An American Haunting (2005) User Reviews

A Predictable Semi-fiction

[xvaasan · 5/10 · 27 May 2006]

Acting. Thats the most noticeable thing you will find in this movie. All the characters have performed well and acted according to the period of the story. I haven't watched Bell Witch Haunting (2004) but I have read a lot about the original legend. Instead of retelling the actual event, this movie revolves around it, giving us an entirely different interpretation of the haunting. Also, it tells nothing about General Andrew Jackson who visited Bell's family during that time and later became the American President. Its worthy to note that he was once quoted as saying - "I'd rather face the whole British Army, than face the Bell Witch again".

Around 1818, a farming family living in Tennessee is haunted by a spirit, the most affected ones being the daughter Betsy and the father John Bell. While the father's health deteriorates, the daughter gets all poltergeistic treatment. Slowly, they suspect the woman (also witch?) Kate Batts who previously has some legal issues with John and curses him that he and his daughter will suffer for his deeds. The haunting gets worse and the family members try to fight back the ghost in their own ways. By the end, when they seem to have abandoned their faith, the spirit itself reveals the reason for its existence.

The scary scenes are predictable but good. The notable ones are the first major attack on Betsy, the swing encounter, Richard's questions, John's visions, the cave and the best of all is the chariot ride. Excellent cinematography. A few good things in this movie keep us on the edge and makes us wait for the best part. But that best part never comes.

The fictional ending, though unexpected and slightly shocking, is not conceived properly. The movie begins with a Night-Shyamalan-like atmosphere. Most of it feels like as if you are watching The Village. Later it goes on to remind us of The Poltergeist, The Exorcist, Child's Play and several others, even The Omen. The ending is tried in a Lynchian manner - just tried. Sadly, it doesn't register in us at all.

Overall, this movie has good acting, good cinematography, few honestly scaring scenes and a different interpretation to the original Bell Witch Haunting. Nevertheless, it has a confused screenplay, half-baked script and an overhasty direction. The slow scenes are empty and the fast scenes are packed. So the balance is knocked out and what results is boredom. Watch it for the good aspects but make sure to take lots of popcorn inside the theatre. You'll need them to stay awake.

A really dreadful movie.

[BA_Harrison · 1/10 · 11 December 2006]

Based on the true story of the Bell Witch (an apparently well documented case in the US), An American Haunting is another absolute clunker from writer/director Courtney Solomon, the man who gave us the equally lamentable Dungeons and Dragons six years ago. I'm not in the habit of dishing out the lowest possible score to movies I review on IMDb, but this tedious tale of malevolent spirits is an exceptionally bad film that truly deserves a roasting.

Set in the early 1800's, the film centres around the Bells, a well-to-do Tennessee family who suffer from a series of 'terrifying' supernatural attacks after they are cursed by a local woman (believed by some to be a witch). Betsy Bell (Rachel Hurd-Wood), the youngest daughter is repeatedly targeted by the spirit; she is dragged by her hair, lifted off the floor, and slapped. Her father also suffers badly and his health deteriorates. Despite their best efforts, nothing seems to stop the awful disturbances.

After introducing the characters and establishing the basic premise, the film lapses into a succession of repetitive and not-in-the-slightest-bit-scary scenes in which Betsy is abused both physically and mentally by the 'ghost'. With risible special effects and some terrible directorial decisions (the pathetic ghostly POV is simply woeful), the film elicits more sniggers than screams.

Donald Sutherland sleepwalks his way through the role of patriarch, whilst Rachel Hurd-Wood comes off like a bargain basement Linda Blair, unable to convincingly portray the terror she is supposedly experiencing. Solomon, struggling to conjure up anything remotely creepy, chucks in a few obvious and ineffectual mechanical scares and then inadvisedly attempts a ludicrous 'twist' ending, which he completely botches.

A lot of people have criticised this film for not being true to the facts; I criticise it for being truly awful in pretty much every aspect.

The only scary thing about this film was how many 13-year-old girls turned up to the theater to watch this on opening night.

