halcyonbear Review of The Amityville Murders

The Amityville Murders (2018)

One of the better films about Amityville.

[8/10 · 7 April 2019]

There have been a handful of decent films on the subject of Amityville but also a few real straight-to-video stinkers. I personally think this is one of the best films to tackle the subject. I understand why it has gotten some low ratings. In a world where people want horror films to be full of jump scares and unsubtlety, this offering is very much understated...and is all the better for it. Suspense is slowly built up and then sustained and special effects are used sparingly. Amityville has become part of contemporary folklore. The debates about whether or not it was a hoax will continue undoubtedly. What the ending of this film does, with the use of crime scene photographs and family photographs, is remind us that at the centre of the legend is the undisputed fact that a family was murdered in the house on Ocean Drive, regardless of whether or not we believe the rest of the tale. It's a sad truth that is often lost among the folklore and is a sobering thought.