Rent The Amityville Horror (1979)

House Prices and Hellfire - The Amityville Horror review by griggs

It’s all a bit bonkers, but that’s part of the charm. The Amityville Horror sits somewhere between supernatural thriller and domestic meltdown, with enough psychological unease to keep it interesting. The story of a family haunted by their new home’s bloody past feels familiar now, but there’s a raw conviction here — the sense that everyone involved really believes the American dream’s gone sour.

James Brolin goes convincingly off the rails, Margot Kidder does her best “Lois Lane meets haunted housewife,” yet somehow ignores the only character with instincts — the dog. Meanwhile, Rod Steiger’s terrified priest battles clouds of flies and divine interference in scenes that somehow make the house feel genuinely cursed.

It’s dated, overwrought, and occasionally absurd, but its hysteria and sincerity give it power. Unlike The Conjuring and its glossy descendants, this one actually feels possessed — by guilt, paranoia, and 1970s furniture.