[josh-694 · 1/10 · 6 May 2006]

Since most of the movie was utterly disappointing, I will start with the only positive aspect, Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek. Both of these actors played their part well and if it weren't for such a terrible story and generic scare tactics, they may have been able to save the movie. Alas, like many of the PG-13 horror films of today not even good acting can make up for a shady plot, bad directing and terrible editing. The film is based on the poltergeist story involving a family in rural Tennessee in the early 1800's. The story is filled with the garbled and incoherent dreams of seemingly possessed Betsy Bell, played by Rachel Hurd-Wood. In a movie built around a ghost story it was disappointing to see cheap scare tactics instead of making the movie all around eerie. I am not sure what director Courtney Solomon was thinking when he chose to film the movie with a style similar to a low budget "hack 'em slash 'em" film from the 80's, but clearly there are better ways of scaring an audience. While the filming style could have used some work, the editing and special effects were a disaster. It mostly resembled a bad soap opera. It jumps around between dreams and reality faster than Ricky Williams' in a Marijuana haze. A movie like this doesn't need a whole lot of special effects but the few that it had were terrible and even ruined the scenes. The poltergeist was nothing more than Betsy with a slight hue around her.

The only scary thing about this film was how many 13-year-old girls turned up to the theater to watch this on opening night. As a fan of horror films I understand if you want to judge this for yourself, but listen to my words wisely; don't bother.

Sound, Visuals Overwhelm Weaker Story

[ccthemovieman-1 · 6/10 · 18 March 2007]

I really don't have any major complaints about the film except it was more of a visual-audio experience than a memorable story. That makes me wonder how times I would watch this, since I already own a lot of great visual movies. Cinematography-wise, this film reminded me a bit of Sleepy Hollow, but not quite as dramatically filmed as that. There also is excellent 5.1surround sound in here. Being a ghost story, and one that is trying to scare the viewer here and there, sudden jolts of sound is important and utilized well here.

I also appreciated this was done without almost any profanity and with famous actors like Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek. I expected some Bible-bashing since that's normally the case in these ghost or witch stories, but it wasn't bad here. However, the "surprise" almost political-correctness ending didn't really surprise me, considering how films are these days.

A decent movie but 50-50 whether I would watch it again.

A knockout, terrifying 'grab you by your throat' ghost story that recalls Jack Clayton's The Innocents and Robert Wise's classic, The Haunting.

[danland2 · 11 November 2005]

Let's say it flat out, An American Haunting is the scariest, most intelligent ghost story to hit the screen in two decades. More original than The Others (which was a watered down cocktail of The Innocents and The Sixth Sense), and ten times more effective than the pallid The Exorcism of Emily Rose, An American Haunting wastes no time in setting itself up as a thriller with something more on its mind than just simply rehashing the same old grab bag scare tactics that every 'Exorcist' remake/rehash resorts to. Based on The Bell Witch, an apparently true account of demonic possession that resulted in the first recorded case of a ghost actually killing a human being over a hundred and fifty years ago in Tennessee, the film elevates itself by not wallowing in cheap tricks to scare you, and by always taking the high road. And, by doing so it creates it's very own world, a unnerving mood and an a undercurrent that prevails throughout until, when you least expect it - it strikes out, grabs you by the throat, and doesn't let go until the very last frame. The sheer terror of waiting and watching until the entire story unfolds (in a way you least expect) is so original and surprising, that by the time the finale hits you, it shatters you like no other horror film you've ever seen . The performances by Donald Sutherland and Rachel Hurd-Wood are first rate. It's their story all the way, and the beauty and generosity of the other actors subtle, effective performance (especially Sissy Spacek) is a testament to their respect of the material. But the real star of this film is director/writer Courtney Solomon. After having recovered from the bollocking he took for the impossible task of bringing Dungeons & Dragons: The Movie, to the screen Mr Solomon has rebounded with a story he was born to tell, and the result is an assured, first rate thriller, told with intelligence, force, style and wit. It's a roller coaster ride all the way, so fasten your seat belts. The audience I saw it with at the AFI Film Festival could not have been more responsive. You could actually feel the hair on the back of your neck standing up. The cinematography by master Adrian Biddle and the score by Caine Davidson are first rate, and help propel you into an unforgettable ghost story that will linger in your memory and haunt your dreams/nightmares for months after.

The worst thing to happen to TRUE ghost stories since The Amityville Horror

[alrightguy1728 · 2/10 · 6 May 2006]

I went to the theater too excited to see another true ghost story come to life on the big screen. READ READ READ online and their is so much to offer on the Bell Witch Haunting. One of the most documented case's ever. The only documented case in the United States that a ghost killed a human being. So with all the information known on the case, Why would they slaughter a story so much? Amityville was another example of a story that if they stuck to the fact's it would be great. Hollywood can take their movies and shove them. The acting was good, but that is the only positive thing I can say about this movie. For God's sake the effect's were B movie like. Sorry guy's, maybe next time they tell a true life story they should stick to THE STORY!

