The Amusement Park

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1:36

The Amusement Park

1975

53m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

76 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

Recently discovered and restored 46 years after its completion by the George A. Romero Foundation and produced by Suzanne Desrocher-Romero, The Amusement Park stars Martin's Lincoln Maazel as an elderly man who finds himself disoriented and increasingly isolated as the pains, tragedies and humiliations of aging in America are manifested through roller coasters and chaotic crowds. Commissioned by the Lutheran Society, the film is perhaps Romero's wildest and most imaginative movie, an allegory about the nightmarish realities of growing older, and is an alluring snapshot of the filmmaker's early artistic capacity and style and would go on to inform his ensuing filmography. The "lost" film was restored in 4k by IndieCollect in New York City.

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Critics Consensus

A blunt yet visceral depiction of society's treatment of the elderly, The Amusement Park sees George A. Romero exploring a different -- yet still chilling -- type of terror.

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Scout Tafoya

RogerEbert.com

06/16/2021

4/4

"The Amusement Park" is the only one of Romero's films that feels deliberately episodic without losing its through-line.

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Brian Tallerico

The Playlist

06/16/2021

A-

"The Amusement Park" is a concise film (only 52 minutes), but Romero packs it so full of detail and ambition that it contains more to appreciate than most films that run three times as long.

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Maitland McDonagh

Film Comment Magazine

06/16/2021

The Amusement Park is sharp social commentary rooted in brutal reality, a clear cousin to Romero's Living Dead movies despite the fact that it was a work-for-hire project.

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Paul Klein

FILMHOUNDS Magazine

07/04/2024

4/5

What The Amusement Park offers is not only a dizzying, and at times disturbing look at the world through the eyes of our most vulnerable but a reminder that Romero was one of the best when it came to mixing genre and message.

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Soham Gadre

Vague Visages

01/09/2024

Romero’s movies have a workshop feel to them, which elevates the horror to a startlingly realistic terror as if it was being documented live.

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Bill Bria

Vague Visages

06/06/2023

Thanks to their need to propagandize, these films often lack nuance and are tonally dull, and some of them even lack creativity. Romero refuses to let The Amusement Park fall into this trap at every turn.

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Jimmy W

@Jettlarsin Mar 20

The movie shows how nothing has really changed in our society when it's comes to dealing with aging of our old. Society is locked in a mode of denial until we become old ourselves. The world is only for the young in our lives. Become old and become forgotten.

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Carlos I

@carlosFibarra 05/20/2025

The Amusement Park is a dizzying journey into the mind of an elderly man lost in a maze of his own memories, and its long-awaited release is a cinematic gift. That this profound and unsettling film was merely a work-for-hire project further solidifies the genius of George A. Romero, demonstrating his unparalleled ability to extract deep thematic resonance and disquieting artistry from even the most restrictive of commissions.

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Horror fan 4

@Horrorfan4life 05/17/2025

What a hidden gem. Even with the short run-time this movie was better than I thought it would be. Best scene is the 3 little pigs story time. Tim Treakle

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Jonah K

@RT99883862 07/31/2024

Inevitability is terrifying.

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Logan D

@Greynomad38 11/12/2023

An elderly man attempts to enjoy an amusement park but increasingly finds the patrons are against him and his fellow seniors. Commissioned by the Lutheran Society, the film is an absurdist nightmare that allegorizes the treatment of many seniors in our society. As such, the horror is a reality and therefore heartrending. I enjoyed the artistry but it hits hard. Thought lost until a 16mm print was discovered and delivered to Romero and his wife in 2017. A restored version premiered in 2019. Lincoln Mazel, who plays the unnamed protagonist, lived to be a centenarian and died at 106. I thought he looked pretty spry for a 73 year old in the film!

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Peter W

@RT12077588 11/24/2022

Overall, it's pretty amazing that George A. Romano made a movie in 1973, which has finally surfaced thanks to the good people at Shudder! This is unlike anything I have ever seen from George A. Romero and cinema. The Amusement Park is a world that is unforgettable and yet disturbing. It is a unique horror style filled with creativity that will have its viewers feeling and sympathising with every moment on screen. Visiting The Amusement Park is worth your while, and who knows, maybe I will see you at the park one day.

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George A. Romero

Director

Lincoln Maazel

The Old Man

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Actor

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The Amusement Park: Trailer 1

1:36

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Synopsis

Recently discovered and restored 46 years after its completion by the George A. Romero Foundation and produced by Suzanne Desrocher-Romero, The Amusement Park stars Martin's Lincoln Maazel as an elderly man who finds himself disoriented and increasingly isolated as the pains, tragedies and humiliations of aging in America are manifested through roller coasters and chaotic crowds. Commissioned by the Lutheran Society, the film is perhaps Romero's wildest and most imaginative movie, an allegory about the nightmarish realities of growing older, and is an alluring snapshot of the filmmaker's early artistic capacity and style and would go on to inform his ensuing filmography. The "lost" film was restored in 4k by IndieCollect in New York City.

Director: George A. Romero
Screenwriter: Wally Cook
Distributor: RLJ Entertainment
Production Co: Laurel Tape & Film, Lutheran Film Division
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 8, 1975, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 8, 2021
Runtime: 53m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1)