An American Haunting Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Possession Knows No Bounds
In 2006, in Red River, Tennessee, a teenager has frequent nightmares. Her mother reads an old letter from 1817 written by her ancestor, Lucy Bell. After a dispute of lands judged by the church, her husband John Bell is cursed by his opponent Kathe Batts, who has a fame of being a witch. From this moment on, an entity threatens John and her daughter Betsy Bell, attacking the girl during the nights. With the support of Betsy's school teacher Richard Powell, who tries to find rational explanations for the manifestation; her brother John Bell Jr.; and their friend James Johnston, who unsuccessfully tries to exorcize the entity from the house, the family does their best to protect Betsy in the haunted house.
| Donald Sutherland | John Bell |
| Sissy Spacek | Lucy Bell |
| James D'Arcy | Richard Powell |
| Rachel Hurd-Wood | Betsy Bell/Entity Voice |
| Matthew Marsh | James Johnston |
| Thom Fell | John Bell Jr. |
| Zoe Thorne | Theny Thorn |
| Gaye Brown | Kathe Batts |
| Sam Alexander | Joshua Gardner |
| Miquel Brown | Chloe |
| Vernon Dobtcheff | Elder #1 |
| Shauna Shim | Anky |
| Madalina Stan | Ethereal Girl |
| Philip Hurdwood | Partygoer |
| Vlad Cruceru | Richard Bell |
| Courtney Solomon |
4.80 out of 10 (7059 votes)
Visitor Reviews
I am happy
posted on 22 Aug 2009An American Haunting is one of those movies you think you know what's gonna happen. So you go see it anyway. Why, no one really knows. But that is just the way humans are. So I knew and I went and I was surprised. And I was happy. And I am still happy. It was great! One of these films you think you know and then you don't. I love these kinds of films and I would love to see more of that happening in Hollywood. Well there is one thing it is not: It is not boring! Me and my partner had a great time and we will remember this evening for a long time. If you are looking for horror combined with reality then go see this film. It is superbly well done! It has a great plot you will never figure out and expect and it has great actors. I love the actors especially James D'Arcy, and the little girl. It was filmed in Rumania and is absolutely well done!!! A must for a film lover.
Hauntingly Disappointing
posted on 22 Aug 2009I, for one, am not a firm believer in ghosts. That said, however, my disbelief has never stopped me from being interested in the stories of hauntings and the people (both living and dead) who are affected by them. Among those stories, one of my favorites was that of The Bell Witch, which tormented the Bell Family of Tennessee in the early 1800's. It is this legendary well-documented tale of a haunting that resulted in a murder that "An American Haunting" uses as its source material. Though it initially takes place in the present, the movie's plot revolves primarily around a recounting of John Bell (played by Donald Sutherland), his wife, Lucy, (Sissy Spacek), and their children as they are plagued by a malevolent, invisible spirit that seems bent on making their lives Hell. The spirit originally focuses a vast majority of its attention on the Bells' daughter, Betsy (Rachel Hurd-Wood), dragging her out of bed in the middle of the night and subjecting her to fierce beatings by unseen hands that defy logical explanations. Later, however, the spirit turns its wrath on John Bell, himself. All of this comes with dire consequences for the Bell family as they struggle to make sense of what they're experiencing. Anyone familiar with the case would expect this to be a truly horrifying movie about the supernatural. Unfortunately, the end result is far from it. Few, if any, of the actors involved give really convincing performances. Donald Sutherland, in particular, comes across as almost being bored while on screen. Audience members may actually wonder if he's sleepwalking at times as he goes about his roll and mumbles . Sissy Spacek doesn't fare much better. She is under-utilized in this film, but when she is used, her character does little more than scream out lines. In further detriment to the film is the directing. Much of the film is shot in such darkness that it becomes difficult for the viewer to see what's happening. Also, goofy visual effects such as seemingly random scenes shot in black-and-white scenes and shots of the actors through the eyes of the Bell Witch, itself, are pointless and prove distracting from the movie. There are some nice special effects in this film, but far too few to counter those which prove harmful to the rest of the movie.To top off everything else that's wrong with this movie, this film is yet another example of Hollywood bastardizing a popular story or historical account (in this case, probably both). People familiar with the Bell Witch legend will notice glaring inaccuracies in the story. A number of the events surrounding the haunting are not only drastically altered in the movie, but in some cases, they