Horror Movie Review: Witches of Amityville (2020)

…and so, the Amityville train continues. This time pulling into a station that has a distinctly ‘witchy’ look about it. Take that for what it is, no doubt you’re acutely aware now that most movies with Amityville in the name have absolutely next to nothing to do with the original horror.

That is most certainly the case here as director Rebecca Matthews and writer Tom Jolliffe don’t even attempt to connect it to 112 Ocean Avenue.

Just like Amityville Scarecrow, Witches of Amityville is in England even if they try to hide that fact. Jessica (Sarah T. Cohen) is excited to have been accepted to attend the Amityville Academy even though she never actually applied. That should sound alarms or at least an enquiring phone call but she’s happy to just go along with it.

Once there she meets another new girl and that night, they find themselves about to be sacrificed by the woman in charge, Dominque (Amanda-Jade Tyler). Do you see? This is why you ask questions.

Before she can have her throat cut (the other girl isn’t quite so lucky), Jessica is rescued by a group of women who call themselves the Belle Witches. Sam (Kira Reed Lorsch), Ellena (Brittan Taylor) and Lucy (Donna Spangler) get Jessica out and back to their home where they reveal the truth of the Amityville Academy.

It is run by Dominque and her coven of witches. They plan to sacrifice enough girls to raise the demon Botis and the Belle Witches are their sworn enemies. They will do everything they can to stop the arrival of Botis and Jessica is key to this plan.

Let’s get this out there right away. Witches of Amityville isn’t a bad movie. It has a well-worn story but it tells it well enough. The cast, predominantly female, are all decent and even the occasional bloodier effects don’t look too cheap.

All of this would suggest that Witches of Amityville sits in the higher echelons of Amityville named horrors. Except it has one glaringly huge issue. Something that really knocks it down in quality.

It’s simply that Witches of Amityville is barely a horror movie. It’s far too tame with very little gore and very little non-magical violence to sink your teeth into. There’s no atmosphere because of its attempt to modernise witches and it spends far too long letting them wax-lyrical about their witchy business.

Boring? It sure can be.