My Amityville Horror: Clearly haunted by something in the past

Whether or not you believe that dark, other-worldly forces menaced a Long Island family in the 1970s, it’s clear minutes into the documentary My Amityville Horror (now on VOD) that at least one person was and is still truly haunted by the events that may or may not have taken place: Daniel Lutz. Lutz was the oldest son of the family featured in the 1977 book The Amityville Horror: A True Story that in turn inspired several movies and decades of public speculation.

The documentary is ostensibly an attempt to further examine the pop culture phenomenon and distill fact from fiction by talking to one of the principle characters impacted by the drama. Lutz identifies himself as a reluctant narrator, only speaking out after years of self-imposed exile and silence because he wants others to understand and believe what happened to him all those years ago. He proves to be both brutally honest and incredibly unreliable in that role. Although completely convinced of the veracity of his childhood paranormal recollections, parallel memories of his abusive stepfather seem as, if not more, disturbing.

Despite the fact that this is not a very sophisticated feat of filmmaking, Lutz is more than enough to draw you into the tale. His camera-facing commentary is intense, insistent and dramatic. His restlessness, agitation and sometimes hostile attitude physically illustrate the impact of his apparent trauma. While it’s pretty clear Lutz disturbed in some way, whether those emotional scars were inflicted by unseen specters or very real parents is, in the end, even more unclear than when the movie began. If you’re looking for a compelling character with an origin story, you find it in Lutz. If you’re looking for answers to a nearly 40-year-old mystery (or hoax), you won’t find them here.