2/4  Needed to Tone Down the Score
I was surprised by how much this film was grounded in reality even though the trailers sold it off as a typical “based on a true story” demonic possession. Virginia Madsen and Martin Donovan star as the parents who choose to move in a hous... (read full)

1/5 Horror Film Gone Bad for Money
  by R. Godfrey (Georgia, US)
Never once have I watched a movie that was so poorly entwined with the true stories of the family that it happened to. You could tell the director and producers of this movie only made it for the money and not for the intention of spreading the TRUE story of the haunting in Connecticut!

Needless to say I spent the entire length of the movie yelling at the screen because I knew the real story. I yelled worse towards the end because the house NEVER caught on fire in the true story as well!

If you're into the horror movies that have their own tales then this is your movie, but if you want the real story brought to the screen this is NOT the movie you're looking for.

NONE of this movie was based on the true events other than the young boy being sick, and then they don't go into detail on how he was sick! The young boy really has cancer (which later after moving away from the house he recovered, went into remission, and later became cancer free). There is no story as to the boy living in the basement of the house with the dark figure man (who everyone called the devil) who was telling the boy to kill his family.

Long story short, watch the "A Haunting" on TV to try to catch the REAL story.

3/5 Good, but could have been better
  by Dave. K (Staten Island, Ny)
THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT

*** ½ Out of 5

Release Date- March 27th, 2009

Running Time- 102-Minutes

Rating- PG-13

Screenplay- Adam Simon & Tim Metcalfe

Director- Peter Cornwell

Starring- Virginia Madsen, Kyle Gallner, Martin Donovan, Amanda Crew, Erik Berg, John Bluethner and Elias Koteas as Reverend Popescu

The based off a true story gimmick is something that Hollywood loves to do and it normally works. The words based on a true story more often than not bring people in to the cinemas even if it bares any real resemblance to the story it's based off. When you go into The Haunting in Connecticut keep that in mind and if you know the story ignore that and take the movie for what it's worth.

The American ghost story really hasn't been that strong since probably the 80s and while over the years there has been some good ones there just often seems to be something lacking and by the time 2000 rolled around they were all, but dead except for Asia where they totally reinvented the ghost genre and made it fresh again. But like the slasher films of the 80s the Asian ghost story was ran into the ground where it was nothing more than the same movie with different actors. The Haunting in Connecticut is one of the better American ghost stories to come out in quite some time, which isn't saying much since the movie is really nothing special.

The biggest problem I had with The Haunting in Connecticut is that the movie is always on the verge of being an excellent horror flick, but just as it's about to get there it just falls a step short. In no way though is this a bad movie; it is enjoyable and works well and I didn't dislike the movie, but I just felt there was potential to be a lot more than it was, but by the final act is does run out of steam and does have some moments that are a bit over the top.

The screenplay by Adam Simon & Tim Metcalfe is well written for the most part, but the biggest problem are the characters really lack any depth, which in a splatter flick is fine, but in a movie that relies more on the characters rather than the on screen violence that does create a bit of a problem. The characters are just there sort of there and they never add much to the story, which again is the biggest flaw since The Haunting in Connecticut relies on the characters. Sarah Campbell played by Virginia Madsen and Matt Campbell played by Kyle Gallner are the main characters and while both are likeable they lack the depth to carry the picture; of all the characters they are the most developed, which once again isn't saying much since there isn't a whole lot done with them.

There is some decent attempts with given the story some life with Peter Campbell played by Martin Donovan having a history of being an alcoholic, but nothing is really ever done with that and all it really was is a passing mention and when he falls off the wagon I doubt anyone will really care since such little is done with the character. Donovan is a solid actor at best when playing someone a little shady and here he was given a different character to play than he normally does too bad he was failed with the script.

The rest of the characters are just simply there and really add nothing to the story, they could have easily been written out of the movie since they don't add anything to the plot. Even with those major flaws Simon and Metcalfe do deliver a decent script, but like I said the characters lack depth and in the end that is what leads to the downfall. Elias Koteas plays Reverend Popescu and he's meant to have an impact on the movie, but he could be easily removed and not have much of an effect on the story.