A complete and utter disappointment

[lutefisk_9 · 1/10 · 7 May 2006]

This should have been a Lifetime movie (or even an after-school special), since it felt exactly like that kind of overly sentimental dreck. Even the actress playing the mother in the present day looked like she stepped out of a beginning acting class for The Very Sad Divorced Wife (i.e., big bulky sweater, mussed hair, a bottle of vodka next to her on the desk).

How disheartening to see a film that could have been a great period piece end up as a big-screen version of every "victim of the week" TV movie, circa 1992. One point in its favor: excellent set design (it's nice to see a movie set in the South that doesn't automatically recall the plantations of _Gone with the Wind_). But overall, what a sad, stupid waste of Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland's talents.

Stupid possession flick with a lousy twist

[Leofwine_draca · 3/10 · 12 January 2011]

A historical spin on THE EXORCIST, based on the supposed true story of the Bell witch, one of America's most famous hauntings.

Unfortunately, this turns out to be a load of baloney, and it's totally blown out of the water by the far better EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE. Whether it's the hyperactive camera-work (director Courtney Solomon seems to be attempting to channel Sam Raimi but fails miserably, his camera tricks totally at odds with the story), the derivative visuals, the Disney-like music, the bland characters or the idiotic storyline, this film fails in every respect.

The biggest problem is that it never manages to be scary, not once, and indeed during some of the 'poltergeist' scenes – in which the innocent girl is slapped or levitated – my first reaction was to burst out laughing instead of feeling shocked or frightened. THE ENTITY this ain't.

The film gathers up some respected actors (Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek) and proceeds to waste their talents. In the end, I see this as nothing more than an attempt to make a few bucks – a soulless piece of filmmaking totally devoid of interest or merit.

An abomination of film

[charchuk · 2/10 · 30 August 2006]

Despite being based on one of the most famous ghost stories in American history and including a solid cast, this 'horror' film is anything but scary, dramatic, or even interesting. Instead, the flick is largely boring, confusing, and poorly executed. Even though it clocks in at a running time of just 90 minutes or so, the film drags throughout most of the non-horror scenes, and even through some of the so-called 'scary' moments. All of it leads up to a conclusion that is baffling, illogical, and very stupid. The twist is one of the least sensible of its kind in recent memory, as there is nothing in the film, up to that point, to warrant such a move. Pretty much a terrible film.

Though the cast looks solid on paper, the acting here is quite bad. Everyone looks like they're just picking up a paycheck, from Sutherland, who looks bored, to Spacek, who's never been more shrill, to Rachel Hurd-Word, who attempts to do her best Linda Blair impression but ends up just screaming and staring around wide-eyed most of the time. The direction is absolutely abysmal, as all scenes with the spirit look incredibly amateurish with the swooping camera, and, for some reason, are shot in black and white. Although it's clear this was done with some foolish artistic idea in mind, it ends up standing out terribly and erases any small amount of suspense or tension that might have been built up. Most of the suspense, though, is destroyed by the absolutely atrocious editing, which is, at once, frustrating, annoying, and pointless. It all adds up to a lame excuse for a horror film.

The only thing that saves this from being a complete waste is that there are some cool visuals, and occasionally some decent cinematography. Other than that, though, this is an abomination of film, with terrible acting, dreadful directing, and awful editing. A complete waste of time.

one of the scariest movies I have seen in years!

[tristen-4 · 7 November 2005]

Out of sheer curiosity I was offered to attend a screening of the world premier of 'American Haunting" -- so I went assuming it was going to be just another kind of scary -- kind of twisted -- kind of blasphemous -- kind of whatever -- kind of films -- WoW I was completely wrong in more ways than I can possible say! WOW! That is the best I can muster! This film kicked my butt up down and sideways. From the moment it starts up until the very last breath it toys with you, teases you, and never prepares you for something so intelligent at the climax that its hard to guess why someone hasn't done this kind of film before. My guess, is they don't have the talent or the guts that the filmmaker had -- not to mention the cast; or the composer for that matter. My god it rocked me and I'm betting it will definitely rock a hell of a lot of people who dare go see it. WoW! Count the days til this comes out -- you wont regret it -- seriously. Its one of a kind on all fronts. I decided to write this because I cant stop telling every single person I know how freaking scary the damn thing was. WOW!

