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An American Haunting (2005) 5.0
Ratings:
5.0/10 from 21,586 users
Metascore: 38/100
Reviews: 746 user | 124 critic | 18 from Metacritic.com Based on the true events of the only case in US History where a spirit caused the death of a man. Director:Courtney Solomon |
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Donald Sutherland | ... | ||
| Sissy Spacek | ... | ||
| James D'Arcy | ... | ||
| Rachel Hurd-Wood | ... |
Betsy Bell /
Entity Voice
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| Matthew Marsh | ... | ||
| Thom Fell | ... | ||
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Zoe Thorne | ... |
Theny Thorn
(as Zoë Thorne)
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Gaye Brown | ... | |
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Sam Alexander | ... | |
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Miquel Brown | ... | |
| Vernon Dobtcheff | ... |
Elder #1
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| Shauna Shim | ... | ||
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Madalina Stan | ... |
Ethereal Girl
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| Philip Hurd-Wood | ... |
Partygoer
(as Phillip Hurd-Wood)
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Vlad Cruceru | ... | |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
In 2006, in Red River, Tennessee, a teenager has frequent nightmares. Her mother reads an old letter from 1817 written by her ancestor, Lucy Bell. After a dispute of lands judged by the church, her husband John Bell is cursed by his opponent Kathe Batts, who has a fame of being a witch. From this moment on, an entity threatens John and her daughter Betsy Bell, attacking the girl during the nights. With the support of Betsy's school teacher Richard Powell, who tries to find rational explanations for the manifestation; her brother John Bell Jr.; and their friend James Johnston, who unsuccessfully tries to exorcize the entity from the house, the family does their best to protect Betsy in the haunted house. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Plot Keywords:
lifting someone into the air | paranormal phenomena | father son relationship | ghost | voice over narration |Taglines:
Possession Knows No BoundsMotion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated PG-13 for intense terror sequences and thematic material | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
5 May 2006 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Apariciones See more »Box Office
Budget:
$14,000,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend:
£541,446 (UK) (14 April 2006)Gross:
$430,745 (Brazil) (6 October 2006)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (unrated)Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
Edit
Despite being based on one of the most famous ghost stories in American history and including a solid cast, this 'horror' film is anything but scary, dramatic, or even interesting. Instead, the flick is largely boring, confusing, and poorly executed. Even though it clocks in at a running time of just 90 minutes or so, the film drags throughout most of the non-horror scenes, and even through some of the so-called 'scary' moments. All of it leads up to a conclusion that is baffling, illogical, and very stupid. The twist is one of the least sensible of its kind in recent memory, as there is nothing in the film, up to that point, to warrant such a move. Pretty much a terrible film.
Though the cast looks solid on paper, the acting here is quite bad. Everyone looks like they're just picking up a paycheck, from Sutherland, who looks bored, to Spacek, who's never been more shrill, to Rachel Hurd-Word, who attempts to do her best Linda Blair impression but ends up just screaming and staring around wide-eyed most of the time. The direction is absolutely abysmal, as all scenes with the spirit look incredibly amateurish with the swooping camera, and, for some reason, are shot in black and white. Although it's clear this was done with some foolish artistic idea in mind, it ends up standing out terribly and erases any small amount of suspense or tension that might have been built up. Most of the suspense, though, is destroyed by the absolutely atrocious editing, which is, at once, frustrating, annoying, and pointless. It all adds up to a lame excuse for a horror film.
The only thing that saves this from being a complete waste is that there are some cool visuals, and occasionally some decent cinematography. Other than that, though, this is an abomination of film, with terrible acting, dreadful directing, and awful editing. A complete waste of time.