Ghosts in a Glass House
31 Days of Movies for Spooky Season
Welcome back to Spooktober, dear readers! Day 25’s movie is…
Title: Thirteen Ghosts
Directed By: Steve Beck
Release Date: October 26, 2001
Where to Watch: Apple TV & Amazon Prime Video
Synopsis: A state-of-the-art remake of the classic William Castle horror film about a family that inherits a spectacular old house from an eccentric uncle. There's just one problem: the house seems to have a dangerous agenda. Trapped in their new home by strangely shifting walls, the family encounters powerful and vengeful entities threatening to annihilate anyone in their path.
Non-spoiler thoughts: A lot of you who found me on Tiktok may have done so because of my Thirteen Ghosts series. I have such a love for this movie. The cast is fantastic (hello again Matthew Lillard). Not only does this check a lot of horror boxes, but it has an underlying message about death of a loved one & grief.
WARNING: The following summary contains SPOILERS.
You have been warned…
Ghost hunter Cyrus Kriticos and his psychic assistant, Dennis Rafkin, lead a team on a mission to capture a powerful spirit known as the Juggernaut. Tragically, several members, including Cyrus, are killed during the encounter, but the team manages to contain the ghost. In the aftermath, Cyrus's estate lawyer, Ben Moss, informs his nephew Arthur—a widower facing financial hardship—that he has inherited Cyrus's mansion.
Desperate for a fresh start, Arthur moves into the mansion with his two children, Kathy and Bobby, and their devoted nanny, Maggie. Upon arriving, Dennis visits the family during a tour of the peculiar residence, constructed entirely of glass sheets etched with Latin phrases. Dennis recognizes these inscriptions as barrier spells that keep spirits at bay. He soon discovers that the twelve angry ghosts he and Cyrus had previously captured are imprisoned within the house, held captive by the very spells meant to protect them.
As Dennis tries to warn Arthur, Moss inadvertently activates a mechanism that seals the mansion and releases the ghosts. In a horrifying turn of events, Moss is tragically killed when a set of sliding doors slices him in half. Bobby, overwhelmed by fear, encounters several of the spirits—including the Withered Lover, his deceased mother, Jean, who perished in a house fire. In his fright, Bobby is knocked unconscious and dragged away.
Using a pair of spectral glasses that allow him to see the supernatural realm, Dennis navigates the chaos to avoid the vengeful ghosts. Just as the Jackal—a particularly dangerous spirit—attacks Kathy and Arthur, they are saved by Kalina Oretzia, a spirit liberator determined to free the trapped souls. However, Kathy suddenly vanishes amid the turmoil.
In the library, the four adults gather to regroup, where Arthur learns that Jean's ghost is among the captive spirits. Kalina reveals that the house functions as a machine powered by these trapped souls, granting its users the ability to see the past, present, and future. The only way to shut it down is by creating a 13th ghost through a sacrifice of love. Realizing what this means, Arthur understands he must become that ghost to save his children.
With renewed resolve, Arthur and Dennis venture into the basement to locate the children. Dennis barricades Arthur behind a glass sheet for safety. Tragically, Dennis is overpowered and killed by the Hammer and the Juggernaut, two of the most formidable ghosts. The shocking truth emerges: Cyrus faked his death to lure Arthur to the mansion. Kalina, revealed to be Cyrus's partner and lover, knocks Maggie unconscious with a heavy book and embraces Cyrus upon his arrival. Cyrus orchestrated the abduction of Kathy and Bobby, knowing that Arthur would have to become the 13th ghost—an act that would activate, rather than stop, the house’s ominous machine. In a moment of betrayal, Cyrus kills Kalina after she protests the danger posed to the children and summons the ghosts to power the machine.
In the main hall, Arthur watches in horror as all twelve ghosts orbit a sinister clockwork device, with his children at its center. He confronts Cyrus in a desperate struggle while Maggie attempts to sabotage the machine’s controls. Chaos ensues as the ghosts turn on Cyrus, hurling him into the spinning metal rings, and dismembering him in the process. Inspired by Dennis's ghost, Arthur leaps through the machine, shielding his children from harm. The mansion’s walls shatter as the malfunctioning machine collapses, releasing the trapped spirits. Before she vanishes, Jean’s ghost offers her final words of love to her children.
As the family exits the wreckage of the house, a frustrated Maggie announces her resignation as their nanny, vowing to never return to such a haunting place.
