Horror Sequel Based On Real Life Murders Goes Crazier Than The Original

Amityville II is the story of the Montellis family, whose Long Island home is host to malevolent supernatural forces. Patriarch Anthony (Burt Young) heads the devoutly Catholic clan, a man who is becoming more and more physically abusive toward his four children. After several incidents that include a demonic message written on a wall and a Bible torn to pieces, the father ruthlessly beats his kids while his wife Dolores (Rutanya Alda) is powerless to stop him.

But Amityville II shows that the demonic forces at work have their sights set on more than just dear old dad. The eldest child, Sonny (Jack Magner) is slowly coming under the influence of the demon in the house. He becomes vulgar, blasphemous, and coerces his sister into having an incestuous relationship with him.

Amityville II sees Sonny fall totally under the demon’s control as he takes his father’s rifle and executes his parents and three siblings. The local priest and family friend, Father Adamsky (James Olson), believes that only the rite of exorcism will be able to save Sonny’s immortal soul from eternal damnation.

Amityville II is based on the DeFeo murders that occurred in Long Island in 1974. Twenty-three-year-old Ronnie DeFeo took a deer rifle and fatally shot his parents and four siblings while they slept, first blaming a burglar before later recanting and having his defense blame heavy drug abuse and mental illness for the murders. DeFeo wasn’t spared by the jury, who sentenced him to six sentences of 25 years to life.

Amityville II‘s predecessor, The Amityville Horror, was based on the book of the same name by Jay Anson. The book and film chronicle the alleged haunting of the Long Island home as related by George and Kathy Lutz, the first family to move into the DeFeo home after the murders. The Lutz’s account has been the subject of a lot of scrutiny over the years, with many accusing the couple of fabricating the story of the home’s possession for financial gain.

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Clearly, Amityville II took a lot of poetic license on the DeFeo murder case file, but still managed to produce a story of demonic possession that transcends its era. The abuse at the hands of the family patriarch add layers of real-life horror and intensity to the film as the supernatural occurrences begin to build. The transformation of teenage Sonny into a demonically possessed family killer is epic, and makes the slow burn lead to a big bang of a payoff.

You can stream Amityville II for free with Tubi.