Noutions Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

the fox Goodventertainment, with fine actors. if you liked, sleepy hollow, or from hell - watch it! good mood, you,ll not regret.

Coventry I was never much in a hurry to watch "An American Haunting". It's a ghost movie supposedly based on true events and I don't have any particularly fond memories of similar movies in this sub genre, like for instance "The Amityville Horror" or "The Haunting in Connecticut". On the other hand, the film does put forward a few appealing elements, like a moody 19th Century Tennessee setting and a respectable cast including Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek. Regarding the story, I never heard about the Bell-Witch Haunting in Adams, Tennessee, even though it allegedly is the only recorded and most documented case in America's sinister history. You can read quite a lot about the case, for example that Andrew Jackson (the 7th President of the US) personally mingled into the events, but also that the whole thing is just one giant hoax invented by novelist Martin Van Buren Ingram. Regardless of the true/phony discussion, fact remains that "An American Haunting" is an average – at best – thriller with far too many dull sequences and disappointingly weak horror aspects. Following a completely redundant present day opening sequence, the action is promptly replaced to 1817 where we are introduced to wealthy landowner John Bell and his family. During a local church trial, Bell is judged for charging the ridiculously high interest rate of 20% to his neighbor Kathe Betts. She's believed to be a witch and places a curse on the Bell family; the enchanting 15-year old daughter Betsy in particular. It's a good thing she never lived in this day and age of economic recession, or she would be cursing bankers left and right! Soon after the incident, poor little Betsy begins to get stalked by a supernatural entity that rudely drags her out of bed, bangs her head against walls and appears next to her on the swing in broad daylight! John Bell and his wife desperately seek help for their little girl, for example from her school teacher Richard Powell who not-so secretly fancies Betsy. Apparently it wasn't yet considered perverse for a teacher to crave a 15-year old girl in 1817. Since the actual plot is very thin, and since the film is intended for wide PG13 audiences, "An American Haunting" isn't at all exciting or unsettling. There's an overload of annoying false scares and director Courtney Solomon (what's in a name) plays with sound effects and rudimentary CGI instead of focusing on real terror. Admittedly the denouement (undocumented and 100% fictional) isn't predictable, but that doesn't mean it is any good. In fact, the ending raises far more questions than it answers. Overall, a lousy and non-horrific horror flick that wastes our time as well as the talent of many people involved. The director went on to found the production company "After Dark Films", which was a much more useful occupation for him.

AaronCapenBanner Based on the Brent Monahan novel about the true life haunting of John & Lucy Bell(played by Donald Sutherland & Sissy Spacek) in 1818 Tennessee. After a land dispute goes against her, neighbor Kate Batts was reported to have cursed the Bell family, and soon after, the family(and daughter Betsy in particular) were terrorized by an unseen entity who both physically and psychologically tormented them. A local schoolteacher named Richard Powell documented the supernatural events, and that became the manuscript that was used by the author. The film has a fictional framing device of a modern girl who learns of these events from an old letter.Though the novel is an engrossing read, and the film filled with potential, it was sadly squandered in this woefully inept, turgid version with wrongheaded embellishments and over reliance in visual effects. Cast tries their best, but poorly directed and adapted film is dreadful. Deserves a proper re-filming of this most compelling story.

Paulo Gilberto This movie fuc*ing SUCKS. Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek deserve to be in a DECENT film, not a shi**y one like this.It's not scary at all and you even get bored during its stupid plot twist. It is also full of flaws. Some stupid cliché loud noises, sounds and even some nonsense scenes were added in an effort to make some scenes scary, it just made them worse.Not even Sissy and Donald could save this film. Their acting was GREAT as always, of course, but their were one of the only few good acting. The film itself is just pure sh*t.Watch a GREAT horror movie: The Exorcist.