Haunted Mansion first reactions say it’s spooky, hilarious, and surprisingly emotional

Haunted Mansion may have had a subdued premiere amid the ongoing SAG and WGA strikes, but that hasn’t stopped reactions flooding in for the new Disney movie.

The horror comedy directed by Justin Simien and written by Katie Dippold is based on the Disney theme park ride of the same name. This version follows Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) and Travis (Chase W. Dillon) as they enlist the help of a team of supernatural experts to exorcise their mansion from the ghosts inhabiting it. LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Dan Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jared Leto all also star.

POC Culture writes, "It’s a love letter to the iconic Disney ride & a family-friendly thriller. The cast, led by LaKeith Stanfield, is outstanding & hilarious. Full of fun cameos, references to the ride & a healthy dose of jump scares."

Collider’s Steve Weintraub shared his thoughts on Twitter, writing: "Happy to report #HauntedMansion is one of those family films that will spook kids, make adults laugh (a lot), and fans of the ride will keep pointing at the screen because it’s loaded with Easter eggs."

Variety critic Jazz Tangcay tweets that she "did not expect Haunted Mansion to be a study of loss and grief". She adds, "Justin Simien delivers the better adaptation of the beloved ride through his storytelling. Lots of laughs and plenty of jumps. Kris Bowers’ score is a delight, top-notch production design. Fab cast."

Founder of NightmarishConjurings.com Shannon McGrew adds, "I’m still gathering my thoughts on #HauntedMansion but I will say this, the amount of heart it has couldn’t have been achieved without the writing of Katie Dippold. She weaves together a story that tackles death/grief in a palpate way while riding a fine line between humor/horror."

ScreenRant’s Joseph Deckelmeier tweets: "Haunted Mansion is an entertaining movie for your whole family can enjoy. There’s some fun scares for the kids and a lot of Easter eggs for you eagle-eyed Disney parks fans."

Critic Laura Sirikul also enjoyed the movie, writing that, "Haunted Mansion was entertaining, filled with one-liners & quirky jokes. The first act was a bit slow but speeds up in the 2nd&3rd to a good pace. Good scares for kids. Disney fans will love the Easter eggs. Tries a little too hard to be deep, but it's still fun to watch."

Haunted Mansion is released on July 28 in the US and on August 11 in the UK. For more upcoming movies, check out our breakdown of all of the 2023 movie release dates we know so far.