A review of Disney’s Haunted Mansion 2023: A charming gem lost in the shadows of a summer release

I want to open this by stating; that it is a shame the new Haunted Mansion was released in July. I do think the movie’s summer release was because Disney wanted to have Haunted Mansion on Disney+ for Halloween, but to sacrifice what could have been an amazing box office for a streaming service is insane to me, especially since Haunted Mansion released just a week after Barbie and Oppenheimer.

Critics, of course, did not have the same appreciation for Haunted Mansion as the audience did. This movie was not just a rehash of the original movie with Eddie Murphey. Unlike the recent remakes Disney has been pushing out, Haunted Mansion 2023 was a fresh, new story for the famous ride. I have never been on the ride, but the person I was watching the movie with told me the ghosts included in the movie were true to the ride experience.

I do not want to spoil too much of the movie because the movie was genuinely charming, funny, and interesting to watch. It will make you laugh and cry, and really feel the emotions the characters are experiencing. This movie is more than just being scared by the Hatbox Ghost and family and friends made along the way. This movie touches on subjects like grief and guilt in a way that I haven’t seen in a Disney movie in a very long time. This movie has quickly found its place in my heart, and I hope it does the same for anyone else who watches it.

The true crime against this movie was the marketing done on it and it’s theatrical release. For such a charming movie to be released months before a holiday the Haunted Mansion would thrive with really tanked the box office. To those reading this, I urge you to watch the new Haunted Mansion.