Movie Review: The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)
High on jump scares, low on real chills
Photo: Lionsgate
The Haunting in Connecticut has a few frights, but for the most part they are all generated by quick cuts and jump moments as opposed to creating an actual building dread, which is where this film could have separated itself from the pack. The attempt to sell the audience on the idea this is "based on a true story" is an instant way to tap into an audience member's fear, but films that didn't carry such a caption including The Others and The Orphanage manage to accomplish far more tension than this film could ever hope to. The Haunting in Connecticut builds a story much like those two films, but turns itself into a movie filled with so many CG ghoulies you are never scared as much as you are just waiting for the next unexpected sound effect to blast out of the speakers beating you over the head with the idea, "You should be scared… Now!"
The cast includes Virginia Madsen, Martin Donovan, Elias Koteas, Amanda Crew and Kyle Gallner. For more information on this film including pictures, trailers and a detailed synopsis choose from the following menu.
Review
"The Haunting in Connecticut" is a Lionsgate release, directed by Peter Cornwell and is rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of terror and disturbing images.
As I said, The Haunting in Connecticut relies heavily on jump scares and loud music as its primary source of terror. While this is an age old technique and can oftentimes be rather annoying, since you never really feel as if you were truly frightened as much as just caught off guard, I don't really have all that much of a problem with the lack of originality in the scare department. Where this film falls apart is in its execution of the idea this is "based on a true story," which is a claim that carries some weight behind it. Since I am supposed to believe this is something that actually happened it should add to the chills and make me wonder if it will ever happen to me. In this case I never really found myself in fright mode. Instead I kept waiting for the next thing to pop up while the characters' backs were turned and by the end that became a little old.
The Haunting in Connecticut is hardly a bad film, it just isn't a film that manages to accomplish anything more than mediocrity. There is no real sense of dread and while the anticipation of the next ghost around the corner does keep the tension at a certain level, it isn't a result of the storytelling as much as it is just a matter of turning up the film's volume accompanied by a quick jump cut. It's a way of achieving scares, but it also makes for a rather amateur feature.
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What is it with old Victorian houses? Do filmmakers think they're constructed with a built-in ghoul to be activated at a later date?
When I was a child I saw the original, "House on Haunted Hill." I was young and very impressionable and scared out of my wits. So the Victorian house reference works for me…at keeping me away from the film. But my original question still stands. What is it with film makers and Victorian houses?
Might sound funny but if you watch thew full documentry about the actual house and events before watching the film you will find the film a lot better because you can understand it more and will actually be able to understand the concepts of the film. But the bit that gets me is how the real 14 year old boy had an uncureable cancer and then after a few weeks of therapy it had gone and he never got it back…… Its a miracle.
@Patricia: when you watch the documentry you will find that the origional house was infact Victorian so the film makers have made this film based on the documentry which is infact a true story and it scared the crap out of me. it wasnt they actual documentry that scared me it was the graphical scenes in it and for that to have been shown on daytime tv is beyond stupid…
that sort of thing would make kids scared for weeks on end let alone how scared i was after watching it and i was home alone in the dark watching this…..lol
it scared me more because i believe that my house is haunted because of all the wierd things that happen in there and i have a couple of interesting pictures that scared me also, but i was daft enough to play a ouija board if i spelt that right…
so if you would like to find this documentry on the real house befor watching the film email me and i will tell you were to find it ok.
please state in the email (A Haunting In Connecticut Documentry)
my email is : Stephenlinaker@hotmail.com
and hope yall enjoy the film…