Review of My Amityville Horror (2013) by Breanna C — 17 Apr 2013

MY AMITYVILLE HORROR takes a fresh angle in examining one of the most notorious and well known so-called "real" hauntings. The documentary chooses Daniel Lutz as its central figure, and he's very compelling, a person still struggling to make sense of the things he witnessed when he was a child.

There's a profound sense of disquiet simmering underneath the surface here, with the backstory of the events that are said to have taken place at 112 Ocean Avenue rendered in evocative fashion, incorporating period news broadcasts, crime scene and other assorted photographs, vintage interviews, and the brand new segments with Daniel Lutz (and a few others), which are shot in a cinematic and moody way.

Now, I've always tended to fall into the "it's probably a hoax, or at the very least exaggerated and overblown" camp, but having seen this film, and having seen the way Lutz is still so clearly and deeply affected by what happened to him, it's hard not to think that some very, very dark and frightening things happened in that house, be they supernatural or otherwise.

Regardless of whether the haunting tale is true or not, it's undeniably a terrific story, and one that makes for a fascinating documentary.