are completely fabricated. Also striking are some omissions of parts of the Bell Witch story. At one time, future U.S. President Andrew Jackson made a visit to the house in what would be a disastrous attempt to rid the Bells of the spirit, and one that he would even recount during his days in office. While it seems this would be an interesting part of the story to tell, no mention of it is even made in this movie. Towards the end of this movie, it becomes obvious that many of the alterations to the story were done so that the characters of this film can eventually reach a conclusion as to why this haunting is taking place. This conclusion is not only completely inaccurate from the original accounts of the Bell Witch, but its revelation is poorly carried out and confusing to say the least. In addition, this leads to a final scene that takes place in the modern era, again. I believe was supposed to be a surprise ending, but any viewer who has managed to stay awake long enough to get to this point will see it coming from a mile away.Overall, this movie is a disaster. People viewing this film and expecting a good spine-chilling horror movie will be sorely disappointed. Those with knowledge of the Bell Witch saga who want to see recounting of their favorite tale will fare even worse. The Bell Witch story is definitely the stuff that good Hollywood chillers are made of. Maybe in the future one will be made that actually delivers the goods, because this surely isn't it.
An American Tragedy.
posted on 20 Aug 2009A supposed true story, surrounding the Bell family of 1817, and their terrorizing by an invisible spirit, An American Haunting is just another mediocre ghost story with a psychological twist. Starring the bravely ambitious Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek, whose screams are reminiscent of her blood-soaked shrieks in Carrie, An American Haunting tries to shock with its true ghost story, but ends up haunting itself with its repetitively derivative ghost appearances. At times even laughable the "ghost cam" exhausts its mayhem in the Bell household by pulling hair and slapping the Bell daughter in the face. A story that was probably very scary around the campfire has failed miserably in its translation to the silver screen.John Bell, Father, pastor and head of the Bell family is seemingly punished for overcharging the town witch for a piece of farm land. After her supposed curse, the Bell family begins to be terrorized by an unseen ghost, that seems to only see in black and white at times.Stepping hard on the heels of last years Exorcism of Emily Rose, Haunting fails to offer the same kind of genuine fright and fear that it could have through its banal finale. Going down the same back roads as High Tension and Fight Club, this psychological twist ending plagues the film to a sense of confusion. For the true horror lover this is just another stab at The Exorcist's genuine satanic realism. Unfortunately writer/director Courtney Solomon stabs his second attempt at mainstream film success in the core. If you are willing to suspend all disbelief and watch the same thing over and over in this short 84 minute film, then An American Haunting will be your cup of tea.
What a shame...
posted on 18 Aug 2009Well, with Sutherland and Sissy Spacek I thought lets give it a whirl. First 20 minutes were the most frightful of my life with sound used incredibly well. Very very unerving film, with some solid period acting... however, the last 20 minutes, once again all falls apart as... not for the first time, people just don't know how to finish a film and give me an explanation with the most weak ending I've seen in ages... went from an 8/10 to a 5/10 in the space of minutes... shame as the "horse & carrage" scene was exceptional... the film is mostly shot in a mutted hue similar to Sleepy Hollow (although no where near the same quality of production)...
confusing and not scary
posted on 18 Aug 2009I didn't like this movie. I thought the whole idea of a flashback was not needed. The filmmakers didn't make it clear how the present-day events were related to the events in the 19th century. But I guess to understand that, you'd first need to know exactly what happened between the father and the daughter, the answer to which was lost in the flashback-within-flashbacks which comprised the latter half of the movie. I didn't find the movie scary, either. The bedroom scenes with the girl jerking around seemed epileptic rather than supernatural. Another thing I disliked was the "spirit cam" - the scenes where the color fades and the camera floats around the room from one character's frightened face to the next. This really failed to jar me, or frighten me, or provoke any kind of aesthetic reaction, unless annoyance counts. I did, however, like the ghostly imagery - the scene where the screaming woman appears momentarily, then vanishes, for example - but little was made of this. To summarize: not a worthwhile movie.
