There are over 30 films bearing the Amityville name but not all of them can be considered canon. Many of these releases are low on budget and low on quality, with the Amityville name tagged on to gain a bigger audience. As such, there is no room for such terrible titles as Amityville Christmas Vacation and Amityville in Space in this article!
The first official movie in the series was released in 1979. The Amityville Horror, based on Jay Anson’s bestselling novel of the same name, told the allegedly true story of the Lutz family who, in 1975, were apparently terrorized by supernatural forces after moving into their new home. Many have claimed their story is a hoax but regardless of the truth, the film was popular enough to inspire a lot of sequels as well as a remake and two prequel movies that depicted the real-life murders that took place in the house before the Lutz family moved in.
In this article, we list every canon Amityville movie in release date order. Which of these is your favourite? Let us know in the comments section below.
The Amityville Horror
US Release Date: July 27, 1979
Worldwide Box Office: $86,432,520
Director: Stuart Rosenberg
Metascore: 28
Main Cast:
James Brolin (George Lutz), Margot Kidder (Kathy Lutz), Rod Steiger (Father Delaney), Don Stroud (Father Bolen), Natasha Ryan (Amy), K.C. Martel (Greg), Meeno Peluce (Matt)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
Newlyweds and their three children move into a large house where a mass murder was committed. They start to experience strange, inexplicable manifestations which have strong effects on everyone living in or visiting the house.
Movie Tagline:
For God’s sake, get out!
Amityville II: The Possession
US Release Date: September 24, 1982
Worldwide Box Office: $12.5 million
Director: Damiano Damiani
Metascore: 34
Main Cast:
James Olson (Father Adamsky), Burt Young (Anthony Montelli), Rutanya Alda (Delores Montelli), Jack Magner (Sonny Montelli), Diane Franklin (Patricia Montelli)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
A dysfunctional family moves into a new house, which proves to be satanic, resulting in the demonic possession of their teenage son.
Movie Tagline:
If these walls could talk…they would shriek!
Amityville III: The Demon
US Release Date: November 18, 1983
Worldwide Box Office: $6.3 million
Director: Richard Fleischer
Metascore: 28
Main Cast:
Tony Roberts (John Baxter), Tess Harper (Nancy Baxter), Robert Joy (Elliot West), Candy Clark (Melanie), Lori Loughlin (Susan Baxter), Meg Ryan (Lisa)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
A reporter moves into the Amityville house in defiance of the supernatural events connected to it, and finds everyone around him besieged by the evil manifestations which are connected to a demonic presence in the basement.
Movie Tagline:
Inside these walls, nothing is impossible…except survival.
Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes
US Release Date: May 12, 1989
Worldwide Box Office: N/A
Director: Sandor Stern
Metascore: N/A
Main Cast:
Patty Duke (Nancy Evans), Jane Wyatt (Alice Leacock), Fredric Lehne (Father Kibbler), Lou Hancock (Peggy), Brandy Gold (Jessica Evans), Zoe Trilling (Amanda Evans), Aron Eisenberg (Brian Evans)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
The demonic forces in the Amityville house transfer to an ancient lamp, which finds its way to a remote California mansion where the evil manipulates a little girl by manifesting itself in the form of her dead father.
Movie Tagline:
From the creators of the original AMITYVILLE comes the most terrifying chapter…
The Amityville Curse
US Release Date: June 6, 1990
Worldwide Box Office: N/A
Director: Tom Berry
Metascore: N/A
Main Cast:
Kim Coates (Frank), Dawna Wightman (Debbie), Helen Hughes (Mrs. Moriarty), David Stein (Marvin), Anthony Dean Rubes (Bill)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
Five people spend the night in an abandoned house, an Amityville haunted house, and soon find themselves terrorized by assorted ghosts, venomous insects and ghostly apparitions.
Movie Tagline:
It began with a murder and a hanging. Now, the innocent must pay for the sins of the guilty…
Amityville: It’s About Time
US Release Date: July 16, 1992
Worldwide Box Office: N/A
Director: Tony Randel
Metascore: N/A
Main Cast:
Stephen Macht (Jacob Sterling), Shawn Weatherly (Andrea Livingston), Megan Ward (Lisa Sterling), Damon Martin (Rusty Sterling),
Synopsis (from IMDB):
An architect brings home a mysterious old clock, not knowing that it’s haunted by the demonic presence of the Amityville house. Soon, the clock begins to alter time and space and starts to possess members of the household.
Movie Tagline:
It’s been expecting you.
Amityville: A New Generation
US Release Date: September 29, 1993
Worldwide Box Office: N/A
Director: John Murlowski
Metascore: N/A
Main Cast:
Ross Partridge (Keyes Terry), Julia Nickson (Suki), Lala Sloatman (Llanie), David Naughton (Dick Cutler), Barbara Howard (Jane Cutler), Richard Roundtree (Pauli)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
An old mirror from the Amityville house finds its way into a young photographer’s home, where the demonic presence soon manifests itself to cause more death and mayhem.
Movie Tagline:
The Image of Evil.
Amityville Dollhouse
US Release Date: February 18, 1997
Worldwide Box Office: N/A
Director: Steve White
Metascore: N/A
Main Cast:
Robin Thomas (Bill Martin), Starr Andreeff (Claire Martin), Allen Cutler (Todd Martin), Rachel Duncan (Jessica Martin), Jarrett Lennon (Jimmy Martin)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
A children’s doll house, which is a miniature of the infamous haunted Long Island house, is given to a young girl where the demonic evil soon comes out to cause more terror.
Movie Tagline:
The Amityville Horror has a new address…
The Amityville Horror
US Release Date: April 15, 2005
Worldwide Box Office: $107.5 million
Director: Andrew Douglas
Metascore: 33
Main Cast:
Ryan Reynolds (George Lutz), Melissa George (Kathy Lutz), Jimmy Bennett (Michael Lutz), Jesse James (Billy Lutz), Chloë Grace Moretz (Chelsea Lutz), Rachel Nichols (Lisa), Philip Baker Hall (Father Callaway)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
Newlyweds are terrorized by demonic forces after moving into a large house that was the site of a grisly mass murder a year before.
Movie Tagline:
What happened over the next 28 days has never been explained.
Amityville: The Awakening
US Release Date: October 12, 2017
Worldwide Box Office: $8.4 million
Director: Franck Khalfoun
Metascore: 42
Main Cast:
Jennifer Jason Leigh (Joan), Bella Thorne (Belle), Mckenna Grace (Juliet), Cameron Monaghan (James), Thomas Mann (Terrence)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
A desperate single mother moves with her three children into the notorious, supposedly haunted, real-life Amityville house to try and use its dark powers to cure her comatose son. Things go horribly wrong.
Movie Tagline:
Every house has a history. This one has a legend.
The Amityville Murders
US Release Date: February 8, 2019
Worldwide Box Office: $77, 206
Director: Daniel Farrands
Metascore: 35
Main Cast:
John Robinson (Ronald Defeo Jr.), Chelsea Ricketts (Dawn DeFeo), Paul Ben-Victor (Ronnie DeFeo Sr.), Diane Franklin (Louise DeFeo), Burt Young (Michael Brigante)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
On the night of November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo, Jr. took a high-powered rifle and murdered his entire family as they slept. At his trial, DeFeo claimed that “voices” in the house commanded him to kill. This is their story.
Movie Tagline:
Every legend has a beginning.
Which is your favourite movie in the Amityville franchise? Let us know in the comments below.