You did state the obvious things I took for granted. This review has expressed the right words to coincide with my observation on how the haunted house trope works. I think you covered all of the function and with amazing attention to detail.

I'm a fan of horror but the haunted house type of story isn't my cup of tea. But still, if it's horror, it's worth the read especially when the post is as insightful as this one. :D