Horror film of the decade
posted on 18 Aug 2009An American Haunting was one of those horror films that really opened my eyes. If you are a "Believer" of ghost, spooks and spectres then this is the film for you. Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek carry off a true "Megastar" performance where other stars in their "Golden Years" of their acting careers are more interested in the money, these stars were interested in the story which i found very refreshing. There are some special effects, but not loads which would have destroyed the film entirely. The cold, dark mood and atmosphere of the film reminded me of "The Exorcist" which was, and still is to this day, a horror classic. In short, this film frightened the hell out of me and i will be watching it again this Halloween. If you like TRUE STORY films, go see this!!!!!Jamie Johnson
A horror move with some sense of originality
posted on 16 Aug 2009Overall this is a good horror movie, the acting is of a high standard most notably from Donald Sutherland as the overwrought father and the girl who played Betsy. I must say i was not expecting the revelation that came towards the end of the film but i do think this could have been explained better My only problem with the film was the overuse of sweeping and dizzying camera shots, in moderation and at the right moments these work really well, but in my opinion the director was a little too eager to start swinging the camera around the room and zooming in and around the characters But the narrative worked well, it had a good sense of character and kept my interest throughout
excorsting, boring.
posted on 16 Aug 2009What a hopeless film. AAH has no progress in its so called plot because there is no progress in the character development. Endless repetition of the same stair shots and misty weirdness, pointless screams, sitting up in bed yelling, Linda Blair scenes, etc does not make a spooky movie. This one, promising so much in its early scenes (like in The Changeling) clichés galore follow, even in the dialogue, and it is apparent before reel one that this will be a lame movie. Who is this witch? What's going on? Is this another dream sequence? were all complaints from this audience. Stupid slamming and soundtrack swoosh noises were supposed to replace genuine frights. AAH is a major disappointment and a complete waste of time for the excellent actors and us, a wannabee excellent audience for this interesting story given the mallplex treatment for uninformed teens only.
Was this a comedy?
posted on 16 Aug 2009With a star cast, I had to wonder if this was truly a horror movie. I was told to watch it while out of my mind and so with enough drink, fatigue on a Friday night, and then some, I put this movie ON.Let me start with the sound effects and music WOW. Someone was out of THEIR mind. It was utterly an insult to the senses, either barreling in like mad monkeys or a herd of elephants on acid. I was laughing at how badly mismatched the music was to some of the scenes. I think the composer want to grate your mind as well as hit your head over with some cymbals.The jokes didn't end there. The beautiful actors were eerie edging on campy. Rachel's screams became so repetitive it almost warranted a call-and-response chorus. The guilt of patriarchal Donald's character was delightful, tragic and comic. A particular scene of anguish begged for a song. It was a shame that Sissy didn't do a dance.I had some other favorite moments from the crazy whirly perspective of the "spirit" to the snow bunny's jolt through the woods and the modern day mom boozing it up.This movie was hilarious. You definitely need to be OUT OF YOUR MIND while watching it.
Terror, scare, an haunting
posted on 14 Aug 2009I have been waiting for a real scary movie to come along forever...and thank you finally a real thriller has arrived. An American Haunting had me on the edge of my seat the entire film. Even better this is based on a true story....actually it is the most documented haunting in American History. Thank you Courtney Solomon for doing such a great job writing, directing, and producing this film, you really did the story justice. It couldn't have a better cast with Donald Sutherland, Sissy Spacek, James D' Arcy, and Matthew Marsh. And a special recognition should go to Rachel Hurd-Wood who played Betsy Bell. The film had the right element of suspense, drama, and thrilling moments.
