Review by CJ

Director:
Mike Rutkowski

Starring:
Donna Spangler, Ashley Green Elizabeth, Jaime Sarchet, Luke Brandon Field, Nikole Howell, Jakob Renken

Other notable appearances:
Nicole Holland, Nicholas Talone

Running time:
93 minutes

Watch this if you like:
Unintentionally bad horror films

A group of unwitting teenagers move into the house where the Borden murders took place. Mayhem ensues.

American Poltergeist is … well, it’s not good.

The plot is flimsy at best and introduces many things that are never addressed later. By the end of American Poltergeist I found myself asking “but why was that there” and “why did they do that” and “when is this going to end”. But I digress.

Supporting the flimsy plot is some truly horrendous dialogue. The dialogue in American Poltergeist is worsened by the atrocious acting. At one point, the landlord of the house opens the door and I thought I had accidentally picked an adult film because the acting was so stiff (no pun intended) and uncomfortable.

If a horror film is going to be as ridiculous and badly acted as American Poltergeist, it should at least be funny or overtly outlandish (hi, Sharknado). Sadly American Poltergeist misses the horror movie mark and over shoots “so bad it’s good” to land in “I don’t recommend spending an hour and a half of your life on this” territory. If you want a haunted house story that features an exorcism, watch The Conjuring.

Rating:

“Wait, you don’t know that you live in the infamous Lizzie Borden house?”
“Wait, who-who’s Lizzie Borden?”