The Only Amityville Movies Actually Worth Watching
The Amityville Horror remains one of the greatest horror film contributions from the 1970s, the “real-life” ghost story of a typical American family still giving chills to viewers decades later. But the Amityville movies that followed (dozens of them) nearly all lack the character and integrity of the first two in the storied franchise, often deviating from anything to do with the events that inspired the original. An internet search of Amityville movie titles will show you a lot to select from, but rest assured that The Amityville Horror (1979) and Amityville II: The Possession are the only two entries worth watching.
The Amityville Horror
The first of the Amityville movies is the best of the lot. The Amityville Horror (1979) follows the Lutz family and their month-long horrific experience while they live in a home they purchased on Long Island. Based on the 1977 bestselling book of the same name by Jay Anson, the movie shows George and Kathy Lutz (played by James Brolin and Margot Kidder) and their three children terrorized by demonic forces that they come to understand had driven their home’s previous occupant to murder his entire family less than two years prior.
The Only Other Good Movie
Amityville II: The Possession doesn’t take up where its predecessor left off. The movie serves as both a prequel and a reimagining of the crimes committed by Ronald DeFeo, Jr. The film follows a family named Montelli (based on the DeFeos) as they fall victim to a vengeful, demonic force that has invaded their Long Island home. The entity turns the family patriarch (played by Burt Young) into an abusive monster while eventually taking over the soul of the eldest child (Jack Magner) and driving him to kill his family.
Over 50 Films With The Amityville Name
The Amityville movies that followed saw a drastic reduction in both the quality of the production and the storylines. Overall, nearly 50 films have been bearing the Amityville name, as production companies found an interesting loophole to enable them to make a cash grab by using one of the most well-known names in horror.
A Legal Loophole
Since the murders the original story was based on is a matter of public record and as “Amityville” is an actual place on Long Island, there is no legal way to copyright anything to do with either the name, the death of the DeFeo family, or mentions of the Lutz family ordeal.
For anyone who has seen a handful or two of the Amityville movies made since the early 1980s, this might shed some light on why there is no continuity from film to film and explain why each movie tells a dramatically different story, some of which are not even related or mention the actual murders.
Only Watch The First Two
The titles alone should make those with discerning tastes aware that what they are considering streaming is low-level. Some of them have names just as ludicrous as their storylines, with Amityville Island, The Amityville Harvest, The Amityville Moon, Amityville in Space, and Amityville in the Hood hopefully giving more warning than necessary that what you’re about to play pushes the boundaries of good taste.
You can catch the original The Amityville Horror streaming with a subscription to Max and the sequel, Amityville II: The Possession, streaming for free with Tubi.
