American horror films / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The House film series is a group of four American horror films released between 1986 and 1994, with the fifth installment scheduled for release in 2024. The series also touches on genres such as psychological thriller, supernatural, slasher, comedy, and adventure.
| House | |
|---|---|
 Official film series logo | |
| Based on | An original story by Fred Dekker |
Release date | 1986–present |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $10,000,000 (4 films) |
| Box office | > $31,683,528 (3 films) |
The plot of the first film was based on an original story written by Fred Dekker, with subsequent movies being based on his initial concept. The overall plot of the individual movies center around the supernatural events that take place at haunted houses, and detail the actions of the protagonist families that live in them.
Though the original film was initially met with mixed critical reception,[1][2] it has since been deemed a cult classic in the horror genre.[3][4][5] Due to its financial success at the box office,[6] the studio and its producers fast-tracked a standalone sequel. Written and directed by the first installment's screenwriter, the second film was met with overwhelmingly negative critical reaction and mild box office returns.[7][8][9] Despite this, the installment has also gained a cult following in the years since.[3][10] The third film was both a monetary and critical failure,[11][12][13][14] though a few aspects have received some praise by modern retrospective analysis.[15][4][16] With financial losses, the fourth and final movie was produced with a microbudget and given a direct-to-home video release in the U.S., due to the increase popularity of video rental stores, and limited theatrical release in other countries. The film was met with financial disappointment and negative reception from its critics as well as its audience.[17][18][19] Despite this, the movie was number one in Italian theaters upon its release,[18] while modern film critics acknowledge its return-to-form for the series.[18][15]