By Bailei Burgess-Simmons
Staff Writer
On July 28, Disney’s epic new film, “Haunted Mansion,” came to theaters and boy, did it impress.
For so many reasons, it was exceptional. To start, the film honored the original film in all of the best ways while putting an exciting new twist on the original plot.
“Haunted Mansion,” similarly, had a cast mainly consisting of people of color including, but not limited to, Lakeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish and Rosario Dawson.
The film followed Gabby (played by Dawson) and her son Travis (played by Chase Dillion). Set in New Orleans, the home of the paranormal, the two moved into their new house, The Gracey Manor, hoping for a fresh start. Instead, they were met with what we will call “troubled spirits.”
Hoping to rid themselves of the unwelcome ghosts, they recruited a team of experts including Stanfield, Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito and Jamie Lee Curtis.
From start to finish, the movie was an enticing combination of perfect comedic timing and thrilling suspense, making it perfect for viewers of all ages. The original film seemed to be scarier, but its successor fulfilled all of my jump-scare expectations while still managing to keep it light. The film also managed to tug on my heart strings as it sensitively addressed feelings of grief and displacement.
I found the plot to be one of more depth and well-rounded. It gave us a new take of Gracey and a new perspective on the Gracey Manor, reimagining the way the ghost infestation came to be.
Additionally, the film delved more into the historical context of the location. It was known that the original film was based out of Louisiana, however this version of “Haunted Mansion" took the liberty of including the supernatural history of New Orleans.
If I had any reservations about the film, it was the presence of the ghosts. The original film gave us Ezra (played by Wallace Shawn) and Emma (played by Dina Spybey). They allied with Evers and pushed the plot forward. They were key to defeating Mr. Gracey, saving Mrs. Evers and, most importantly, lovable additions to the cast.
The ghosts in the most recent version of “Haunted Mansion,” however, did not have the same roles. Not much time was spent on their stories and their little screen time was spent terrorizing our ghost-fighting band of misfits. It would have been nice to get to know them a bit better as they did turn their act around towards the end.
While I initially feared a cheesy haunted story and poor portrayals of Black Americans, this was anything but that. Controversially, the first film was directed by Rob Minkoff, a white man.
I was impressed to know that this film was directed by Justin Simien — famously known for directing “Dear White People.” He saw to it that everything from the mannerisms to the dialect was both accurate and a healthy representation of African Americans, making it perfect for relating audiences.
“Haunted Mansion” was a perfect culmination of hair-raising, bone chilling scares and laugh-out-loud jokes. It tastefully paid homage to the original film while being an all-new masterpiece in and of itself — worthwhile for views old and new.