Missed opportunity, becomes just decent

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 6/10 · 27 November 2016]

After finding a long-lost letter, a family finds that their ancestors living in the house where once the targets of a supposed haunting unleashed by a vengeful neighbor over land-rights issues and tried to find a way of stopping the haunting from continuing to strike the family.

There wasn't a whole lot here that works, but what does is of big importance. The main thing that this one does do well is force the viewer into accepting the distorted reality presented here, making it think that this is actually going on rather than being a simple curse. It starts as a series of inconsequential importance, from hallucinations written off as being tired or creaks and moans in the night before becoming full-blown supernatural plagues, all building up to the next encounter to make this more creepy and unexpected. This also makes the pacing seem incredibly quick and rapid, as this never once loses steam once the activity starts to affect them with the ghost visiting her in the bedroom or the school encounter on the swing, leaving it all the more enjoyable. That carries over into the later half where this is able to include some really spectacular set- pieces as the second bedroom encounter is a long, drawn-out and protracted torture sequence all done in a straightforward style that leaves all the dragging around and slapping thrown in. the vertical suspension gag works wonderfully and that it takes place in front of helpless witnesses makes this the greatest moment in the film. The later scenes are also quite fun, including a spectacular scene with all the characters in a central room as the presence circling about and a later scene where the various candles in the room immediately melt down to the wicks in an impressive visual, making this a quite impressive overall type of scene. The flash jumps with the little child are cliché but effective in the context of the film, and there's plenty to enjoy about it as well. This one isn't all that bad. This here doesn't have a whole lot of flaws, but they are pretty big ones. The most obvious one is the film's incredibly illogical and quite infuriating ending. This here was built up incredibly well as a supernatural entity being loosened upon the family, and instead of the majority of the time discovering who would be responsible for doing so the end thrusts this quite senseless storyline into view which is wrong on several levels. First, the nature of what the twist implies isn't even close to what happened historically, which is what the story concerns itself to be, and second is that the implication of this isn't handled all that well. There are several instances where what the twist shifts the story into contradicts what has happened to a degree that doesn't make sense since so many of those events feature the participant as a witness to the scene and couldn't have had it transpired through the motion the twist makes it out to be. The other big flaw is that this here tried to keep itself way too tame for no reason, alleviating the possibility of really tapping into the storyline because it's forced to keep it all vague and tame due to its rating despite the subject matter. These are the film's main drawbacks.

Rated PG-13: Mild Language, Mild Violence, Rape and strong themes of incest.

I feel more violated than Betsy Bell is portrayed as being...

[alucard1-1 · 1/10 · 7 May 2006]

Okay...

I had such high hopes for this film. Up until a few months ago, I had never heard of the Bell Witch, but I love horror stories, and have always liked Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland.

After seeing the trailer, I was excited, and anxious to see the film.

In the time between seeing the trailer (about a month) and seeing the movie tonight, I did read up on some of the legend as accounted in websites etc.

Well, we just got home from the theater and I am getting the feeling that I wasted the time to watch it.

The movie was well shot, the acting was great... and the story, up until the last 5 minutes or so was quite intriguing. No, it didn't follow completely what I had read on the Bell Witch, but being Hollywood, I expected some 'dramatic license.'

*** Spoiler ALERT *** But to have the entire story pan out to be a sexual abuse of the daughter by the father was just too much.

I understand that *crap* like that does happen in real life... and it's a traumatic and shameful thing. But to conclude this story with this "theory" is just plain stupid.

As someone else has posted here... if you know ANYTHING about the Bell Witch legend... DO NOT SEE THIS.. as I would expect anyone to have the same reaction.

Good points for the actors a few less for the story

[NadineRaeman · 6/10 · 15 March 2006]

Based upon true events this history of the Bell Family, adapted from the 1997 novel The Bell Witch: An American Haunting, this movie takes you back to Tennessee early 1800. Legendary actors Donald Shutterland & Sissy Spacek are taking away the better part of the movie, but it's up to newcomer Rachel Hurd-Wood, to star in this dark tale of mystery and haunting. After a dispute with his neighbor about some properties, father Bell (D. Shutherland ) is cursed by her. Since that moment on life isn't the same anymore. Betsy (Rachel Hurd-Wood), his daughter, frequently sees a little girl nearby the house and to top it a wolf is dwelling around. It becomes quickly obvious that only Betty is capable of seeing the girl and when dreadful nightmares starts to haunts Betsy we all know there is more going on.

