Amityville Horror Review

I've never been a big fan of horror movies. They scared the hell out of me when I was a kid but somewhere in between they stopped producing any reaction whatsoever out of me. They can also frequently be some of the most poorly made movies out there. That said, there are a few films in that genre I greatly enjoy. I love movies like the Sixth Sense and the Others that try to unsettle the audience rather than shock them. I also really like zombie movies for some reason and I thought 28 Days Later and the Dawn of the Dead remake were both great. But my favorite horror flick is the one that started the slasher genre and is responsible for more bad movies than any other single film, Halloween. It's probably the only movie I've seen since starting high school that legitimately scared me and I can see why it inspired so many copycats. So why did I see the Amityville Horror knowing how much I dislike the genre? Did I think that it might hold a place among those movies as being the exception that elevates horror to a level that we can all respect? Well, no. I really like Ryan Reynolds (although I'd only previously seen him in comedic roles) and I was pretty sure I could get in for free thanks to my theater manager roommate. I'm really glad I went though. Although I didn't find the film particularly scary, I did find it very suspenseful. My friend Melissa on the other hand (who loves horror movies) was really scared of the film and jumped out of her seat several times. Of course I had to exploit this after the film and make her jump one more time while leaving the theater. So basically what I'm trying to say is that if horror movies usually frighten you, you'll find plenty of scares here, but if not there's still an entertaining film to be found here. As with everything I've seen with him in it, Ryan Reynolds is the best part of the movie, even without the use of his greatest strength, his dead-on comedic timing. The direction by Andrew Douglas is really good too and I'd look out for future horror movies from this guy, since he seems to have all the tricks for making people jump nailed. So if you're looking for a film to tide you over until Star Wars Episode 3 opens (only 3 weeks left!!!!) you could do a lot worse than the Amityville Horror.