One of the more telling aspects of a horror film is when one of its taglines is 'based on a true story'. Whilst many may squeal at the prospect of what they are about to see having actually happened, it doesn't fill me with intrigue.
The Haunting in Connecticut is based on the story of a family who move into a suburban house in Connecticut in the later 1980s, wherein a burial ground had been closed up. Naturally this should make for a great story; ghouls appearing from the ceilings and/or walls, hauntings driving the residents to despair, a few gory deaths here and there. That's how you would it would play out if this were a typical horror film. Sadly, it is indeed 'based on a true story', bringing to the forefront an array of limitations.
Unlike The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, loosely based on the infamous Ed Gein's exploits, this is an uninteresting horror film. Not only that, but the acting is also sub-par. Horrifically sub-par. You have your typical 'one minute there's a dark ghoul standing in a doorway, the next he's gone' moments. A fair few of these, I might add. To reinforce the craziness, the film's protagonists is mentally deficicient and suffers from twisted hallucinations. A bonus, you might think. But the constant use of these visions does nothing but create a stale and tiresome story thread.
When the piece de resistance finally comes together in the film's final scenes, the special effects on offer reiterate the b-movie feel of the piece. The film just doesn't ever find itself convincing anyone of its dark undertones, or ever provide enough scares to make the trip to the cinema (or price of DVD rental) anywhere near worth it.
The trailers looked promising, but the end result is a mish-mash of uninspired special effects, tired use of hallucinations as a means of scaring a no-doubt unthrilled audience, and a group of actors who deliver an incredibly underwhelming collective performance.
In short: avoid.
3/10
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