Personally I think the acting is great, and especially the elegant and lovely Rachel Hurd-Wood is an actress we might hear more of soon. The story however is literally bleeding to the end and it soon becomes clear that the origins of her haunting and her nightmares are closer to home. Shame, because lot of the tension is gone once you know the story. On the other hand we can't forget that this is based on true events and that levels the film a lot.

Brent Monohan wrote the novel and Director Courtney Solomon wrote the screenplay to this movie. Best of all is of course the person who choose Rachel Hurd-Wood for casting Betty, who looks like a you Liv Tylor : Elegant, Elfish and above all breath taking.

Elenah Hold for RazorReel www.razorreel.be

A Great and Haunitng Film That Will Leave You Scared For Days!

[madis2 · 10/10 · 12 November 2005]

I was at the Sunday afternoon screening of "An American Haunting" at the AFI Fest in Los Angeles. I was waiting to see this film as I love this genre and am a fan of Sissy Spacek (Carrie) and Donald Sutherland. I did some research on the legend of the Bell Witch before seeing the film, and more after, so I had an idea of what to expect. First, I have to say that Rachel Hurd Wood was fantastic as Betsy. I did not see Peter Pan, but for 14 years old, she put on a restrained and haunting performance which she should be commended for. Onto the film. This film was scary, scary, scary and creepy. I was thinking about it for three days after, and my friends and I even talked about it at lunch today a week later. It really stays with you, which I think is the sign of a good film. If you are looking for blood and guts, then it will not be for you. But, if you are looking for tension, suspense, and creepiness, then it's definitely for you. I saw it with three friends and we were all on the edge of our seats. I had nail marks from my friend Lisa who kept covering her eyes because she was so scared. I don't want to give anything away, but there is a surprise ending which I was happy to see they obviously built the film around, instead of just added it at the end like a lot of films do these days. It reminded me a lot of the "The Others" with Nicloe Kidman. Anyway, the film really delivers and it says something important at the same time. I think, having read some other comments that this film will appeal more to women. You will see why. I did think that the score was a little large at times, and that the sound was a little loud, but really good and effective, just loud. The cinematography was great, and the way the director moved the camera to create a spirit view, I thought was really good and fresh. There is a scene where the spirit tracks down one of the characters, and it was truly amazing! Having recently seen Emily Rose, I would have to say that this film was much better and would highly recommend it. I can't wait to have a chance to see it again. If I had to rate it, I would give it a 8.5 out of 10. Matilda.

Very Forgettable "Haunting"

[view_and_review · 5/10 · 9 December 2016]

Where are my series of emojis? I need "eh", "sigh" and finally, snooze.

Look, poltergeist/haunting/possession movies are old hat in my opinion. You'd have to be extremely creative to make something from that genre be fresh, new and compelling. "An American Haunting" was not.

The setting is Tennessee year 1817 and a teenage girl is being harassed by an entity. The family cannot rid themselves of this specter no matter what measures they take. The movie plays out as you would expect with slow build up and a plethora of jump scares (that were anything but--jump annoyances is more accurate).

I patiently suffered through this movie to await the big reveal. Yes, the movie had something of a twist in store but not the least bit satisfying. I will be haunted by this movie and the decision I made to watch it.

Avoid

[tyler__durden · 1/10 · 26 April 2006]

After the awfulness of the dark i didn't think the horror genre could suffer anymore. I was wrong. This clichéd nonsense kept me awake all night, not because it was haunting but because i couldn't comprehend how such a misguided film ever got made. 'ghost cam' for example, when we entered the spirits perspective, was utter rubbish. The scenes set in the present day were completely pointless. A failed attempt at creating emotional resonance. Since the Sixth Sense directors feel the need to add a twist. And An American Hauntings twist. nonsense. complete nonsense. not even Spacek or Sutherland come out of the film with any credit. If i didn't have a cinema pass i would have asked for a refund. Save your money and watch The Exorcist on video.

