The Amityville Horror *** (2005, Ryan Reynolds, Melissa George, Jesse James, Jimmy Bennett, Chloë Grace Moretz, Rachel Nichols) – Classic Movie Review 8387

Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George star The Amityville Horror (2005) as young married couple George and Kathy Lutz, who move into a large elegant Long Island house in December 1975 along with their three children, Billy (Jesse James), Michael (Jimmy Bennett) and Chelsea (Chloë Grace Moretz). That proves a bad idea, as the house was the site of a mass murder a year before and they are soon being terrorised by a demonic force as George begins to behave weirdly and Chelsea starts to see dead people in what turns into 28 days of terror.

Director Andrew Douglas makes an effective job of rebooting the famous haunted house franchise in a full-on, scary, exciting remake of the popular original Seventies chiller The Amityville Horror (1979), based on the novel by Jay Anson, in turn based on the Lutz’s true story. Reynolds is great value, going crazy horrifyingly, Moretz impresses in her film debut, Rachel Nichols is fun as Lisa the babysitter, and Philip Baker Hall is ideal as the priest, Father Callaway.

It may be basic genre horror movie film-making, but it is very slick and grippingly well handled by Douglas, with some edge-of-seat highlights. The smoothly running screenplay is by Scott Kosar, based on the earlier 1979 screenplay by Sandor Stern, based on the novel by Jay Anson, in turn based on the Lutzs’ true story, with material by George and Kathy Lutz.

It is rated R for violence, disturbing images, strong language, brief sexuality and drug use.

Despite not being screened for the critics, it did quite well. On a budget of $19,000,000, it grossed $65,233,369 in the US.

By 2019, Douglas’s only other feature film is U Want Me 2 Kill Him? (2013).

The rebooted Amityville: The Awakening followed in 2017.

James Brolin and Margot Kidder played George and Kathy Lutz in The Amityville Horror (1979), but there were four priests in the original, played by Rod Steiger, Don Stroud, Murray Hamilton and John Larch.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8387

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Chloë Grace Moretz in The Amityville Horror (2005).