A Great and Haunitng Film That Will Leave You Scared For Days!
posted on 12 Aug 2009I was at the Sunday afternoon screening of "An American Haunting" at the AFI Fest in Los Angeles. I was waiting to see this film as I love this genre and am a fan of Sissy Spacek (Carrie) and Donald Sutherland. I did some research on the legend of the Bell Witch before seeing the film, and more after, so I had an idea of what to expect. First, I have to say that Rachel Hurd Wood was fantastic as Betsy. I did not see Peter Pan, but for 14 years old, she put on a restrained and haunting performance which she should be commended for. Onto the film. This film was scary, scary, scary and creepy. I was thinking about it for three days after, and my friends and I even talked about it at lunch today a week later. It really stays with you, which I think is the sign of a good film. If you are looking for blood and guts, then it will not be for you. But, if you are looking for tension, suspense, and creepiness, then it's definitely for you. I saw it with three friends and we were all on the edge of our seats. I had nail marks from my friend Lisa who kept covering her eyes because she was so scared. I don't want to give anything away, but there is a surprise ending which I was happy to see they obviously built the film around, instead of just added it at the end like a lot of films do these days. It reminded me a lot of the "The Others" with Nicloe Kidman. Anyway, the film really delivers and it says something important at the same time. I think, having read some other comments that this film will appeal more to women. You will see why. I did think that the score was a little large at times, and that the sound was a little loud, but really good and effective, just loud. The cinematography was great, and the way the director moved the camera to create a spirit view, I thought was really good and fresh. There is a scene where the spirit tracks down one of the characters, and it was truly amazing! Having recently seen Emily Rose, I would have to say that this film was much better and would highly recommend it. I can't wait to have a chance to see it again. If I had to rate it, I would give it a 8.5 out of 10. Matilda.
Good movie, but not factual
posted on 12 Aug 2009This movie wasn't even close to being an accurate account of the events that occurred with the bell family, but nevertheless it is a good movie, and id say worth seeing, although not quite as good as the excorist, still a high ranker in my book. The special effects in this movie are not the greatest, the special effects could have been way better, and the acting is alright, but could have also been better. I think the movie is one of those movies you have to watch more than once to actually get the whole effect of what is going on during the duration of the movie, but id wait until it comes out on video to rent it before id pay the full price to see it again at the movie theater. This is a must see at the theater for the full effect of the sounds.
What a waste of Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek
posted on 12 Aug 2009You know, I might have sorta liked this movie if it had been made ten or twenty years ago and if the actor who did the voice-over hadn't overdone his voice-overing to the point where he sounded like an aging Agnes Moorhead hysterically reprising her role in the classic radio play Sorry, Wrong Number.I can't tell you why this movie should have been made a long time ago without "spoiling" the ending. Suffice to say that while maybe it hasn't exactly "been done", the concept, the modes of thought, behind the plot and surprise ending have been so much in the cultural ether for the last two decades or so that there is no surprise. There's only disappointment and disgust.I'm tired of horror movies that turn out to be mere unpleasantness and sadness rather than true horror.
Excellent Adventure
posted on 12 Aug 2009This is an excellent movie very worthy of the academy. It is not a feel good movie and leaves the viewer feeling depressed. After reading several reviews I can say there are some people who do not get it. So I will provide you with my short interpretation of this film. This movie is about a girl who is 'lost' in all of her personal relationships but finds herself, a sense of belonging, and "friendship" in a haunting dream. It is about a girl's right to a childhood and have others accept those decisions unconditionally. This movie is about a girl who wants to be accepted for what she is, rather than who she needs to be in order to please her father. There are many subplots in this movie revolving around the topic of human relationships. Some of the subplots leave questions unanswered, leaving the audience looking to satisfy their need of closure. A person can 'why' themselves to death during this movie and if you are one of those types you may not enjoy this film. But if you are the type of person who understands that some things in life are just the way they are, I think you will enjoy the movie. Do not expect a feel good movie or you might be disappointed.
Disappointed they didn't follow the "real" story
posted on 10 Aug 2009*** Spoilers Ahead *** I went to this movie because of its tag line reading : Based on the only documented death by a paranormal and recorded by the state of Tennessee.The movie implied that it was Sissy Spacek, not a spirit, that poisons Donald Sutherland. I understand "Hollywood-ising" a movie, but why do it here? If I didn't read sluggo2112's comment I wouldn't have known what the heck was going on in the end there. True, I missed the first few minutes, but I did see the "modern" girl having the nightmare. So I didn't make the connection at the end with the car going off in the car.Sounds to me that a more accurate telling of the "true" story would have been far more un-nerving.
