The Amityville Horror (2005)
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The story
One year after Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his family in a house in Amityville, New York, George and Kathy Lutz move into the residence with Kathy's three children. The family quickly begins to experience unsettling paranormal events. The situation escalates when they hire a babysitter who reveals the house's dark history of murders. As the haunting intensifies, the family's domestic life begins to fracture, and the children start interacting with a ghostly presence, leading to a desperate struggle to survive the malevolent forces within the home.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Following the 1974 murders of the DeFeo family, George and Kathy Lutz move into 412 Ocean Avenue with their three children. They are soon plagued by paranormal activity, including their daughter Chelsea befriending a ghost named Jodie. After a babysitter is terrified by Jodie and locked in a closet, the haunting turns violent. George becomes increasingly abusive and eventually murders the family dog, Harry, after mistaking it for a demon. Kathy seeks help from Father Callaway, who flees the house in fear. Kathy discovers the house was previously owned by a cult preacher, Reverend Jeremiah Ketcham, who tortured Native Americans in the 17th century. George encounters Ketcham's ghost in the basement, who slits his throat, leaving George nearly possessed. Kathy realizes George is under spiritual control and manages to knock him out and transport him away by boat. The family flees the house within 28 days. The film ends with Jodie screaming in the empty house as it reverts to its original state before she is pulled beneath the floor.
- First release year
- 2005
- Runtime (minutes)
- 89
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Andrew Douglas
- Writers
- Scott Kosar · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Ryan Reynolds; Melissa George; Philip Baker Hall; Chloë Grace Moretz
- Genres
- supernatural horror; psychological horror; religious horror
- Themes
- spirit possession; domestic violence; haunting; religious horror
- Tone and mood
- creepy; scary; busy
- Setting
- Amityville, New York, 1974-1975
- Premise and plot tags
- remake; based on true events; haunted house; mass murder
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson
- Franchise connections
- Amityville Horror
- Content notes
- animal cruelty; child abuse; domestic violence
- Awards and nominations
- Teen Choice Award · winning films · win
- Production trivia
- The house's address was changed from 112 to 412 Ocean Avenue to deter visitors.; The movie facade installed on the house cost $60,000.; The film was the final Dimension Films title ever released on VHS.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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