Director Peter Cornwell does a fairly good job in the sense the pacing is pretty good, while it isn't exactly fast paced the movie never really drags with the exception of a few scenes, which feel like nothing more than fillers. From a story standpoint, Peter Cornwell does a good job like I said the pacing is pretty good and the story pretty always moves forward or at least as much as the script allows it, but the scares are too by the books and feel like every other movie that came before with nothing new added at all. The Haunting in Connecticut also lacks the eerie feel needed to really work well. Despite the flaws the original Amityville Horror has that eerie feel in the house and that's where this movie really falls flat. We never get that sense of dread or any legit eerie feel of something evil being in the house.

The suspense level ranges from decent to below average; towards the final act there is a pretty good run of some decent suspense, but soon falls a part as the movie gets a little too over the top. Overall there are a couple of jump scenes, but not enough and there isn't enough suspense to make this anything, but a good if not slightly lack luster horror flick. Peter Cornwell does manage to build some decent suspense here and there, but he's never able to maintain that through out the running time. Like I said earlier The Haunting in Connecticut had the potential to be a little more than it was, but it just never is able to reach that level.

The performances were mostly solid with Madsen and Gallner being the strongest of the cast the rest of the actors are good, but since they aren't developed and never really given much of a point to the story I suppose there is only so much they can do.

Overall The Haunting in Connecticut has it's moments, but it never reaches the potential it had; overall while the movie is sort of forgettable it does serve it's purpose; don't expect anything you haven't seen before and just take for what it is. There is some decent suspense and maybe a decent scare or two, but it was held back by a script that has some good ideas, but never fully executed and too by the books directing; despite the flaws The Haunting in Connecticut is still an enjoyable movie, but could have been so much more.

The Blu-ray release was excellent; these days' companies are getting cheaper and cheaper with the extras, but this disc does deliver. There are some behind the scenes footage plus a 41-minute documentary featuring interviews with the people whose story inspired the movie. As for the transfer it was strong, but not the best I've seen and the audio is solid. Overall the disc delivers the goods with the extras and good, but not great transfer.

4/5 good movie, pleanty of creepiness
  by Melissa Bertrand (milford, ct)
I like horror movies, especially paranormal horror. I really enjoyed this flick, it was creepy without getting cheesy like some horror films.

1/5 The documentary Was SOOOO Much Better!
  by David Holt (Hell)
Leave it to Hollywood to take a really good creepy ghost story and mess it up with bad acting and unbelievable events. Add some lame CG and you have this movie. Looking at the stupid looking cover of ectoplasm coming out of the kids mouth has dumb written all over it.

The original documentary with the black eyed demon was really creepy when I watched it late one night, years ago. If they would have just stuck to the original story and got some better Actors and Director...this could have been a really good creepfest. Why on earth would you add what they did and take away what was scary and creepy from the documentary? I don't get it.

Save your time and money and if you want to see the really creepy version of this movie, get the documentary. I almost came close to walking out on this one when the CG came out of the guys mouth but I wanted to see how they would end it. I should have left then and saved myself some time. This movie is such a waste to watch.

3/5 Noisy, creepy thriller
  by W. Oliver (Alabama)
This is one of those movies where you have to turn up the volume in order to hear the dialog and then when something jumps out at you (which is about every 30 seconds in this film), your ear drums are shattered. It could have been titled "The Exorcist Meets The Amityville Horror" but basically we have seen it all before. The most puzzling part of the entire movie it is how it is so loosely based on the original story. There is a documentary feature on the dvd which includes interviews with the real family and it turns out the cancer-stricken child was apparently in a mental institution when the events took place whereas this film revolves all around his character. He is also not even featured in the interview. All the hocus pocus aspects about the motician and the mediums was apparently all made up for the movie. Maybe the real events were not intriguing enough? Sadly, I found the documentary more interesting than the film itself. On the plus side, Virginia Madsen is wonderful in a somewhat thankless role.