An American Haunting (2005) *SPOILERS*

[mfnmbvp · 6/10 · 4 December 2011]

Like others on this site have been saying, it seems as though the entire cast and crew were in desperate need of a paycheck, and released 'An American Haunting' just in time to cash-in on the current witch revival that has been flooding through horror movies for the last ten years or so.

Donald Sutherland does an acceptable job, but he really does just seem bored to death the entire time. Sissy Spacek hardly speaks throughout the entire film, and it seems like she is just there to have in the background and to have her name on the poster. The imagery is nice, and the art direction is well-done, but the horror scenes are just dismally boring and over-played. I don't know how many times we see doors slam shut, blankets pulled to the floor, windows thrown open for no reason, seeing things that aren't there, it's like every abominable horror cliché is thrown at you five or more times before you notice that nothing has really happened. The ending of the movie is just absolutely ridiculous, and is really the worst thing about the entire film. I hope to god that someone does the story of the Bell Witch justice one day and gives us an actual horror movie, because 'An American Haunting' views like a cheap, quick way to make a couple dollars.

AN American HAUNTING ----6/10

(Why can't I capitalize the entire word American, hmmm IMDb???)

Loved It

[stellarob · 10/10 · 12 May 2006]

I'm not sure exactly what people were expecting from this movie but I, for one, went into it with no expectations. In other words, I wasn't expecting some great factual account a haunting that supposedly took place way back when. Maybe if I were more familiar with the history of the Bell Witch, I'd be more inclined to feel differently. But as that is not the case, I have to say that I enjoyed the movie. I really like suspense and this film had a whole lot of it. The way in which it was shot just sort of gave it a kind of eerie feel, which really added to the suspense. The actors, I thought, did a great job. And Rachel Hurd-Wood, especially, helped to bring the story to another level. I'm glad it wasn't the typical blood and guts horror movie.

Absolutely hilarious

[Danny_G13 · 7/10 · 7 January 2007]

Horror ghost story fails on all counts to be even remotely frightening, and instead falls on its backside. Via a banana-skin.

Apparently An American Haunting (What's with the jingoism in the name, exactly?) is based on true events, although that loose moniker has applied to so many movies that it honestly means little these days. Nevertheless, its focus is on some legend called the Bell Witch, I think, and the events which led to the death of a man, as a result of the seeming haunting in his family's home.

It's worth saying that as a scary movie, this is not even slightly scary. And the simple reason it's not scary is it's unintentionally one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Purely for comedy value I've given it 7 out of 10 - it made me laugh far too many times, and it's almost academic that it's supposed to be a traumatic horror.

Much of the comedy is at the hands of Matthew Marsh who appears to be deliberately undermining the entire production with one of the most hammy performances it's ever been my pleasure to witness. He is frankly genius in this, and was obviously paid a little extra to be as funny as possible - he succeeds.

However, he's aided with amusing performances all round, particularly from the wasted Sutherland, whose entire repertoire in this is to look as grim as is humanly possible. You simply cannot help but chortle.

And then there are the absolutely hysterical 'ghost view' camera angles, particularly when the poor family are being attacked; seeing various folk trying to fend off a camera and look as stressed out as possible in the process is most amusing.

Plus you have the 'slap' sequences - were they really supposed to be so funny? As a horror film this is an insult. As a comedy it's up there with the Odd Couple.

An unintentional gem.

A Scary Film....well not really

[wolfee37 · 5/10 · 22 February 2006]

A decent movie with good performances by the always wonderful Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland, but one person that stuck out was Rachel Hurd-Wood. I was a little nervous because of the director (Courtney Solomon) last movie which was the terrible Dungeons and Dragons,and I was right... he was not fit for the role of Director. The thing is at some parts made me squeamish and you could actually feel the hair on the back ofyour neck in some parts(SOME IS THE KEY WORD). The cinematography by master Adrian Biddle and the score by Caine Davidson are first rate.The movie is a really clichéd, though and some of the camera angles gave me a headache.

Wooden and clichéd

[caitlin9 · 1/10 · 6 May 2006]

I love ghost stories but this was so disappointing. The acting was uniformly dire. Every-one involved was stilted ,wooden and one-dimensional. It was full of clichés and if you couldn't see the plot twist coming you seriously need to get your eyes tested. This had the effect that it was obvious what was behind it all, what needed to be done to solve the problem and identified who would get their comeuppance. The only mystery was why everyone else , apart from the suspected witch , was too dim to spot this. One of those movies where you come out thinking I've just wasted 90 minutes of my life which I'll never get back

Was expecting to be scared, but was a little disappointed

[rox-33 · 6/10 · 18 April 2006]

I usually find the IMDb ratings and comments quite fair, however this time I disagree.

