Parents should know that this horror film includes terrifying themes and scenes. The protagonist is tossed about and abused sexually by an unseen entity. She is slapped, raped, and dragged by the ghost. Themes of death are everywhere.
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An American Haunting
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Is it age appropriate?
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Not age appropriate for kids under 14, age appropriate for kids over 99; suggested age 14. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Incoherent and very grim curse/sex abuse story.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 14–18
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
About An American Haunting
Parents need to know that the movie, which claims to be inspired by a true case, involves two levels of evil curse: The first is apparently cast by an irate neighbor (here called a witch); the second is more dreadful, covered up by the first: The father sexually abuses his daughter, and she retaliates. There's loud, frightening music, several jump scenes, and spooky handheld camerawork through dark stairwells, hallways, and woods. The evil force abuses the little girl mercilessly: it drags her, rips her blanket off, slaps her, throws her against walls, appears to molest her, makes her scream repeatedly. (It also scares her little girlfriend, who sleeps over one night.) Force also attacks the father, in the form of a wolf, visible to him, invisible to everyone else. Early party scene features drunken characters. A mother poisons a father, and a 21st-century mom realizes too late that her daughter is also being abused.
Read our full review by Cynthia Fuchs
Families Can Talk About
- Families can talk about the film's elusive scares. Aside from the conventional cues (loud music, dark spaces, handheld camera, jump scenes), the movie uses implied threats and unseen forces: What are the effects of these strategies? You might also want to talk about ghosts and witches' curses, and the idea that the "true story" assumes their existence and effects.
Our Members Say
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give itMy concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Negative role models
Violence and sex rule in thios terrifying supernatural horror film.
- I rate this title iffy for age 12 and give it
I loved it!!!!!!!!!!!
I thought this was a really good movie. It was really good I loved the school teacher he was awesome! I didn't get the whole abuse thing until I read the review so kids won't notice/understand it. Plus it wasn't scary at all it was weird though and hard to follow and at some times random. Over all a tres bien movie!
- I rate this title off for age 17 and give it
- I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it
- I rate this title off for age 17 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- I rate this title iffy for age 17 and give it
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title off for age 13 and give it
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