Review of The Haunting in Connecticut (2009) by Jesús G — 26 Mar 2011

Whether this movie was honestly well-founded in the true story it was supposed to inspire, it doesn't matter to me. I think that the premise and the acting (and the overall atmosphere) could have made of this an extremely amazing and satisfying scary movie.

All I can say, though, is that it wasn't satisfying at all. The emo-dying-cancer-patient lines here and there might appeal to the pseudo-depressed pre-teens in the audience, but the dialog does nothing to cover up the fact that it derives 90% of its horror from cheap, D-list shock tactics like limbs and other assorted objects popping out at random places. The presence of extoplasm (the existence of which has been denied by the very coiners of the concept) annoyed me and kept me from being able to take so many good scenes seriously. My personal favorite scenes involved the bodies that were evidence of the necrophilia.

All in all, if you're just looking for a scare, characters to feel sorry for, a creepy atmosphere, or just a horror movie night with friends, then this movie will exceed expectations. If you're looking for any of the above plus an intelligent, well-crafted, realistic plot with a complex fear factor, then you'd do best to look elsewhere. I didn't like this movie. And, trust me, I really tried.