The Amityville Horror

Play trailer

The Amityville Horror

R

1979

1h 57m

Horror

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

33%

Tomatometer

48 Reviews

52%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Chiller about a family who is terrorized by supernatural forces when they move into a new house in New York State which was the scene of a recent mass killing and the home of an 18th-century satanist. When swarms of flies appear from nowhere and the pipes and walls begin to ooze slime and blood, they call on a local priest to exorcize the evil spirits.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Dull and disappointing, the best that can be said for The Amityville Horror is that it set a low bar for its many sequels and remakes.

Read Critics Reviews

Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

03/20/2019

[The Amityville Horror] begins with the promising premise of a haunted house in the suburbs (poltergeists in the barbecue pit?) and quickly degenerates into a display of pretentious camera angles.

Go to Full Review

K.C. Summers

Washington Post

03/20/2019

The Amityville Horror is a horror. What is supposed to be the true story of a young couple driven from their dream house by demons turns out to be nothing more than a rip-off, and a tedious one at that.

Go to Full Review

Anton Bitel

Little White Lies

06/26/2017

Its pacing is off, there are too many go-nowhere subplots, & it seems just to come to a clunking halt at the end [but] the film's lack of commitment to any single reading of its narrative architecture is precisely what makes it so uncanny.

Go to Full Review

Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

Jan 28

6/10

Ignore the silly attempts at faking a true story, and Amityville is an effective and oftentimes scary haunted house thriller.

Go to Full Review

Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Sep 11

4/5

Some components feel dated all these decades later, but commanding lead performances and an effective embrace of the spookiest parts of the story still make it frightening.

Go to Full Review

Bryce Hanson

Horror Movie Talk

07/25/2025

5/10

The movie ends up being an example of the pitfall of having a lot of plot, and no story. The characters seem one dimensional, and the ending feels unsatisfying.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Eugene A.

@Asqarman May 16

Great movie, best soundtrack

See more

Patrick C

@RT84374237 Feb 6

A film that promised much but ultimately was a missed opportunity. For the first 40 minutes or so the atmosphere and tension built very well and there was a genuine sense of unease. But so many elements of the plot just seemed unconnected and / or underdeveloped. The missing $1500? Father Delaney's wounds, blindness and near catatonia? Amy's friend Jody? If it hadn't been so disjointed, 'The Amityville Horror' could have been a classic, but as it is it's enjoyable but flawed.

See more

RichardAB T

@PoorDearRichard Jan 25

👻 The Amityville Horror is a chilling, slow-burn paranormal thriller based on the infamous "true story" of the Lutz family and their terrifying experiences inside a Long Island home with a violent past. James Brolin and Margot Kidder bring a grounded, believable presence that makes the haunting feel uncomfortably real. The creaking house, cold spots, and glowing red eyes build dread the old-fashioned way, relying more on atmosphere than flashy effects. I think it’s highly underrated. Maybe because it isn’t as technical or polished as modern horror, but it’s still scary as hell. That steady, creeping tension really gets under your skin, and the whole thing has that gritty ‘70s horror vibe that just sticks with you.

See more

Dallas H

@FozzieMcFly Jan 24

There is something truly special about watching a movie from American International Pictures (and its predecessor, American Releasing Corporation). The original Amityville Horror cannot be duplicated or remade without losing the weird charm that makes it one of the few movies based on authentic American folklore.

See more

Chris C.

@CineMan1978 Oct 13

The Amityville Horror boasts a talented cast including James Brolin and Margot Kidder and while it does offer some creepy moments, this late '70s horror classic is mostly a dull one to get through and when most of the supernatural moments do happen, they are few and far between.

See more

Eric W.

@Jtuess Aug 13

I read the book/watched movie as a child. Believing it was a true story, it traumatized me to the core. Yes, it could be considered boring for the gamer generation, but the real life slaughter of an entire family that morphs into demonic experiences… that just pushed me in front of the bus.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Stuart Rosenberg

Director

James Brolin

George Lutz

Margot Kidder

Kathy Lutz

Rod Steiger

Father Delaney

Don Stroud

Father Bolen

Natasha Ryan

Amy

The Amityville Horror: Official Clip - Flies Attack Father Delaney

3:02

The Amityville Horror: Official Clip - I'm Coming Apart!

1:56

The Amityville Horror: Official Clip - Window Pain

0:58

The Amityville Horror: Official Clip - Axe Man

1:13

The Amityville Horror: Official Clip - Amy's Friend, Jody

0:41

The Amityville Horror: Official Clip - Bleeding House

3:00

The Amityville Horror: Official Clip - Aunt Helena Freaks Out

2:41

The Amityville Horror: Official Clip - Carolyn is Possessed

2:12

The Amityville Horror: Official Clip - Father Delany's Prayer

2:10

The Amityville Horror: Official Clip - Kathy Sees Jody

1:05

View more videos

J.D.'s Revenge

55%

62%

J.D.'s Revenge

Watchlist

The Dunwich Horror

29%

28%

The Dunwich Horror

Watchlist

Phantasm

72%

67%

Phantasm

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Phantasm

The Changeling

85%

79%

The Changeling

Watchlist

Amityville II: The Possession

27%

36%

Amityville II: The Possession

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

18 Memorable Horror Remakes

"Hostel 2" Might Have its Leading Ladies

Box Office Preview: "Cars" Battles "Omen" at Theaters

View more photos

Synopsis

Chiller about a family who is terrorized by supernatural forces when they move into a new house in New York State which was the scene of a recent mass killing and the home of an 18th-century satanist. When swarms of flies appear from nowhere and the pipes and walls begin to ooze slime and blood, they call on a local priest to exorcize the evil spirits.

Director: Stuart Rosenberg
Producer: Ronald Saland, Elliot Geisinger
Screenwriter: Sandor Stern
Distributor: American International Pictures
Production Co: American International Pictures (AIP)
Rating: R
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 27, 1979, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 31, 2017
Runtime: 1h 57m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)