In November 1973, inside a seemingly ordinary home at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, Long Island, 23-year-old Ronald DeFeo guns down his parents and four siblings as they sleep, reportedly driven by disembodied voices urging him on…
Roughly a year later, George and Kathleen Lutz purchase the property, enticed by its suspiciously low price, and move in with their children. It doesn't take long before the house begins to reveal a darker side: unexplained phenomena intensify, while George undergoes a disturbing transformation, slipping into a state of instability that turns him into a danger for those closest to him. A local priest attempts to help, but is violently repelled by an unseen presence. As days pass and the tension escalates, the Lutz family realizes the truth, something is wrong with the house, and staying means risking everything. Their only option is to leave before it's too late.
One of the standout entries in haunted house horror, Amityville Horror (1979) launched a long-running series set in the infamous Victorian home, though few of its sequels ever reached the same level.
It's a solid, tightly constructed film that steadily builds tension, drawing the viewer in before erupting into a finale marked by chaos and destruction. Rosenberg delivers confident direction, and from a technical standpoint the film holds up remarkably well. The performances are convincing across the board, and the special effects, especially for the time, are more than effective.
A cornerstone of the genre, and a must-have for any horror collection.
Review by Wonderboy85
