The Amityville Horror (2005)

24% of critics liked it
(156 reviews)
64% of users liked it
(338,436 ratings)

One of the most celebrated horror films of the late '70s is given a new look in this remake, produced by blockbuster filmmaker Michael Bay. George and Kathy Lutz (Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George) are a young couple who are looking for a new home, and think they've found a dream house in Amityville,… More One of the most celebrated horror films of the late '70s is given a new look in this remake, produced by blockbuster filmmaker Michael Bay. George and Kathy Lutz (Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George) are a young couple who are looking for a new home, and think they've found a dream house in Amityville, Long Island -- a large and beautiful home available at a bargain price. George thinks that there must be a catch, and learns that the house has a dark history -- a year before, a man living in the house murdered his family in their sleep, claiming he was commanded to commit the crime by demons. Shrugging off stories that the house is haunted, George and Kathy move in with their three kids, only to discover that something evil lurks within the house, and even Father McNamara (Philip Baker Hall), an expert on possession, is powerless to clear the dark spirits from the home. The Amityville Horror was based on the same book by Jay Anson that provided the basis for the 1979 film, which in turn documented an actual incident. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 29 min.
Directed By: Andrew Douglas
Written By: Sandor Stern, Scott Kosar
Genres: Horror

In Theaters: Apr 15, 2005 Wide
On DVD: Oct 4, 2005
Studio: MGM

Critic Reviews

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The problem with The Amityville Horror is that, in a very real sense, there's nothing there.
Rex Reed, New York Observer
A few lines get laughs, but the horror is standard fare, without a shred of innovation.
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
Nothing gets in the way of the rote staging, the ham-handed predictability, the feeling that you've been to this house, and yawned at these ghosts, once too often.
David Ng, Village Voice
The Amityville Horror is a Xerox so tattered and faded that it's impossible to determine who's to blame for the overproduced mediocrity before our eyes.
Sean Daly, Washington Post
You'll want to get out of Amityville long before the Lutzes do.
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com
I wasn't shocked by The Amityville Horror, or outraged by it: I felt nothing but disdain.
Joshua Starnes, ComingSoon.net
A remake of the 1979 film, The Amityville Horror tries for a clasic sense of creeping suspense, but is sadly inept.
Steve Biodrowski, Cinefantastique
This is a slightly better-than-expected remake of the 1979 film of the same name.
Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media
Intensely violent and scary -- and a poor remake.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
Less frightening than just unpleasant.
Ethan Alter, Film Journal International
Against the odds, the remake rivals the original for sheer mediocrity.
Joseph Proimakis, Movies for the Masses
the original wasn't really that great, nor did it have a substantial cult following to justify a remake. So, unusual as it may be, this remake is a much, much better film.
Peter T. Chattaway, Christianity Today
The best thing I can say about Andrew Douglas's remake of The Amityville Horror is that it gave me a reason to track down the original film.
Kurt Loder, MTV
The movie's only aspiration is to be a jacked-up re-jiggering of a name-brand horror 'classic.' It sets out to be not just schlock, but pre-chewed schlock.
Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton, Dread Central
The 2005 version of The Amityville Horror is one of the franchises best entries.
Pete Vonder Haar, Film Threat
... The Amityville Horror is the best horror movie of the year so far. Faint praise, to be sure, but at least it's R-rated.

Read all 16 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Anthony L

After watching every single Amityville horror film within a few days of each other I asked the question 'Did this franchise need a remake'? It was the trend in the mid-nineties to remake classic horror films and I believe there was always room for improvement here. So the… More
After watching every single Amityville horror film within a few days of each other I asked the question 'Did this franchise need a remake'? It was the trend in the mid-nineties to remake classic horror films and I believe there was always room for improvement here. So the next question was 'Was the film any good'? and I'm afraid the answer is I don't care, I'm just glad it's all over and I don't have to watch any more of these stupid films. Sometimes I really wish I wasn't such a completest!
Jeff "

