Rose Red is a three-part miniseries written by Stephen King, inspired by famous haunted house stories such as The Winchester Mystery House and Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. Unlike many King adaptations, Rose Red was written directly for television, making it one of his original screenplays rather than an adaptation of a pre-existing novel.

With classic haunted house tropes, eerie supernatural occurrences, and psychological horror, Rose Red is a slow-burning ghost story that builds tension over its long runtime, creating a sense of dread rather than relying on jump scares.

Dr. Joyce Reardon (Nancy Travis), a parapsychologist obsessed with proving the existence of the supernatural, gathers a group of psychically gifted individuals to investigate Rose Red, a notorious and abandoned mansion in Seattle.

The mansion, originally built by oil tycoon John Rimbauer for his wife, Ellen, has a long history of mysterious disappearances and unexplained deaths. It is rumored that the house is alive, growing and changing over time, feeding off psychic energy.

As Joyce and her team enter Rose Red, the house begins to awaken, unleashing terrifying supernatural forces.

• Psychic visions and ghostly apparitions start haunting the team.

• The house reshapes itself, trapping its visitors in a labyrinth of endless hallways and hidden rooms.

• One by one, members of the group vanish or fall under the house’s influence.

As Joyce’s obsession spirals out of control, it becomes clear that Rose Red is feeding off their fears and abilities, and escaping may be impossible.

If you enjoy classic haunted house stories with a psychological edge, Rose Red is worth watching—especially for fans of Stephen King’s slow, methodical horror storytelling. It may feel dated in some aspects, but the concept of a haunted house that feeds on people’s fears remains intriguing.

Would you say Rose Red ranks among King’s best haunted house stories, or do you prefer classics like The Shining and The Haunting of Hill House? 👻