A young man named Ronald De Feo (Brendan Donaldson) kills his family in their new house down in Long Island New York as something told him to do so and the last family members he kills is his sister Jodie (Isabel Conner).

A newlywed couple look for a new house that's a little bigger than their old house since the wife named Kathy (Melissa George) has three children and her first husband passed away. All the houses they see is out of their price range but they spot one that is big and affordable. Their landylady sweet talks them into buying it butr tells them about the DeFeo's that once lived there but assures them that it has been forgotten so they buy it.

The oldest son named Billy (Jesse James) has a hard time adjusting to his stepfather George (Ryan Reynolds) but has a rougher time later on as the days go by George behaves more aggressive and also feels chilly living in the house.

George and Kathy have an evening out and hire a lustful babysitter named Lisa (Rachel Nichols) who tells the kids about what happened in the house they're now living in and about the little girl named Jodie who fired her for her babysitting job as she babysat the DeFeo's as well. The daughter of the Lutz's named Chelsea (Chloe Moretz) formed a friendship with Jodie. Jodie locks Lisa in the closet and scares her half to death and Lisa is taken away in an ambulance.

George is close to killing his whole family after he discovers a secret room in the house but not only that, Chelsea is doing suicidal events which Jodie is making her do since Jodie tells her that she has a way of seeing Chelsea's dead father.

The story is incredibly suspenseful and will make you jump during many moments as well it being very shocking.
We have many fast shots on the character Ronald DeFeo using a rifle and going on a shooting spree. Along with a good shot on a child named Jodie in a corner of a closet looking innocent and fearful and then a good close up shot on Ronald looking teary telling him he loves her very weakly and then pointing his shotgun in which this definetely leaves a nice creepy impression to a beginning of a plot.
We spot a nice dialogue between George Lutz and Michael as stepfather and stepson acting silly towards one another.
My favourite scene in the film is when when a realtor shows both George and Kathy around the house but is too scared to go in the rooms and then tells them the tragedy that has happened there showing good fearful words.
We spot a good moment with Billy Lutz not adjusting to his new stepfather and having an attitude with his Mom while she's trying to act sympathetic towards him.
There's a good shot on both Kathy and George having a sex scene and then from a corner with a ghostly Jodie acting hauntingly as it looked very spooky.
There's a good moment with Michael getting out of his bed and too scared to go to the bathroom alone along with a camera shot on the vent with sounds coming through. Plus there's good shot on him walking in the hallway to the bathroom in which the setting looked dark and haunting like. Plus good close up shots on him trying to turn on the sink water with a ghostly presence happening. It looked impressive when he tries to run back to his bed as this reminds me of when I was a child and being scared of the dark and with this happening having every reason to be.
There's an impressive situation with Billy having an attitude about not wanting a babysitter along with a good presence on the babysitter named Lisa approaching and introducing herself as their neighbor looking sexy and then he has a shocked look on his face which adds good humor to the story here.
We spot a great suspenseful moment with Chelsea walking on the top roof of the house and Kathy trying to go up there and safely trying to get her off and a good suspenseful struggle happens with all of the directions surrounding it.Things look impressive and intense when Kathy loses her mind towards Chalsea demanding her about the tales of Jodie in which there's good crying and screaming attitude onto this as it fits well into the story.
We have a nice lustful reaction on Lisa lying on a bed in a room spotting some Kiss posters and imitating Gene Simmons with her tongue and discussing it which looked kinky as well as her talking about what happened at the house which was also well written even if this looked far fetched from being based on a true story. We also spot a good moment with Chelsea warning Lisa that Jodie is gonna get angry if she goes in a closet that's supposedly possessed and she gets attitudish about it which adds well to the humor before the terror will unleash here for anyone who doesn't like to get scared right away.
There's good special effects when Lisa is locked in a closet and then the spirit Jodie appears grabbing her arm and pointing a finger to her head as this gives off a creepy feel to this big time.
There's a great creepy moments with George going in a nasty dysfunctional rage towards his stepkids causing them to cry which was nicely lit as well as them telling him the house is evil as this was perfectly put in too for a remake here.
There's a good moment with Father Callaway trying to bless a house and a bunch of flies come out of a vent and attacks him as the effects in this one look more intense than in the original.
We have a terrific evil aggression and shots on George chopping wood and manipulating Billy to put another piece of wood on in which this looked psychologically well lit and wondering if he will lose it big time by acting murderous while we keep watching this moment happen.
There's many terrorising moments with George trying to come after everyone with a shot gun and him trying to shoot the ceiling with good shots on the family members climbing up the roof in a rain storm along with what they have to do in order to protect themselves from this possessed fellow which looked pretty deadly. All of this looked more terrifying and suspenseful than what happens in the original too.
Bottom line: Take this one with a grain of salt as it is nothing like the book by Jay Anson.
The characters are completely different. But it goes to show you that most non fictional movies are not true in alot of scenes which you have to read the book first as the facts usually come from there and when a movie is made after the book as the producer's like the exaggerate a film.
Yet this film is very scary and will make you jump with noisy effects. But however, the Lutz family were more pleased with this remake as they said it was more based on what really happened to them than what happened in the original film and insisted that they did this one so what do I know?
It was cool to see a child loving the group Kiss with posters hung and him wearing their shirts bringing the picture a total 70's feel to it.