The remake of the haunted house classic is a mediocre attempt at a remake. The film fails to capture the elements that made the original Amityville Horror such a classic. I felt that the film had too many cheap scares, scares that weren't effective, and that the pacing of the… More
The remake of the haunted house classic is a mediocre attempt at a remake. The film fails to capture the elements that made the original Amityville Horror such a classic. I felt that the film had too many cheap scares, scares that weren't effective, and that the pacing of the film was poor, thus the scary atmosphere was cheap. Add to that an awful cast, and you have a remake that simply doesn't cut it. I'm not a big fan of Ryan Reynolds and his performance was pretty bad here. Despite the fact that this is an unnecessary remake, compared to many, it's not too bad, but it's still pretty mediocre. The original added a sense of genuine fear, and dread; this is replaced with cheap jump scares that half the time doesn't work. The cast here are easily forgettable, and really don't bring anything effective to the screen. The original counted on atmosphere to create tension and horror, an element that is absent in this remake. This remake is plagued with a bad script, and it copies too many elements from the original. The only difference is, is that the original is a classic. This film isn't. The cast seem bored, and they overact their parts. The film doesn't feel real, the horror is cheaply delivered and in the end, it's just a waste of time. The Amityville Horror fails to deliver any genuine chills or good horror for that matter. The cast is forgettable, and they really don't cut it in this film. A forgettable horror remake.
Bethany M

Ryan Reynolds plays a great role in this and it never fails to scare me everytime I watch it.
J P

I don't really think Ryan Reynolds was meant to be in a horror film. He doesn't strike me as that kind of actor. However I did really enjoy this film. The images are disturbing and gruesome and kept me awake at night. I first watched this movie when I was 12 and it… More
I don't really think Ryan Reynolds was meant to be in a horror film. He doesn't strike me as that kind of actor. However I did really enjoy this film. The images are disturbing and gruesome and kept me awake at night. I first watched this movie when I was 12 and it scared the hell out of me. But after watching it 5 years later, it didn't seem as scary as it did when I was younger. I had nightmares for a week when I first watched this movie, just because the scenes were really graphic and intense- the little boy in the bathroom, Jodie in the closet- it was all really well executed in my opinion. I'm still hesitant to watch the scene with the babysitter in the closet. That was a really creepy and frightening part of the movie. This movie is definitely very scary because of the special effects, intense scenes, and disturbing images. It's a great movie.
Dean M

This remake of 1979 horror classic is getting much shocker with tortured ghosts and paranormal oozing - is a sure-fire case of the creepy-crawlies. Believe it or not if this horror film is possibility based on a true story with the real-life characters? Ryan Reynolds makes an… More
This remake of 1979 horror classic is getting much shocker with tortured ghosts and paranormal oozing - is a sure-fire case of the creepy-crawlies. Believe it or not if this horror film is possibility based on a true story with the real-life characters? Ryan Reynolds makes an impressively menacing. Horror remake of 1979's The Amityville Horror and based on the 1977 novel by Jay Anson.
Lewis C

As far as modern horror movies goes, the Amityville horror isn't that bad. There were a few times while I was watching it when I was genuinely spooked, and that's more than I was expecting. Sure it has the creepy kids, spooky things in the mirror, and jump scares that are… More
As far as modern horror movies goes, the Amityville horror isn't that bad. There were a few times while I was watching it when I was genuinely spooked, and that's more than I was expecting. Sure it has the creepy kids, spooky things in the mirror, and jump scares that are a near-requirement for 75% of horror flicks, but I was still pretty into it...up until the fairly lame and anti-climactic ending. Ryan Reynolds played his role pretty well, and he was believable as his character gradually changes over the course of the move. Melissa George was just gorgeous, as usual. Fans of hers will enjoy a one scene, in particular. I haven't seen the original Amityville Horror, so I can't compare the two. But after the crappy horror movies I've seen lately (like Mirrors), watching it was a relief. It isn't fantastic, but it's much better than utter garbage like that.
Dead A

I wouldn't deny that it wasn't scary at all. It was, a little bit.
Tim S

I walked out on this one. One of the few times I've ever walked out on a movie.
KJ P

Just like every horror remake, Poor! Always the same!
Cassandra M

There are only two movies that have literally made me go edge of my seat. One is Phone Booth and the other is The Amityville Horror. All credits to the director Andrew Douglas for this movie. The way everything is revealed and falls into place is like a perfect jigsaw puzzle and is… More
There are only two movies that have literally made me go edge of my seat. One is Phone Booth and the other is The Amityville Horror. All credits to the director Andrew Douglas for this movie. The way everything is revealed and falls into place is like a perfect jigsaw puzzle and is excellent too see on screen, slightly similar to The Ring but done much better. And excellent acting from Ryan Reynolds especially the way he changes from the beginning of the movie to the end.Certainly among the best horror films.
Conner R

An extremely well done remake that captures the visual style of the original. It was a giant surprise to see that Ryan Reynolds actually has a range of acting ability. The story was done just as much justice this time around and the characters were even more believable.
♥˩ƳИИ &