Wonderful Movie for me
posted on 10 Aug 2009It has been a long time since I have walked out of a movie and been so pleased, such a feeling of satisfaction I felt coming out of this movie. I became interested in the Bell Witch and the hauntings in January of this past year and I have started to do more research on the internet into the world of paranormal activity. In general, the cause of the hauntings is one I have never heard prior to January and this newfound interest in actual ghost stories, not just ones made up in Hollywood is why I wanted to see the movie. I found the movie went to great lengths trying to capture the actual moon and feeling of this poltergeist by giving us a real POV from the ghost's point. It didn't bother me that the story seemed to stray a little from the book, I have read that some people found the story to really bother them, I look at it as folklore, that is what happens with stories told over time, they are up for your own personal interpretation and that is what is exciting to me. Who knows maybe Lucy Bell was involved more than we know, why did the girl not conjure up the spirit FIRST to tell her mother what was happening rather than physically and mentally torturing herself through the spirit to keep her father from her. Who knows, why did the Titanic have to go so fast through icy waters? Why does Superman run anywhere, when he can fly. I enjoyed the cast and the movie in general it was smart and if you didn't get it the first time maybe you need to go see it again. Brilliant movie, just brilliant.
Hollywood at it's worst.
posted on 10 Aug 2009Lame Lame Lame. I don't know what the gentleman from England is smoking but I thought the movie was terrible. No element of the film developed to the point of any interest. Edge of my seat? Edge of boredom maybe. Like my girlfriend said walking through parking lot afterwards "I could have sh** my pants and had a better time than that". Visually? Sure. If I was trying to have an epileptic seizure, the dizzying camera movement and flashes had me nauseous most of the time. The closing sequence left me asking the question, "What have I done with the last hour and a half of my life?". Get your money's worth, go watch any other of the great films that are still in theatres.
A complete perversion of a true story
posted on 10 Aug 2009I was born and raised in Nashville, TN, less than 30 miles from the Bell Farm in Adams, TN, so I grew up with stories about the Bell Witch and have done extensive reading on the topic.This movie completely rapes and perverts what is the best documented supernatural story in American history. Any documented occurrence that contradicts the director's pet theory is completely ignored and the tie to present day is tenuous at best.The only reason I rate this higher than 1 is that if it were not claiming to be the story of the Bell Witch, it would have been a decent movie. As it is, I left the theater disappointed and angry.
Fantastic movie in general
posted on 10 Aug 2009Having read a lot of negative reviews on An American Haunting, I came in the movie theater expecting to witness a fairly bad film, but thanks to a friend who dragged me to see it, I got to enjoy another fantastic horror flick. This movie is quite far from the reviews I have been reading. In my opinion, it is brilliant, gripping, and, in general, well done. Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland lived up to their names as horror movie icons well. Rachel Hurd-Wood did a phenomenal job, and so did James D'Arcy. I love the whole story line. I don't know why they are complaining about the ending - to me, it is perfectly fine, and it adds to the depth that makes the movie such a great psychological thriller. I totally recommend it to horror movie fans.
Must have been the Squirrels
posted on 26 Aug 2009Great effort! I give the crew behind An American Haunting a "B" for their willingness to adapt and change and listen to the audience. I saw this movie a few weeks ago, but it was at a friends house, he is into getting movies a little early if you know what I mean. At any rate, this version I saw last night was much better than the one we watched. I was a little mad they took out my favorite line. When the Bell family first start to hear noises coming from upstairs, John Bell (Donald Sutherland) replies to his wife Lucy Bell(Sissy Spacek)... She asks what the noise is and at this point there is a lot of noise and John replies, "must be the squirrels on the roof." Great stuff, well it hit the cutting room floor and they replaced it with, "must be Mrs. Batts and her witch" or something like that. Oh bite your tongue John Bell. I do believe that the additions of a narrative helps tie everything together and tightens things up for the audience. The movie is creepie and Adrian Biddle(cinematographer) pulls off some great shots, I like the move around the swing on the tree. More character development would be the only thing this film was lacking for me, but besides that this was a good movie that combines a great cast with a slick little plot line to an old ghost tale.