Amityville: The Awakening

This umpteenth sequel in the Amityville franchise isn't that great, but it's surprisingly better than most of the other entries. Directed by Franck Khalfoun (P2, the remake of Maniac, etc.), Amityville: The Awakening -- which was postponed many times over nearly three years -- actually brings a couple of interesting ideas and characters to the table. There's poor James, lost in a coma, as well as all the stress and jealousy that his situation brings about in the family. It's a strong start, rather than some clueless family simply moving into a haunted house.

Moreover, the movie sets its story in a universe where the true story (the 1974 murders) actually occurred and became the basis for the fictional movies. (It jokingly points out how awful the 2005 Amityville Horror remake is.) And Khalfoun's camerawork and editing are a notch above the usual noisy jump scares in most horror movies. But at every point, Amityville: The Awakening drops the ball. It never follows up on any of its ideas, never takes anything very far. It ends up feeling disappointingly simplistic. By the time the third-act climax comes, it all seems fairly pointless.