I posted this last year, but am again, because I want more people to see this hidden gem of a film.
While y'all are familiar with the 2012 film starring Daniel Radcliffe, many people still do not know that an earlier adaptation was made in 1989 by BBC television and aired on Christmas Eve.
It was a huge success, but didn't air again until 1994, around the same time it was broadcast in America on A&E, which is where my parents taped it off of. I remember hearing it from my bedroom (not good soundproofing in my childhood home) and being terrified by the sounds coming up from the tv.
The screenplay was written by Nigel Neale, the man behind the Quartermass films, and it was directed by Herbert Wise.
While the 2012 version definitely has more money behind it, making it more polished and better looking, the 89 version doesn't bother with special effects and relies on its creepy atmosphere to keep ratcheting up the tension. This version is more grounded, less gothic, and it makes a huge difference in scare quality.
It's a movie that stays with you after you've turned off the television and gone to bed.
It can be hard to find, but is generally available on YouTube and Amazon for rent.
The Cobwebs Channel has a pretty good non spoilery bit on it.