American ghost story

an American ghost Story is a Good movie That the movie is worth your time for the chill factor and entertainment. 

Review from BestHorrormovies

Paul (Stephen Twardokus) is an unemployed writer who is looking to make his mark on the literary world, and actually finish something he’s started. When a reportedly haunted house becomes available for rent Paul gathers up his belongings and his girlfriend Stella (Liesel Kopp) and moves into the house, hoping to contact the spirits and write a book about the experience (ala Ethan Hawke’s character in Sinister). The fact that the source of the haunting seems to be a man who murdered his wife and children in their beds before shooting himself in the head does not deter this endeavor. In fact, Paul attempts to decorate the house in precisely the manner it appeared when the grisly murders happened – he read somewhere that familiar surroundings help the spirits come forth.

The very first night the couple spends in the house gives hints that something strange is about to happen, as Stella hears “someone” roaming around the house at night. Later, while Paul is in the garage dealing with basketballs flying around on their own, Stella is terrified by all of the kitchen cabinet doors flying open (ala Paranormal Activity 2 or 3… don’t remember which). When Stella sees the kitchen chairs stacked up in a pyramid (ala Poltergeist) she’s had enough, and leaves her boyfriend to fend for himself in the obviously haunted dwelling. Can Paul finish what he started in this house, or has he bitten off more than he can chew?

In case it is not evident at this point, An American Ghost Story “borrows” a few themes and concepts from popular ghost stories from years past. There is even a nod to the confrontation with the crazy asylum-bound redhead from The Devil Inside (2012) when Paul goes to visit a prior resident of the house, who has been driven a bit crazy by the ordeal. The final confrontation in the third act is reminiscent of another film as well, but that one’s hard to place… maybe Warlock(1989). Still, in spite of the hodgepodge of other familiar films An American Ghost Story moves along well, and is pretty exciting in it’s climax, until… the final wrap-up. Nothing really happens, nothing is decided. There isn’t even a blatant set-up for a sequel. What we get is basically “wow, that place is really scary and I don’t want to live there anymore”. Then the film is done. Very disappointing.

An American Ghost Story is cheaply made, resulting in a kind of “soap opera feel” to the cinematography – not a deal breaker at all, but still a feature. The acting performances are credible and the characters are well done and adequately developed, and there aren’t any sound or lighting issues that sometimes plague low budget indie offerings. Overall the film is entertaining, and actually somewhat original in the way that so many other films are pieced together to create the quilt of a whole. It just would be nice if there were some kind of resolution, or some kind of foreboding in the end. Paul’s staying in the house and eventually confronting the ghost is good, but there is a definite sense of “then what?” in the film’s conclusion.

An American Ghost Story is a nice effort and a generally entertaining story with credible characters and performances. Just don’t expect anything to be revealed or decided in the end, because it’s not happening.

An American Ghost Story (previously The Remnant) was released in festivals in 2012, but becomes available to the public in August 2013 via DVD.

The movie on YouTube