The House of Ghosts (1908)

The House of Ghosts (French: La maison ensorcelée, also known as The Witch House) is a 1908 French short film directed by Segundo de Chomón. The film features stop-motion animation and is considered to be one of the earliest cinematic depictions of a haunted house premise.

Plot

Two men and a woman stop at a small house in the woods. Inside, they experience numerous instances of paranormal activity, including disappearing furniture; a stereotypical ghost; movement of cutlery and food on their own; ball lightning; unexplained tilting of the entire home; and a grotesque being with claw-like fingers that attempts to eat the trio.

Legacy

The film inspired director Jennifer Kent and was included in a scene in her 2014 horror film The Babadook.