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)

4/5 A Quality Entry In The Pantheon Of Ghostly Horror
  by Stephen B. O'Blenis (Nova Scotia, Canada)
A large old house that used to be a funeral home serves as the setting for The Haunting In Connecticut, where the Campbell family moves to be closer to the hospital where their oldest son, Matt (Kyle Gallner) is receiving treatments for his cancer. The rent for the place is unexpectedly cheap, and it's only after the family moves in that they realize that's because of the history of the place, its status as a former funeral home/mortuary, and the legends that have cropped up surrounding the place. It seems that decades ago, it was used for seances, and the tale is that something went horribly wrong at one of these.

Before the family even moves in, there's trouble, albeit of a more conventional nature. The prognosis for Matt isn't that positive, the treatments he's undergoing are grueling, the family's finances are under severe stress from trying to pay for the treatments and support a household of six, including two younger siblings of Matt's - Billy and Mary - and their cousin Wendy (Amanda Crew from Sex Drive, who's living with the family due to an unspecified trouble in her own family. The tension between the two parents, played by Virginia Madsen (from Candyman (Special Edition)) and Martin Donovan, is present under a thin veil, and begins to surface more as conditions, both conventional and the dawning supernatural elements, mount. Of the two, the mother is the more sympathetic, and while the conflict within the family isn't anything on the level of domestic abuse, the tension it creates folds right into the larger problems. Also, unstated but implied, is the possibility that the forces in the house are 'drawing out' the darker, more volatile aspects in some of their personalities, in an Amityville-like fashion. Ghostly elements within the house begin to manifest, primarily to Matt, and start taking on decidedly malevelont overtones.

Matt establishes a friendship with a fellow cancer patient, a Reverend Popescu (Elias Koteas) , who he turns to as events continue to worsen. The Reverend theorizes that these prescences are being triggered because they're more easily interacted with by someone already close to the other side - someone close to death, such as a cancer patient. As events progress though, the phenomena become discernible to other family members, and more capable of effecting the physical world, often in violent ways. In order to attempt to exorcise the house, the characters have to understand it, and the Reverend, along with Matt and Wendy, delve into the dark history of the house.

Although slower-moving and more subdued than some horror movies, the pace and style doesn't hurt the movie, and indeed helps it to build its own distinct atmosphere of slowly mounting dread and in-the-shadows creepiness. Very well-acted and well-produced, with the special effects, while minimal, being effective. Much in the vein of movies like The Exorcism of Emily Rose - Unrated (Special Edition), The Amityville Horror (as well as its better sequels and the 2005 remake) and Haunted (Full Screen). Although it may take a bit Too much time building up for some tastes, those who don't mind a subtler, more slow-building tone now and then will find this highly rewarding.

A couple of lesser known films you might also want to check out if you like this one are Red Rover / Heritage De Sang and Phone.

1/5 SERIOUSLY??
  by Kody (New York,NY)
I bought this movie because I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I look back regret spending $15.00 on it. I watch it but it was just boring and not even scary. OK, a few parts but OMG! Yeah, I'd be scared to death if I lived in an old funeral home, and my bedroom is where they kept the bodies but seriously...lame=(

4/5 No Ghosts Were Harmed During The Production Of This Film...
  by Bindy Sue Frønkünschtein (under the rubble)
THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT has the Campbell family taking up residence in a former funeral home in order to live closer to their terminally ill son's doctor. Unbeknownst to them, their new home was once the site of unspeakable acts of necromancy, involving much violation of the dead! Now, the victims of these atrocities are out to make their group-presense known. I wasn't overly excited about seeing THIC, but was pleased to see that it far surpassed my lowered expectations. The story is engaging, the characters are believable, and the ghouls are original. Virginia Madsen (CANDYMAN) is perfectly cast as Mrs. Campbell, as is Kyle Gallner as her oldest son. Definitely worth a look this halloween...

5/5 SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME!!
  by Ghoste Kruegar x (Maryville,TN)
And i loved every minute of it. this was one horror film that made me jump over about 60 times!one of the best and scariest films ever!oh, and don't let the 1 star and 2 or 3 star reviews for this. give it a chance and trust me you will be afraid to sleep after you wath it!out-

3/5 Not As Bad As Sauerkraut
  by Brian Lueth (Chicago, IL United States)
Most of us know the large majority of horror that hits theaters these days isn't really made for horror fans so much as tweens with disposable income (read: allowance). Because the demographic for these types of films is usually in the 11 to 15 range, we've all come to expect a fair amount of trash from big budget horror. When I saw the previews for The Haunting in Connecticut, I really didn't see anything new, exciting or remotely mature about it and I wrote it off as another "teen ghost flick."

I wasn't quite right and I wasn't quite wrong. Believe it or not, I enjoyed this because there were some genuinely tense, scary moments to be had. The ravishing, as always, Virginia Madsen was as talented as ever, semi-newcomer Kyle Gallner also handed in a wonderfully sympathetic and likable performance and the special effects were admirable. Those were the positives.

The negatives included the embarrassingly convenient character played by Elias Koteas, the tragically underused smoking hotness of Amanda Crew and the on-again, off-again confusing story and spoon fed finale.

The Haunting in Connecticut isn't a bad film though it can't be considered great either, it's just okay. There were some solid sequences and acting on display but it still had that "Made for your Little Sister" vibe that horror has these days. It's just entertaining enough to rent though so grab you some popcorn and a copy, turn out the lights and have fun. Just don't purchase without previewing first. I won't be adding this to my collection but in the end I wasn't regretting my viewing experience either.