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Disney’s 2023 movie Haunted Mansion is a delightful and spooky adventure with appeal for fans of all ages. The film boasts a stellar cast, including LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, Danny Devito, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jared Leto. Furthermore, the special effects are also top-notch as the filmmakers created a truly immersive and atmospheric world.

The storyline struck an emotional chord with me because it deals with themes of loss, grief, and forgiveness. One of the main characters, Ben, is deeply grieving a loss when Father Kent pulls him into a misadventure at the mansion involving a mother, Gabbie, and her child, Travis, who were looking for a fresh start.

Before long, Ben, Gabbie, Travis, and Father Kent have no choice but to get a medium known as Harriet involved as well as a historian, Bruce. The issue is that the minute one enters the house, the house demands one stays. With each new addition, the group needs yet another person to help them escape. Before long, they strategize a plan to make sure none of them are the 1,000th ghost to haunt the mansion.

LaKeith Stanfield plays Ben and he is fantastic. I’m not terribly familiar with Stanfield, though I have seen him in some things like Get Out. His range in this movie is surprisingly vast as he must convey disinterest, joy, fear, sadness, and everything in-between. Rosario Dawson is always amazing, and it was really cool to watch her play a loving mother protecting her child from ghosts while also seeing her as a master warrior in Ahsoka. Owen Wilson as Father Kent is his usual hilarious blend of swindler, charmer, goof, and con man. Tiffany Haddish is a riot and you better listen closely because she’s throwing zingers right and left. Finally, while I know people’s milage with him can vary, I happen to really like Jared Leto as an actor. That being said, I have no idea why they cast him in his role. At no point does he look or sound like Jared Leto, but that’s the audience’s gain as he delivers an engaging performance. We also have appearances from such notables as Jaimie Lee Curtis, Dan Levy, and an uncredited (?) Winona Ryder. Take a minute and let that cast sink in. Impressive, isn’t it?

So how scary is Haunted Mansion? It isn’t scary in terms of violence or gore, but the ghosts were definitely creepy and I’d take the PG-13 rating seriously. A middle school kid will have little problems with it, but kids as old as 10 or 11 may get creeped out by the ghosts. They aren’t blatantly scary, but they certainly aren’t cute and cuddly, either. I would put then on par with what you experience on The Haunted Mansion ride.

Speaking of which, if you are a fan of the Haunted Mansion ride at Disney World, then you will definitely want to see this movie. It captures the spirit of the ride perfectly, and it includes ample references to the attraction’s iconic scenes and characters.

With some great laughs, cool special effects, good acting, and a few truly touching moments, I absolutely recommend Haunted Mansion this Halloween season. We watched it as a family on Disney Plus and truly enjoyed it.