American Poltergeist Review

Interest: 3/10

Acting: 3/10

Storyline: 4/10

Intensity: 2/10

Fights Guns or Otherwise: 3/10

Nudity: 0/10

Horror: 1/10

Gore: 4.5/10

Makeup: 2/10

Logic: 2/10

American Poltergeist is a 2015 film that is in the horror and thriller genre. The movie runs for one hour and eighteen minutes. It stars Donna Sprangler (Only known for this film and Beverly Hills Christmas) Simona Fusco ( Was in Beerfest, Extreme Movie, and Loaded) and Luke Brandon Field (Known for Where The Road Meets The Sky, Blackwood, and Emily & Tim). The movie is on Netflix so if you want to watch it after the review, that’s where it can be watched. A quick summary of this film is “ Some college kids rent a house, and visions of pain and torment surface. Then the visions and hallucinations come to life!” Let’s see if the movie is any good shall we?

Interest: With a cast that at least to some extent have at least acted, and acted in okay movies, I wish my interest in this was at least moderate, but I think they cheaped out on the set or actual house they built, which makes it seem out of place, as well as the lines being delivered and even the scares. Really thinking about this if the way this was shot and the sketchy scenery wasn’t so sketchy, I think I’d just laugh about the goofy and weird acting.

Acting: While some of these people have acted in other films before, they must have been background characters or they all got mild brain damage because everything is delivered in such a way that either it’s overly enthusiastic for what they’re excited about, not terrified enough for the problem they think they’re in, or said in a near questioning tone that makes you go “No It’s a fact, stop questioning it!”

Storyline: Storyline wise, is pretty simple, college kids rent out a house, it’s haunted, and bad things happen. They party, one of them has visions, you know very stereotypical and simple. It’s done over and over but some part of my cynical heart loves the idea of college kids just screwing things up and dying.

Intensity: Intensity in this movie never really grips you, or makes you feel on edge. You never feel like there’s anything to really lose. It tries, and if you were like 10, it probably wold grip you, and probably until the age of 13 keep you occupied, but afterwards, it really isn’t that good at being intense.

Fights, Guns or Otherwise: Fights in the movie were pretty bland, no real variety to them, and even the verbal lashings fall pretty flat in this film, because everyone themselves is very flat. It’s not the worst thing ever, but it doesn’t make for a fun watch

Nudity: this film had no nudity, and the way it seemed budgeted, I was really figuring that somehow boobs would be somewhere in the film. But they are not. I think nudity might of helped this film, as to some sort of added entertainment value, but it most certainly wouldn’t of added to the story.

Horror: The film tries to be scary but stumbles fumbles and falls it’s way into a lame attempt to scare. It’s like if you’re a parent, and you’ve scared your child, and then they try to scare you. It’s just not that scary. On occasion there are glimpses of horror, but nothing that over shadows the dullness of the rest of the film.

Gore:There was very little gore in this film, and that’s a real shame, it could of at least made the film scary in a bloody sense. I won’t say its gore-less, it has a scene or two, but nothing again worthwhile that is incredibly memorable or freaky. It’s a real snooze fest.

Makeup: The makeup is cheesy as crap in this film. it’s like bad 1980’s makeup in a movie that came out in 2015. It is actually humorous (at least to me) how bad it was. The only thing I can think of that might make this okay, is that is was a first time makeup artist, that had very little formal training, and just went for it, which in some circumstances, can work, and even be endearing, but not here.

Logic: Logic is not this films strong suit. If you move into a house that is possessed, and you either know it going into it, or find out through weird things going on that can’t be explained by science, get your house blessed or exorcised. Call in a shaman, like something to help you out, or leave the damn house, because most times in these movies, it’s just like a house possessed, it doesn’t latch onto you to leave. People see things and blatantly and just shrug it off as if it’s normal. The logic in this film makes no sense, and I hate it.

So do I recommend this movie? Are you trying to fall asleep? Are you scared so easily that you are scared at yourself breathing? If so this movie is totally for you! Otherwise you can easily steer clear of this movie. It is slow, bad, and just not entertaining. I don’t have anything else to really say because of how not fun this movie is. 24.5% is the total this film got, and I’d say this film might be okay to rip on if your group is willing to slog through this one, otherwise, you can probably just let this one slide by, even if suggested on Netflix, just let it go. Well until next time.