 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Amityville Horror
- Review Date: October 3, 2005
- R
- Genre: Horror
- 2005
Common Sense Media says
Intensely violent and scary -- and a poor remake.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this movie contains a first sequence where a young man shoots his sleeping family in their beds; a mild drinking scene at a restaurant; a sex scene between married couple George and Kathy (her nude back is shown); repeated scenes of George turning increasingly mean, violent, and scary-looking; his axe-attack on the family dog; and a last sequence where he chases Kathy and her three kids with a shotgun and axe. George and Kathy use strong language (repeated uses of "f--k").
What's the story?
THE AMITYVILLE HORROR begins with a prologue about the first bloody murders. Cut to one year later, when George (Ryan Reynolds) and wife Kathy (Melissa George) move in with her kids Billy (Jesse James), Michael (Jimmy Bennett), and Chelsea (Chloë Grace Moretz). As soon as they move in, menacing voices tell George to kill his family. Chelsea communes with the ghost of the dead daughter, who talks her into a dangerous rooftop climb. Complaining that the house is always cold, George moves into the basement to be near the furnace. He starts yelling at the children and punishing them excessively. George's personality changes are evident, but he returns to his old, pleasant self whenever he leaves the house. Kathy calls in a priest (Philip Baker Hall) with holy water, but he flees in fear, leaving her to cope with the demons and her raging husband.
Is it any good?
Though Ryan Reynolds turns in a convincingly ominous performance, edged with dark humor, this remake is erratic and intensely violent, especially against children. The updated scary effects -- stormy nights, stalker cameras, and jump-editing -- create a chilling atmosphere that surpasses the original film's notorious cheesiness.
But nonsensical plot holes overwhelm any scene-by-scene effectiveness, as the characters make frequent bad decisions (leaving the children alone in the house, or with a babysitter they don't know), and fall victim to shoddy transitions between scenes. It's also implausible (and annoying) that Kathy puts up with George's growing viciousness at home, considering he's as nice as can be when he's away from the house.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about haunted houses. How do these stories address fears of relocating, old houses, and seemingly inexplicable mass murders? How does this version reinforce the children's concern about accepting a new father and feeling disloyal to the dead father? Families might also discuss the movie's representations of troubling extended family relationships (stepfather who turns abusive and then murderous), ineffective religious agents (a priest is frightened by the house and abandons the family), and the mother's confusion at her husband's erratic behavior (afraid of him herself, she allows him to threaten her children).
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
Awesome movie...wasn't exactly scary, but well made. The movie definitely did not earn it's R rating. The sex scene showed about three seconds of a bare back, and I've heard worse language in an elementary school than it had. I guess the violence could be an issue for some people.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Awesome movie
Great movie....it has a happy ending which i like...sadly the dog died
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
good for teens and up
Okay, first of all, this movie has a jump scene that might as well give you a frikin' heart attack so be ready. Second of all, i liked it, but its EXTREMELY SCARY and has very disturbing scenes. Also has a brief sex scene no actual nudity and brief but still iffy.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
watch out
The movie was fine. i saw this with a few friends. it is not as if the movie was anything i hadnt seen it was just scary. we were screaming a lot. do not allow a kid who gets scared easily or stays scared for a long time to see this movie. it will make you scream. on the other hand it is a perfect sleepover movie for your teenage girls who you think can handle it.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
this is one of the scariest movies I ever saw,I meanm I couldn't sleep after watching alone in my bedroom,I dont believe that this actually happened in that house in Amityville,but the story and the murder in the house is scary enough to make you scream a couple of times while watching the movie and the story made me shudder when I read it for the first time,Its a good movie,but really scary...
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Disappointing acting, WAY too much violence and gore!!
This movie is INTENSELY scary and violent. There is a lot of blood. In almost every scene there is something gory. Lots of ghosts, dismembered bodies, girls hanging from the ceiling, walls dripping blood, ect. The acting was disappointing at best, but trust me, that will be the last thing on your mind while watching this. Overall, it was terrible. I do not recommend to ANYONE!!!!
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
a horrible remake of an old horror movie
OK this movie isn't that inniapropiate there are some scenes where they are going to have sex but its blocked off in that scene there a gruesome photo of a hung girl in the beginning you see the Defoe family get shot and killed some scenes include for example a kid goes to the bathroom he pees and you see it he washes his hand you see an indian demon and blood on the sink also there is axe violence a girl named Jodie who was shot in the head who can be seen and a babysitter gets trapped and well there is much more gruesome stuff
Was this review useful?
|
|
| Studio: | MGM/UA |
| Director: | Andrew Douglas |
| Cast: | Jesse James, Melissa George, Ryan Reynolds |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Run time: | 100 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | April 15, 2005 |
| DVD release date: | October 4, 2005 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | violence and terror, sexuality, language and brief drug use |
Review It
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already seen it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
