Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- eerie
- oppressive
- foreboding
- late night horror viewing
- gothic horror marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the period atmosphere and committed performances stronger than the derivative scares, frenetic presentation, and psychologically unsatisfying resolution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story opens in 2006 before moving into Lucy Bell's 1817 account and returning to the modern period.
A teenager's mother reads an 1817 letter written by ancestor Lucy Bell, linking the Bell family's haunting across generations.
Richard Powell seeks rational explanations while the conclusion reframes the apparent entity through a psychological revelation.
Critics specifically noted the film's shadows, candlelight, darkened woods, and moody Hammer-horror atmosphere.
Films like An American Haunting, and why
The Exorcist
supernatural haunted-house horror with a persecuted young girl and escalating family terror
The Others
period ghost story combining atmospheric dread, family trauma, and an ambiguous supernatural mystery
The Woman in Black
gothic supernatural horror centered on a haunted household and oppressive historical atmosphere
Movie Details
- Director
- Courtney Solomon
- Release Date
- 2005-05-05
- Runtime
- 83 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (542)
Cast
- Donald Sutherland
- Sissy Spacek
- Rachel Hurd-Wood
- James D'Arcy
- Matthew Marsh
- Thom Fell
- Zoe Thorne
- Gaye Brown
- Sam Alexander
- Miquel Brown
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is An American Haunting about?
- A cursed Tennessee family battles a nocturnal entity while a teenage girl's ancestor-bound nightmare blurs the line between haunting and psychology.
- What is An American Haunting like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of An American Haunting as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is An American Haunting violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in An American Haunting as moderate.
- What did critics think of An American Haunting?
- Critics broadly found the period atmosphere and committed performances stronger than the derivative scares, frenetic presentation, and psychologically unsatisfying resolution.
- Which films are like An American Haunting?
- Films with a similar feel include The Exorcist, The Others, and The Woman in Black.
- How long is An American Haunting?
- An American Haunting runs 83 minutes.
- Where can I watch An American Haunting?
- In United States, An American Haunting streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel.
