The overall plot of the individual movies center around the supernatural events that take place at haunted houses, and detail the actions of the protagonist families that live in them.

Though the original film was initially met with mixed critical reception,[1][2] it has since been deemed a cult classic in the horror genre.

Written and directed by the first installment's screenwriter, the second film was met with overwhelmingly negative critical reaction and mild box office returns.

After returning with Jimmy, he must also face the ghosts of his past including a personification of his comrade named Big Ben, who was killed during their time in Vietnam.

"Gramps", who was a treasure hunter was the keeper of an Aztec crystal skull that he discovered with his partner and friend-turned-enemy "Slim" Reeser.

After the old cowboy tells stories from his past, he explains that the stones of the house are made from remnants of an Aztec temple and that the skull acts as a key to enter different portals across different periods of time in each room.

Despite these small successes, an undead Reeser rises from his death to steal the crystal skull for its mystic abilities, revealing that he was the murderer of Jesse's parents years ago.

The miss-mashed team of friends from different spans of time, must once again join against the forces that seek to overtake them, end the plans "Slim" Reeser to defend all of reality, and send him back to his grave once and for all.

Deemed darker and more mature than previous installments, producers decided to market the film without the House name for the U.S. theatrical release.

The premise of the film follows: Detective Lucas McCarthy who has pursued the serial killer Max "The Cleaver" Jenkins for years, finally makes his arrest.

As the inexplicable events increase and become worse, the family seeks to clear McCarthy's good name with the law, all while attempting to save their own lives as the ghost of a mass murderer begins to hunt them.

After conversing with the spirits that reside in the house, the old man reveals to Kelly and Laurel that the strange happenings are the attempts of a warning from the ghosts of Roger and a number of Native Americans.

As it's revealed that Burke is in negotiations to sell the land to a powerful Mafian group that will soil the once revered location, with the disposal of toxic waste on the vicinity, evidence suggests that the estranged family member may be responsible for the car wreck that previously took place.