Horror Movie Review: Amityville Apt. (2025)

I really wouldn’t blame you if your response to seeing the name, Amityville Apt., is to ‘nope’ the hell out of here. After all, it’s become a gag now to put Amityville in front of anything, regardless of its actual connections to 112 Ocean Avenue.

There have been so many bad ‘Amityville’ films now, that it is easy to forget there are actually good ones here and there, and I’m not just talking about the original film either. Maybe it’s low expectations, but there is something so delightful about settling down to watch something with Amityville jammed into the title and finding a decent film hiding within. It’s even better when it has links to the original horror, light as they might be.

You’re not going to believe this, but Amityville Apt. is such a film, even if its anthology-style story isn’t always the easiest to follow.

Coming from multiple directors and writers, the premise of Amityville Apt. surrounds the land upon which 112 Ocean Avenue once sat. 40 years after it came down, an apartment block now sits where the house once was, and of course, spooky things are going on inside. It’s these events that make up the film, seeing different resident’s experiences. Some of which have fun links to other films in the franchise, for better or worse (I did not expect to see this film connect to Amityville in the Hood).

Of course, very little actually ties into the original massacre, but that shouldn’t really be too much a surprise. What is a surprise is that we have a solid cast (some way better than others) across several engaging stories with varying degrees of scares. Some are tension based, and pay off in style, others are all about making the viewer jump. There’s nothing to get too excited about, but what the film offers is notable.

Amityville Apt. is cheaply made, but again, effort has clearly been made to make the best of the lack of funds and try and give the film a more grounded and real feel. It doesn’t result in exceptional effects, but again, it’s a notable positive.

Where the film does fall apart is with its pacing. It’s not a short film, and some of the stories are dragged out, resulting in a few times when you might find yourself checking the runtime. Which, when compared to the awful monotony that most of the franchise offers, is yet another positive.

Look, I’m not telling you this is a great film, it’s not, nor am I insisting you watch it, as we really shouldn’t be encouraging this lot, but if you do, you won’t necessarily hate it. Which is high praise, but also a damning indictment of this franchise and those that continue to make films and jam in Amityville regardless of if it fits or not.