An American Haunting

Starring: Donald Sutherland, Sissy Spacek, James D'Arcy, Rachel Hurd-Wood
Directed by: Courtney Solomon
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Horror, Drama
2006

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A man (Donald Sutherland) and his wife (Sissy Spacek) watch in horror as their daughter (Rachel Hurd-Wood) is consistently attacked by a poltergeist in the 19th century.

Review:

Tim: This is a horror movie that probably could have been much worse, but ends up being better than you'd expect (although not good enough to be great). The film uses some cheap tricks, but here, they actually work and are surprisingly effective. There is a very creepy mood that pervades this film, and keeps us on the edge of our seats. If you watch this movie alone at night, you're going to get scared.

There are some legitimately creepy scenes. The young girl is just terrorized by this unforeseen force, which is not easy to watch. The first-person camera work that shows the perspective of the supernatural entity is impressively nerve-racking. These really contribute to the overall chilling atmosphere that is present throughout the film. The fact that the movie takes place in the 19th century only adds to the fearful quality. What doesn't work are the modern day scenes that bookend the film. This just serves to disrupt the film (although the final scene here is remarkably memorable). The cast is decent, although none are spectacular. They do a well enough job of being terrorized to at least draw us into the film. James D'Arcy gives perhaps the best performance of the film.

An American Haunting takes an interesting premise (the only known case where the U.S. government officially acknowledged an instance of a spirit causing the death of a person), throws creepy atmosphere in, and gives us a disturbing twist at the end. This isn't a great movie, but it does just enough to entertain its audience and remain a memorable film. You can do better, but you can also do worse.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
The Exorcist, The Exorcism of Emily Rose