The acting is very good. Vancouver actor Ryan Reynolds (George Lutz) is on his road to fame as he knew his part inside out at first acting like a charming newlywed and then behaving aggressive, obnoxious and evil while living in the house bringing great intensity to his part. He is especially intense with his quarrelling behavior on a situation which looked prefectly dysfunctional along with showing a perfect intimidating manipulative attitude with his words while chopping up wood and having nice controlling actions on this too. He does a perfect job when he becomes slowly possessed showing his nasty emotions and temper nmaking it truly scary and real.
Melissa George (Kathy Lutz) really brought her motherly love to the screen quite well too having a passive attitude along with terrific crying and screaming emotions when things really stir up which was a great driving force on her behalf here. Plus she does well having a sympathetic attitude in certain parts of the film. She also does a nice job whenever she acts brutal during a struggling scene in order to survive showing terrific forceful energy on her behalf.
Jesse James (Billy Lutz) was good as a kid with attitude going through a phase and having a hard time adjusting to his new stepfather. He really drew his part as a bratty pre-teen. He certainly does a great job with his sobbing emotions when the terror happens or forced to do something in which he studied his part incredibly well by perfoming like this too.
Also, Chloe Moretz (Chelsea) is convincing too and can get more work as at first I mistakened her for Dakota Fanning having a nice personality to her role and knew how to act like a mischievious little girl of the family. She also does a great job being in a trance acting expressionless while standing up on a roof showing great concenrtation here. Also she does a nice job in spots with her warning type of behavior as this looked very natural for a little girl like her.
Rachel Nicols (Lisa) truly brought her skanky and lustful behavior to life along with her stunning looks too making you reminding of a lousy babysitter you never wanted back and totally looked like a 70's groovy chick too. She also does well with her smart alecky behavior in other areas of the story. Plus she does well with her raging bad ass aggressions when she's locked in a closet as well bringing it to an intense pace by what she sees really freaking out which looked well done and knew on how to do this with a touch of dark humor here too. She brought on some good energy here. She made her supporting role very memorable.
Philip Baker Hall (Father Callaway) really showed a great serious attitude as a preacher with a good deep voice too which really carried as he spoke.

There is suggested sex and close to brief nudity.

There is alot of blood when the DeFeo's are shot.
George sees a hallucination of himself with his skin stripped off his back.
A zombie image of Jodie occurs in many scenes with a bullet hole in her head.
A dog is butchered with an axe but the scene is quick and dark.
A guy is hung with hooks to his chest and other gruesome events in that same scene.

The music was composed by Steve Jablonsky and is terrific with it having the rusty sounds and the low beating music with the echoey piano and classical music with some low trombone playing and the sad violin music too. Clay Duncan composed the additional music.

Jodie Defeo: What's wrong, Ronnie?
Ronald Defeo: I love you, Jodie.
[raises the shotgun and shoots her in the head]

Michael Lutz: Do I have to call you Dad, George?
George Lutz: You can call me whatever you want.
Michael Lutz: Um... Stupid?
George Lutz: Sure.
Michael Lutz: Stinky?
George Lutz: Of course.
Michael Lutz: Crap-monkey-fart?
George Lutz: [laughing] Okay, that's where I draw the line!

Billy Lutz: [after tasting George's scrambled eggs] This sucks!
George Lutz: You aren't kiddin'.

Realtor: So, are we happy?
George Lutz: [pointing to Kathy] She's happy. I'm broke.

George Lutz: Houses don't kill people. People kill people.

Michael Lutz: We're *rich*!
George Lutz: Rich off of somethin', but it ain't money.

Kathy Lutz: [Eating at dinner table, George spits out his food, making a scene] Is this discipline, or torture?
George Lutz: I thought it was meatloaf...

Father Callaway: Your house frightens me, Mrs. Lutz.

Billy Lutz: Hi... I'm Billy.
[Lisa talks to Kathy and George]
Billy Lutz: Hi... I'm Billy.
Lisa: Yeah, I got ya the first time.

George Lutz: [to Billy] I thought you said you didn't need a babysitter.

Lisa: It's kinda sick that you sleep in their beds. Actually, it's fucking sick.

Jodie Defeo: Look what Ronnie did to me, Lisa.
[moves her hair away from her head so can see, she has a hole in her head made by the gun]

Kathy Lutz: What were you thinking?
[after Chelsea walks across the roof of the house]
Chelsea Lutz: I just wanted to see Daddy.

Father Callaway: There was recently a family in the area that had a similar problem.
Kathy Lutz: The DeFeos.
Father Callaway: Yes, you've heard of them?
Kathy Lutz: I'm living in their house.

Father Callaway: You know the doll that your daughter was holding?
Kathy Lutz: Yes, well...
Father Callaway: That doll belonged to the little girl who used to live here.
Kathy Lutz: Maybe it was left on the property?
Father Callaway: No Kathy, you don't understand what I'm saying, that doll was buried with Jody Defeo when she died.

Father Callaway: Mrs. Lutz, get you and your family out of that house. Right now!

George Lutz: [to Kathy] How did you get so fucking stupid?

Kathy Lutz: No-one dies today.

[last lines]
Jodie Defeo: Nooooooooo!