PopHorror Let's Get Scared
The house in Amityville, New York, has been the subject of countless films from the original Amityville Horror, its remake, and its countless sequels as well as a multitude of indie horror films seeking to put their own spin on the material. The latest is Amityville: Evil Never Dies, Dustin Ferguson’s sequel to his 2016 film The Amityville Legacy.
Amityville: Evil Never Dies is the latest film from writer director Dustin Ferguson (the upcoming Nemesis 5: The New Model) and stars Mark Patton (Nightmare On Elm Street 2 1985) Helene Udy (My Bloody Valentine 1981), Dawna Lee Heising (Meathook Massacre 2 2017), Ben Gothier, and Michelle Muir-Lewis. The film follows a married couple who purchase a monkey doll that’s a doorway to evil.
When I first agreed to review this film, I wasn’t really sure what angle it was going to take. I was surprised to find the film was about a monkey doll that is possessed by evil and the force behind the original Amityville murders. Sounds kind of cheesy, right? You wouldn’t be wrong if you said yes. This film is extremely low budget and it shows. The acting is hit or miss, the effects are very limited and the run time is only about an hour long (including flashbacks to the previous film). That being said, the film has a micro budget charm and I found myself enjoying it quite a bit but then again, how can you hate a film about an evil monkey doll?
You can tell that everyone making the film had a blast and it’s kind of hard not to have one right along with them. There isn’t a whole lot of action to speak of, but the monkey doll was pretty unnerving. Not sure if it was a real toy they used or if it was something they threw together for the film, but either way, it was an effective choice.
I do have a couple minor complaints. Like in some of Dustin Ferguson’s previous films, he spends too much time on shots that don’t really advance the film and it’s hard to not see them as padding for the short run time. The climax of the film also leaves a bit to be desired, ending before you even know it’s coming, but I give it credit for making me genuinely laugh out loud. The film could have benefited greatly from trimming some of these unnecessary scenes and adding about 10 to 15 minutes to the end of the film.
Amityville: Evil Never Dies is a micro budget film that has the balls to play in the Amityville sandbox and, despite some technical issues and lack of budget, mostly succeeds at delivering a solid film. If you are a fan of “so bad it’s good” cinema or films that have more heart than budget, you could do far worse. Amityville: Evil Never Dies is a fun take on Amityville lore.
