The Amityville Horror

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The Amityville Horror

R

Released Jul 27, 1979

1h 57m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

31%

Tomatometer

45 Reviews

52%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Chiller about a family who is terrorized by supernatural forces when they move into a new house in New York State which was the scene of a recent mass killing and the home of an 18th-century satanist. When swarms of flies appear from nowhere and the pipes and walls begin to ooze slime and blood, they call on a local priest to exorcise the evil spirits.

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Critics Consensus

Dull and disappointing, the best that can be said for The Amityville Horror is that it set a low bar for its many sequels and remakes.

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

[The Amityville Horror] begins with the promising premise of a haunted house in the suburbs (poltergeists in the barbecue pit?) and quickly degenerates into a display of pretentious camera angles.

Mar 20, 2019

Full Review

K.C. Summers

Washington Post

The Amityville Horror is a horror. What is supposed to be the true story of a young couple driven from their dream house by demons turns out to be nothing more than a rip-off, and a tedious one at that.

Mar 20, 2019

Full Review

Anton Bitel

Little White Lies

Its pacing is off, there are too many go-nowhere subplots, & it seems just to come to a clunking halt at the end [but] the film's lack of commitment to any single reading of its narrative architecture is precisely what makes it so uncanny.

Jun 26, 2017

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

A pack of flies swarm all over Father Delaney --- then again, given Rod Steiger's howling performance as the priest, it could just be that the flies like reeking ham.

Rated: 1.5/4

Feb 12, 2023

Full Review

Joe Lipsett

Bloody Disgusting

The Amityville Horror is a quintessential haunted house film...One of the film’s challenges is the workman-like direction from Stuart Rosenberg and lackadaisical editing by Robert Brown, but Brolin and Kidder deliver truly committed performances.

Rated: 2.5/5

Nov 11, 2022

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Eve Tushnet

Patheos

The extended climax falls especially flat...

Feb 28, 2020

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Anton H

Creepy house atmosphere, real-life horror of violent family dysfunction, and a haunting score by Lalo Schifrin make this a guilty pleasure favorite. Not an excellent film, but a worthy horror classic.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/08/24

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Andy F

Looking at it all these years later, it's actually a brilliantly acted masterclass of subtle horror.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/01/24

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James B

While it might be underappreciated in its time and I can see why. The Amityville Horror is a cult film with many sequels. While It may be boring at sometimes and the ending might be disappointing to some it does have a good start and an amazing premise.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/01/24

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Aaron C

A classic haunted house horror, that gives you the chills. Don't understand the negative comments, ok the ending isn't great but still overall a great horror

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/26/24

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Matthew Y

It felt like the entire movie was the second act, and in the end it just kind of went nowhere. Maybe because it was presented as a "true story," and they didn't want to invent an ending. I don't kow what was going on behind the scenes, but the end result was a total waste of two hours.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

10/22/24

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Horror fan 4

A very creepy movie with 2 very good lead performances. Tim Treakle

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/21/24

Full Review

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Stuart Rosenberg

Director

James Brolin

George Lutz

Margot Kidder

Kathy Lutz

Rod Steiger

Father Delaney

Don Stroud

Father Bolen

Natasha Ryan

Amy

The Amityville Horror: Official Clip - Flies Attack Father Delaney

3:02

The Amityville Horror: Official Clip - I'm Coming Apart!

1:56

The Amityville Horror: Official Clip - Window Pain

0:58

The Amityville Horror: Official Clip - Axe Man

1:13

The Amityville Horror: Official Clip - Amy's Friend, Jody

0:41

The Amityville Horror: Official Clip - Bleeding House

3:00

The Amityville Horror: Official Clip - Aunt Helena Freaks Out

2:41

The Amityville Horror: Official Clip - Carolyn is Possessed

2:12

The Amityville Horror: Official Clip - Father Delany's Prayer

2:10

The Amityville Horror: Official Clip - Kathy Sees Jody

1:05

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Synopsis

Chiller about a family who is terrorized by supernatural forces when they move into a new house in New York State which was the scene of a recent mass killing and the home of an 18th-century satanist. When swarms of flies appear from nowhere and the pipes and walls begin to ooze slime and blood, they call on a local priest to exorcise the evil spirits.

Director: Stuart Rosenberg
Producer: Ronald Saland, Elliot Geisinger
Screenwriter: Sandor Stern
Distributor: American International Pictures
Production Co: American International Pictures (AIP)
Rating: R
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 27, 1979, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 31, 2017
Runtime: 1h 57m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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