The plot was a bit lame. The acting was average. Hardly anything made me jump (usually I'm a wuss when it comes to horrors).

I found 'The Grudge' much scarier, creepier and all round a better film.

Even 'The Village' had me sitting in more suspense and anticipation.

I'd even go as far as to say I was getting a little bored towards the end, thinking is anything different gonna happen.

And the twists revealed at the end were so unimpressive, but I suppose if the film was based on a true story then there's not too much room for change.

7.3 / 10 ????? i don't think so, I give it 6 at best (and thats being generous).

Things that go bump in the night...scary but pointless...

[Doylenf · 5/10 · 5 October 2008]

Whatever possesses the demon in "An American Haunting" to ruin the lives of the Bell family is never made clear. Nor are we ever sure that it was the curse put upon the family by a woman who felt cheated by the father in a land dispute. And why all the attention is put on the girl (RACHEL HURD-WOOD) instead of the father (DONALD SUTHERLAND) is another factor never really explained. He's the one the entity really wanted to destroy but he's not the first target. He's excellent in a rather underwritten role that makes him an ambiguous figure.

With all of these reservations aside, the film is beautifully filmed and despite being shot on location in Rumania has an American Gothic look that is appropriate for the story. The acting is uniformly good. SISSY SPACEK excels as the worried mother who sees how tormented her daughter is by the demon. JAMES D'ARCY is interesting as the teacher who has a hard time realizing there is a real haunting going on, his disbelief being another factor hard to rationalize. THOM FELL is fine as the stalwart son anxious to protect his sister.

And for a story about things that go bump in the night, it has plenty of chilling moments for lovers of films of this genre. And yet, despite all of the good elements--the settings, the photography, the fine performances--it never manages to be completely convincing, especially as it tries to explain things toward the end. The book-ending that frames the story with an opening and closing in present time seems an unnecessary touch.

At times, it's so overdone that it's hard to believe it's based on a true story. I'm sure there's some truth at the core, but surely the writers embellished the tale with a lot of manufactured dream elements reminiscent of the "Nightmare on Elm Street" variety, letting their imaginations run wild with menacing wolves and the howling wind.

A project that could have been so much better if it just concentrated on the real ghost story at the center of the tale.

Was this a comedy?

[jnethollyday · 7/10 · 15 August 2006]

With a star cast, I had to wonder if this was truly a horror movie. I was told to watch it while out of my mind and so with enough drink, fatigue on a Friday night, and then some, I put this movie ON.

Let me start with the sound effects and music WOW. Someone was out of THEIR mind. It was utterly an insult to the senses, either barreling in like mad monkeys or a herd of elephants on acid. I was laughing at how badly mismatched the music was to some of the scenes. I think the composer want to grate your mind as well as hit your head over with some cymbals.

The jokes didn't end there. The beautiful actors were eerie edging on campy. Rachel's screams became so repetitive it almost warranted a call-and-response chorus. The guilt of patriarchal Donald's character was delightful, tragic and comic. A particular scene of anguish begged for a song. It was a shame that Sissy didn't do a dance.

I had some other favorite moments from the crazy whirly perspective of the "spirit" to the snow bunny's jolt through the woods and the modern day mom boozing it up.

This movie was hilarious. You definitely need to be OUT OF YOUR MIND while watching it.

what happens when a director reads "how to make a film for dummies"

[phased13 · 1/10 · 26 August 2006]

All i can say is, what the heck!?? I knew the story of the bell witch before seeing this movie (and when i say movie in this context i mean confusing random images thrown together for a profit) and i have to say this was a VERY loose translation. After reading some reviews here i thought it cant be that bad, but boy, was i ever mistaken. The writing was bottom of the barrel, with no real fluctuation throughout, a couple of 'jumpy' scares (by that i mean when someone comes from around a corner and they crank the orchestral hit to 11 out of nowhere) and you never really feel anything for the characters. They try to pull a plot twist out of a hat at the end but it just doesn't work. Over all, its uneventful and trite. Just don't bother