Overview
A cursed mansion holds dark secrets that threaten to tear a family apart.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- eerie
- oppressive
- melodramatic
- classic horror night
- gothic movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a scary, atmospheric, handsomely mounted early triumph for Roger Corman and Vincent Price, despite occasional silliness and wordiness.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Usher home is not merely a backdrop; its sinister presence and crumbling structure intensify the family's curse and the visitors' peril.
Roderick explicitly attributes the Ushers' physical defects and impending ruin to their cursed bloodline.
Roderick attempts to prevent Madeline from leaving and exerts a controlling influence over her and Philip.
The film's CinemaScope presentation and vivid color photography emphasize the mansion, decay, and heightened horror spectacle.
Films like House of Usher, and why
The Fall of the House of Usher
gothic horror, decaying aristocratic family, psychological dread, and an imposing ancestral mansion
The Masque of the Red Death
stylized gothic horror, supernatural family curse, colorful period atmosphere, and Vincent Price's commanding central performance
The Haunted Palace
gothic mansion setting, haunted family history, atmospheric dread, and heightened melodrama
The Pit and the Pendulum
classic gothic horror, cursed bloodline, lavish period imagery, and a sinister ancestral estate
Movie Details
- Director
- Roger Corman
- Release Date
- 1960-07-20
- Runtime
- 79 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (380)
Cast
- Vincent Price
- Mark Damon
- Myrna Fahey
- Harry Ellerbe
- David Andar
- Bill Borzage
- Mario Bellini
- Eleanor LeFaber
- Nadajan
- Ruth Oklander
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Eternal Family, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, ScreenPix Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is House of Usher about?
- A doomed outsider enters the Usher family mansion and confronts a bloodline whose curse has fused hereditary madness with supernatural decay.
- What is House of Usher like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of House of Usher as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is House of Usher violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in House of Usher as moderate.
- What did critics think of House of Usher?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a scary, atmospheric, handsomely mounted early triumph for Roger Corman and Vincent Price, despite occasional silliness and wordiness.
- Which films are like House of Usher?
- Films with a similar feel include The Fall of the House of Usher, The Masque of the Red Death, The Haunted Palace, and The Pit and the Pendulum.
- How long is House of Usher?
- House of Usher runs 79 minutes.
- Where can I watch House of Usher?
- In United States, House of Usher streams on Amazon Prime Video, Eternal Family, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, ScreenPix Amazon Channel .
