The American Scream

2012

1h 31m

Holiday

Documentary

List

100%

Tomatometer

9 Reviews

69%

Audience Score

250+ Ratings

Residents of Fairhaven, Mass., show their Halloween spirit by transforming their homes and yards into a spooky showcase.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

We discover that the haunted house hobby has inspired a small industry, annual conventions and inspirational talks by haunters.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 25, 2012

Full Review

Ernest Hardy

Village Voice

Though not must-see cinema, it is entertaining and affecting.

Oct 19, 2012

Full Review

Eric Kohn

indieWire

Think Death of a Salesman with demons.

Rated: A-

Oct 5, 2012

Full Review

Amie Simon

Three Imaginary Girls

Watching each family put together their haunted constructions, and talk about why they love doing it, and why they love Halloween is beautiful, inspiring, and just plain fun.

Mar 4, 2019

Full Review

Scott Weinberg

TheHorrorShow

A sweet, simple, satisfying documentary about a bunch of people who really love the Halloween season.

Aug 26, 2015

Full Review

Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

For a celebration of [Halloween] or a look at how hobbies can fuel our lives, this is very much worthy of your attention.

Rated: 3/4

Dec 11, 2012

Full Review

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Audience Member

"When you're scared, you're most alive" is what aspiring haunter Victor Bariteau says in this documentary. The film follows three neighbors who recreate their homes into a haunted house attraction for that one special day of the year. It's an interesting look at the creativity and passion that these men and their families put into their homemade haunts. Worth a look if you're into this behind the screams story.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Perfectly fine. Nothing special or moving, this is simply what it promises to be. A deeper look into the lives and people involved could have really pushed this further.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Fun to watch for Halloween :)

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This documentary explores the phenomenon of home haunters who haul ass all year to crest a horrifying experience for the neighbor hood.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I always find it interesting to see what other people consider leisure/hobbies/etc. That movie did this, but I didn't like that it had more than a little bit of a "isn't this sad" (judgy) feel.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

"The American Scream" lacks any real complexity or depth, but it's cute and heartwarming and would probably make for a fun annual Halloween viewing.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

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Michael Stephenson

Director

Shane O'Brien

Executive Producer

Justin Smith

Executive Producer

Michael Stephenson

Producer

Zack Carlson

Producer

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Synopsis

Residents of Fairhaven, Mass., show their Halloween spirit by transforming their homes and yards into a spooky showcase.

Director: Michael Stephenson
Producer: Michael Stephenson, Zack Carlson
Production Co: Brainstorm Media, OJO Entertainment
Genre: Holiday, Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 18, 2014
Runtime: 1h 31m

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