The Haunting in Connecticut

PG-13

3/27/20091h 42m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ Some things cannot be explained. ~

Overview:

When the Campbell family moves to upstate Connecticut, they soon learn that their charming Victorian home has a disturbing history: not only was the house a transformed funeral parlor where inconceivable acts occurred, but the owner's clairvoyant son Jonah served as a demonic messenger, providing a gateway for spiritual entities to crossover.

Director:

Peter Cornwell

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$10,000,000.00

Revenue:

$77,578,320.00

Key words:

haunting
hallucination
crematorium
based on true story
occult
funeral home
mortuary
incinerator
cousin relationship
told in flashback
reverend
funeral parlor
boy in peril
oncology ward
desecration
child cancer
rosary
isolated house
hide and seek
duringcreditsstinger
scientific experiment

Cast

Virginia Madsen

~ as ~

Sara Campbell

Kyle Gallner

~ as ~

Matt Campbell

Martin Donovan

~ as ~

Peter Campbell

Amanda Crew

~ as ~

Wendy

Elias Koteas

~ as ~

Reverend Popescu

Sophi Knight

~ as ~

Mary Campbell

Ty Wood

~ as ~

Billy Campbell

D.W. Brown

~ as ~

Dr. Brooks

John B. Lowe

~ as ~

Mr. Sinclair

Jessica Burleson

~ as ~

1920's Séance Attendee #4

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

John Chard
Written 9 year(s) ago
6
The Connecticut Horror.

Supposedly grounded in truth, The Haunting in Connecticut is a decent little spooker, yet still a pic that has all the pitfalls of other notable films of its ilk. Plot for what it's worth has a family move into a new home, only to find that it has ghosts and ghoulies residing within. But why?

There's good strength in the family dynamic at work here, the eldest son has cancer and is undergoing treatment. Thus he becomes the conduit for the strange happenings, and this as his parents fight impending grief and personal worries. The scares toddle along effectively, atmosphere via camera work and sound effects is perfectly efficient, and the story has enough mystery about it to carry you through to the end.

Unfortunately there's a lot of daft stuff as well, I mean who in their right mind would sleep in a basement room and not force open an adjoining door to see what is in there? It's these ridiculous leaps of faith required that if you are not willing? Then they kill the movie for you. The ending also takes some believing, such is the rampant stench of Hollywood of it all.

Well performed in the main (Virginia Madsen solid as a rock/Elias Koteas shining in spite of being under used), this deserves to be rated above average. But ultimately it rings hollow at times and quickly runs out of scares in the last third. 6/10