Review: The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)

Review Written By: Gaius Bolling

Release Date: March 27, 2009

 I'm not gonna lie, I'm a sucker for the based on a true story angle that's attached to a lot of horror films as of late. Just the thought that these events could've taken place in real life is enough to give me a few goosebumps.

I say I'm a sucker for it because usually this is used as a gimmick to lure the audience into the theater and 9 times out of 10, the film has very little to offer beyond it's "true story" origins. I tend to fall for it every time and i'm usually disappointed ("The Strangers" being one of the exceptions to the rule).

"The Haunting in Connecticut" is a recent example of the true story trickery. When I first saw the trailers and learned of the story behind this film, I was intrigued. Maybe I should have looked no further than the "Amityvile Horror" to realize that the true story behind this film has a lot of holes. So what might make for a fairly interesting documentary about the events, makes for a very tired and been there done that take on the haunted house story.

Those who go to the trouble of fact-checking "The Haunting in Connecticut" will find that the story which forms the basis of the screenplay is founded on the dubious claims of Al and Carmen Snedeker, who lived in a former funeral parlor in Connecticut during the late 1980s. The Snedeckers' ordeal was novelized by Ray Garton, who is on record as doubting the veracity of the tale told by his subjects.

The names have been changed here, as well certain points in the Snedeker story but the basic elements follow their take on what happened in their home. The story focuses on the Campbell family, the members of which have rented a house in Connecticut so they can be near the hospital where their oldest son, Matt (Kyle Gallner), is undergoing experimental cancer treatments. Matt's parents, Sara (Virginia Madsen) and Peter (Martin Donovan), don't have the happiest of marriages. In addition to Peter's alcoholism, he's only with the family on weekends since his job keeps him hours away. Also living in the house are Matt's younger brother and his two cousins. Almost as soon as they move in, Matt begins to see things that go bump in the night. He thinks he might be hallucinating as a result of the cancer treatments but the visions are too vivid. So he gets in touch with Reverend Popescu (Elias Koteas), a Man of God who's also dying of cancer, and the two of them investigate the strange goings-on of bygone years that involved séances, ectoplasm, and 100 missing bodies. And, since Matt and Popescu are on death's doorstep, they have little difficulty seeing the spirits of those who have preceded them in crossing over.

The film's big mistake is that it thinks the past behind the home is more interesting than the current family drama playing out in present day. As the characters were trying to figure out why their home may be haunted I could really care less. If you've seen other haunted house films, then you can probably guess what happened in the home to make these spirits pretty pissed off. Also worth noting is that the special effects during the past sequences are extremely bad. You've probably seen the scene with the apparition coming out the kids mouth in the trailer (It's also on the poster art) and it's just horribly done. There is nothing worse than realizing you're actually watching CGI. It completely takes you out of the moment. 

What is more interesting is the family dynamic that is going on in present day. The actors, particularly Virginia Madsen (known to all horror fans for her role in "Candyman") and Kyle Gallner, are able to engage our sympathy pretty easily. I know some critics have called the acting overwrought and the family drama a bit on the "Lifetime" side but I thought it was pretty well done. However, it is a bad sign for a horror film when family melodrama plays out better than the horror. It's pretty unfortunate because their fine work is pretty much wasted here and it can't really save the film from mediocrity.

The characters are often really betrayed by the script. I know we couldn't have a film if the characters were smart and just got the hell out of dodge but they don't make a strong enough case as to why they would stay in the house after all these strange things were happening. One could make the argument that originally only Matt sees the ghosts so they may think he's hallucinating due to his illness and stress but once the other members of the family begin seeing things, they still insist on staying.  You would think they would pack it up, especially since their son is so ill and probably shouldn't be stressed out by what he may or may not be seeing but they stay put.

This film also utilizes the "boo moment" way too much. In fact these are the only scares to be had and since it's used nearly every 5 minutes, it gets old really fast. I can only be frightened by seeing things in the shadows followed by a loud music cue maybe the first few times but when it makes up most of your movie's running time, it just becomes redundant.

I can't really recommend "The Haunting in Connecticut" because there isn't really much here to offer. There are much better haunted house films out there and maybe now I won't fall fro the based on a true story angle anymore. Who am I kidding, I'll probably see it during a horror film trailer tomorrow and instantly want to see it. Boy, I'm a sucker.

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