by MATTHEW HAYS

This is the mythical story that’s a fantastic set-up for a fright flick. In Tennessee in the early 19th century, a family was haunted by a mysterious spirit for several years. This cantankerous, persistent little ghost was really badgering this clan, so much so that the story became renowned in the region. Dubbed the “Bell Witch Haunting,” the story became legend and, amazingly, in 1998 some clues were uncovered when a manuscript was discovered that explained why the haunting occurred.

Take that set-up and cast two particularly brilliant actors—Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek—in the leads, and you’d think you’d have one helluva movie to watch. But An American Haunting, by Canadian director Courtney Solomon, really isn’t particularly frightening. And talk about missing the boat: instead of chills, we just get a bunch of jittery camera shots and loud, blustery music. Spacek lords over her troubled daughter (Rachel Hurd-Wood), trying to figure out what on earth is causing her to be tormented by this unseen force. (You’ll figure it out far sooner than anyone in the movie does.)

The purportedly thrill-laden stuff becomes cyclical within the first half hour of An American Haunting. Hurd-Wood goes to bed and has bad dreams. Something spooky is doing naughty, nasty things to her—there are sexual overtones. Apparently, this is one very randy ghost. At one point the rest of the cast watches, horrified, as Hurd-Wood is lifted in the air and slapped repeatedly by the ghost. It sort of felt like The Exorcist was visiting Walton Mountain. This scary-stuff cycle repeats, droning on and on like a Sunday-afternoon visit to the laundromat. Just get on with revealing the mystery!

Rather than inject this thing with some honest thrills, Solomon instead mistakenly slips in another swish pan or rapid-fire montage sequence, in the apparent hope that no one will notice how repetitive his movie has become. It doesn’t really pass for good directing, nor competent storytelling. Rather than making for a scary film experience, An American Haunting often feels just plain grating.

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