Wow Ryan Reynolds played this part really good. Creeped me out. Gave me chills. I loved it. Best Amityville Horror movie I have seen, and I have seen a few. But this one has been the best yet. Really wish they would quit remaking so many movies over and over again, but in this case I… More
Wow Ryan Reynolds played this part really good. Creeped me out. Gave me chills. I loved it. Best Amityville Horror movie I have seen, and I have seen a few. But this one has been the best yet. Really wish they would quit remaking so many movies over and over again, but in this case I am glad they made just one more. But thats enough.. Really..
Lorenzo v

"Katch 'em, kill 'em" On December 18, 1975, George and Kathy Lutz along with their children moved into a house in the legendary Amityville, New York. It would have been their dream home...if their dreams were nightmares. Ryan Reynolds and… More
"Katch 'em, kill 'em" On December 18, 1975, George and Kathy Lutz along with their children moved into a house in the legendary Amityville, New York. It would have been their dream home...if their dreams were nightmares. Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George co-star in this update of the classic horror movie. Review This film is simply another nail in the coffin for the hopes of horror fans such as myself that an American cast and crew will deliver a genuinely frightful offering for our senses. 'The Amityville Horror' belongs to a growing collection of recent horror films from the USA which are seemingly designed only to make test audiences jump in the seats every so often. Only this can explain the barrage of loud noises and flashing images we seem to experience whenever a scary scene emerges from the otherwise mediocre dialogue and cinematography. What happened to the skillful build-up of tension created by effective use of location seen in films like 'Don't Look Now'? Or the feelings of unease experienced during 'Rosemary's Baby'? Special effects is the villain from this reviewer's perspective. Time and time again, 'The Amityville Horror' presents us with shocking images of the evil in the house. However, with no tension, fear, or suspense in place, all these images can be appreciated for is the technical expertise which went into making them. I only hope that audiences will begin to punish the Hollywood horror factory for this stream of limp attempts.
Kylie B

The original was horrendous, and this isn't much better. Sure, the effects look slicker than the first, though some are equally amusing, but the real problem is that this version focused far more on the father being possessed - which towards the end resulted in it being very like… More
The original was horrendous, and this isn't much better. Sure, the effects look slicker than the first, though some are equally amusing, but the real problem is that this version focused far more on the father being possessed - which towards the end resulted in it being very like The Shining in terms of plot and motive. The original book by Jay Ansell I loved, and would recommend to anyone who finds both films somewhat lacklustre.
Jens S

One of the many horror remakes of recent years, but one that actually turns out to be a pretty decent movie. While it uses quite a few stereotypes of horror flicks (someone in the mirror, exorcism, rain, library research) the directing is good enough to keep you interested and… More
One of the many horror remakes of recent years, but one that actually turns out to be a pretty decent movie. While it uses quite a few stereotypes of horror flicks (someone in the mirror, exorcism, rain, library research) the directing is good enough to keep you interested and presents a few pretty good scares. The daylight roof scene is wonderfully dizzying and the overall atmosphere quite gloomy. What keeps this movie from getting a higher rating is that the showdown is rather rushed and the total runtime way too short. Still, worth a look for horror fans and actually one of the scarier movies of recent years. Plus: Melissa George is one of the most gorgeous women I have ever seen, that helps too.
A.D. V

Due to the fact that the original was so god awful this redux is one of a very few films that deserved to be remade and as it turns out it is leaps and bounds better than that '79 turkey.
Candy R

Scarey movie. It's a real place!
Dan S

Awful, just really bad.
Megan S

It wasn't horrible but it wasn't really scary and I'm a wimp sometimes when it comes to scary movies. We were even watching it on a stormy night, hehe.
Lafe F

Big-Budget reworking of the Amityville Horror tale, done with 2005 horror movie style. They failed to evoke a 1970's feeling; it was too new and glossy. Many of the scenes were over-the-top, with an Indian torture chamber in the basement, a ghost-girl in the bedroom closet, the… More
Big-Budget reworking of the Amityville Horror tale, done with 2005 horror movie style. They failed to evoke a 1970's feeling; it was too new and glossy. Many of the scenes were over-the-top, with an Indian torture chamber in the basement, a ghost-girl in the bedroom closet, the little girl climbing precarious on the roof of the house, a senseless pet murder, and a scene intending to build tension with the crazed daddy making his boy hold firewood in place while he chopped it. The spooky theme music from the original film was nowhere to be heard! That was one of the major fear-points of the original. There weren't enough thunder and lightning storms to evoke any sort of atmosphere. It all felt very high-budget and controlled, reducing the scariness. The house looked too different to really associate any of the old photos with the terror. They tried, but it just wasn't scary.