An American Haunting

PG-13

Released May 5, 2006

1h 30m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

List

13%

69 Reviews

Tomatometer

35%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Landowners in 1817 Tennessee, John (Donald Sutherland) and Lucy Bell (Sissy Spacek) experience strange and terrifying events after fellow parishioners find John guilty of loan-sharking and his victim curses the Bell family. The incidents culminate in the daughter's (Rachel Hurd-Wood) apparent possession by demons.

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Critics Consensus

Well, it looks good. But wasn't it supposed to be scary?

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Audience Member

Such bad editing makes the ending so confusing

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/27/24

Full Review

Dawn T

Not worth your time. Bad concept, not scary or suspenseful, eye-rolling reveal.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

10/09/23

Full Review

Trey W

I am absolutely disgusted by this movie's portrayal of this story. As someone who grew up in the area; of the hundreds of times I've heard this story, never, have I ever, heard such an outrageous and disturbing depiction of John Bell. This is absolutely disgusting and is in no way, shape, or form accurate in any way. The fact that they say this is "based on a true story" is a slap in the face to the Bell family and the people of Adams, Tn. This movie is complete garbage and should be considered 'fan fiction' at best.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/20/23

Full Review

Colin M

Supernatural tale. Told mainly in the past. But lacked a sufficient ending in the present: instead seeming to end just in the middle of something that needed more.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/03/23

Full Review

Georgan G

Not a horror film, really. Pretty cinematography but it took two subplots to show the haunting was about child sexual abuse.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

05/27/23

Full Review

Andres H

good story, good actors, the special effects accord the time that it transcurred, remember is based on a true story, so you cant find an extra sobrenatural adventure

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/06/23

Full Review

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Courtney Solomon

Director

Donald Sutherland

John Bell

Sissy Spacek

Lucy Bell

Rachel Hurd-Wood

Betsy Bell

James D'Arcy

Richard Powell

Matthew Marsh

James Johnston

Show Less Cast & Crew

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47%

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Roger Moore

Orlando Sentinel

Rated: 1/5

May 13, 2009

Full Review

Brian Tallerico

UGO

Takes the most documented ghost story in history and doesn't create one truly scary moment.

Mar 24, 2007

Full Review

Empire Magazine

Rated: 1/5

Dec 30, 2006

Full Review

Alberto Abuín

Espinof

A bad movie, that I assure you is a waste of time. [Full Review in Spanish]

Feb 14, 2020

Full Review

Debbie Lynn Elias

Behind The Lens

Guaranteed to keep you up at night with every light in the house on, An American Haunting is the best haunt we've had in a long time.

Nov 6, 2019

Full Review

Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

The frights are few and the moment of horrific revelation is a big letdown in writer/director Courtney Solomon's cinematic treatment of Brent Monahan's novel "The Bell Witch: An American Haunting."

Rated: C-

Apr 19, 2009

Full Review

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Synopsis

Landowners in 1817 Tennessee, John (Donald Sutherland) and Lucy Bell (Sissy Spacek) experience strange and terrifying events after fellow parishioners find John guilty of loan-sharking and his victim curses the Bell family. The incidents culminate in the daughter's (Rachel Hurd-Wood) apparent possession by demons.

Director: Courtney Solomon
Producer: Allan Zeman, Robert Little, Nelson Leong, Simon Franks, Lawrence Steven Meyers, Zygi Kamasa, Julien Remillard, Maxime Rémillard
Screenwriter: Courtney Solomon
Distributor: Freestyle Releasing
Production Co: Media Pro Pictures, Christopher Milburn Production, Remstar Productions, Midsummer Films, After Dark Films
Rating: PG-13 (Thematic Material|Intense Terror Sequences)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 5, 2006, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 1, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $16.3M
Runtime: 1h 30m

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