Haunting_in_connecticut

The scariest thing about The Haunting in Connecticut has nothing to do with the plot or tone set by director Peter Cornwell and everything to do with the frightening amount of clichés used in constructing the picture. Apparently based on the “true story” of events in the state of Connecticut, this 2009 “horror” film uses every trick in the book ad nauseam to create a horrifically boring and unoriginal project.

The story is based on the “true story” as experienced by the Snedeker family in 80s Connecticut. According to the Snedeker account, the family moved in to a house in Southington and claimed it was plagued by some sort of presence. Mortuary equipment was discovered in the basement of the home and a pair of paranormal investigators was brought in to clear the house of evil spirits. The story of the Snedekers was turned into a book by Ray Garton, but the book was filled with inconsistencies (as was the initial account from the Snedekers themselves).

The Haunting in Connecticut centres largely on Matthew Campbell (Kyle Gallner). He’s a teenage cancer patient and his mother (Virginia Madsen) drives him to treatment. After a particularly difficult treatment, the decision is made to move the family closer to the hospital. Matt’s mom picks out a house that is closer and they move in immediately. The rest of the family moves in too and strange events begin to occur.

Matt first blames the events on his cancer treatment, as nobody else in his family experiences what he is seeing. It is soon discovered that the home’s previous history may have something to do with the creepy events. Matt contacts a minister named Nicholas (Elias Koteas) for assistance, as the man of God is fighting cancer and knows about Matt’s condition. The minister eventually steps in to help the family after the rest of them also start to encounter the strange events.

The screenplay, written by Adam Simon and Tim Metcalfe, is hopelessly convoluted. There are some family dynamics, such as the strained relationship between Matt’s father and the entire family (Martin Donovan), that are barely touched. While the concept of Matt’s cancer treatment and the possibility of it causing hallucinations is initially intriguing, Cornwell’s movie quickly steps off the rails and commits the cardinal sin of showing too much and offering too many conventional scares that can be seen from miles away.

While the casting of Virginia Madsen gave me somewhat of a reason to watch The Haunting in Connecticut, it becomes clear very early on that none of the performers are worth watching here. Gallner, probably best known as a television actor from shows like Veronica Mars and Smallville, plays one of the strongest cancer patients I’ve ever seen. We’re told a few times that he’s knocking on death’s door, yet nothing Gallner does ever makes us believe it. Instead, he’s just a normal pale kid who pukes a lot.

Cornwell’s direction is absolutely atrocious. There isn’t an inventive shot in the bunch, with the filmmaker relaying on every shock-and-cut trick in the book. The overuse of stringed instruments to drum up “tension” is extraordinary, as is the jump-cut pattern that Cornwell uses to play with his visuals. The Haunting in Connecticut suffers the most from his haphazard directorial style, to be sure, although a lack of interesting story and good acting sure as heck doesn’t help.

Let’s face it: there’s really no good reason to bother with The Haunting in Connecticut. It’s another clichéd “horror” movie that shows too much and provides too little by way of actual scares. It’s bland, tasteless pabulum that comes off more like a Lifetime movie than a showcase of profound horror.

1/10

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