Nerds That Geek Movie Review – ‘Amityville: The Awakening’

Written by Scott Edwards

​House hunting is not for everyone, especially when life will not take a break just so you can get comfortable. Finding a place that has a couple of things that you value the most is difficult enough, so you have to pounce on the first one that comes along like that, or you may never find another house close to it. But searching for something more inside the walls is something that a few people do, as the thought of living in a haunted house is exciting for some. Visiting a haunted house is just fine in my mind, but when you want to live there, even for only a month, well, I guess there are some crazies out there that like to be frightened all the time.
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With help from her sister Candice, Joan is able to get her daughters and son moved into their new house in Amityville. With this being the biggest change to their life since the passing of her husband, Joan is very fond of the house and knows that it is the perfect place for the girls and her comatose son to try and move on. Not feeling the same way about the house, Belle is upset that she was forced to move schools before her senior year and young Juliet does not know what to think as she continues to talk with her sleeping brother. Knowing little about the house, much less the history of the area, Belle is in for a rude awakening when she enters school for the first day.

Being singled out as the new kid, there is one student that wants to get to know her a bit better as Terrence takes a liking to Belle. Telling her a little bit about the history of the house, since she is living in The Amityville Horror house, Belle needs to do a little snooping on her own to find out what happened there many years ago. Getting fresh images of the house after the DeFeo murder spree, Belle starts to believe that there is something strange going on that nobody is noticing. With haunting images taking over her dreams, Belle does not understand the power of the house, but will soon, because evil does not die, it only goes into slumber.   

Getting a special visit from Terrence once again at school, Belle is introduced to Marissa who is into the history of the house as well. Making plans to have a special viewing of The Amityville Horror movie in the actual house, there is only one rule, it has to be done at 3:15am, the same time the murders took place. Watching the movie and trying to have a good time, 3:15am comes around and the power goes out for no reason. Getting it turned back on, Belle’s mother is not too happy with having people in the house that she did not invite. But that is not the only thing that has her scorned, as her comatose son has been messed around with. Not knowing what could have happened to her brother while her friends were with her the whole time, Belle and her family see that young James is starting to show signs of life once again, but his awakening may not be the only one in the house.

Not the best Amityville story I have seen to date, but not the worst either. Following the script that the house drives people to madness and bringing the original movie into play for proof was kind of fun. The hatred that Joan has for her daughter Belle seems to be the driving force to the story, since Belle has something to do with her brother’s condition. Flipping back and forth between hatred and love, Joan has something up her sleeve for the family, but will not let them know what it is until it is too late. With some Amityville Horror references, a new girl in school, a spooky house, blood splattered walls, a shotgun, a hidden agenda and a house that does not want anyone to survive, it is a pretty good little ride, even though it is a familiar story. I will tell you one thing, I don’t know why people keep moving there, but if people keep this up, I am pretty sure the entire block is gonna be haunted. Stay Scared.

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