The Haunting of Pennhurst

(dirs. Mike Attie, Katarina Poljak and Nathan R. Stenberg)

By: Dave Hughes

Throughout the United States, numerous abandoned hospitals harbor dark pasts, and Pennhurst Institution is notorious for its particularly sordid history. Every autumn, this infamous site transforms into a commercial haunted attraction, drawing thrill-seekers looking for seasonal scares. The documentary The Haunting of Pennhurst dives into this spectacle and profiles the people who work the event. However, the film subverts viewer expectations by shifting its focus, balancing the stories of today's haunted house employees with the voices of those who were once institutionalized within those very walls.

The documentary opens with a group of workers gearing up for the upcoming “haunt season” at Pennhurst Institution, located in Chester County, Pennsylvania. These individuals come from wildly different walks of life, and the film carefully explores their complex backstories. Among the staff are individuals who are deaf, neurodivergent, and transgender, many of whom have faced societal judgment outside the walls of Pennhurst. The most moving part of this section is seeing how intensely welcomed and valued the performers are by the Pennhurst management. Within this attraction, every person is treated with profound respect and celebrated for who they are.

The same respect extended to the current workers is given to the facility's dark historical background. Strict guidelines are firmly in place to honor those who were once institutionalized against their will. Employees are forbidden from using certain words or performing actions that might trivialize that past. Ultimately, the Pennhurst crew members are the true stars of this documentary, earning the audience's admiration through the profound care they show to both the historic property and to one another.

Perhaps the most surprising revelation of the documentary is how the Pennhurst staff uses these dark scares to raise awareness for causes close to their hearts. Rather than being cast in a negative light, the workers are given a chance to find a true calling. In a poignant twist of history, many of the current employees are individuals who might have been admitted to that very institution years ago. Working at Pennhurst gives them a profound sense of agency over a dark legacy of societal exclusion. By reclaiming the space, the staff transforms theatrical terror into a tool for disability awareness, ensuring that the horrific mistakes of the past are never repeated.

Directors Mike Attie, Katarina Poljak, and Nathan R. Stenberg illuminate the hotel’s dark and complex  history  while showcasing the optimistic outlook for the future. The Haunting of Pennhurst also serves as a  damning indictment of the current condition of mental healthcare facilities. Due to lack of government funding and cutbacks, the tour guides warn that society may regress to the barbarian tactics found being used in Pennhurst. 

Target Score: 7/10. The Haunting of Pennhurst serves as a powerful showcase for both a grim historical legacy and the vibrant community that has bonded together within that very same building. Ultimately, it is a rare, deeply affecting documentary that manages to capture both the worst and the best of humanity.

The Haunting of Pennhurst was reviewed as part of Movie Archer's coverage of the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival.