An American Haunting – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

An American Haunting

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2005

18%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A critically reviled 2005 horror film about the Bell Witch legend that's neither scary enough for horror fans nor appropriate for teens.

12%

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An American Haunting

movie

PG-13, 2005

18%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A critically reviled 2005 horror film about the Bell Witch legend that's neither scary enough for horror fans nor appropriate for teens.

12%

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Screenwise Verdict

Let's be direct: this movie is a mess. With a 12% critic score and audience ratings barely scraping 35%, An American Haunting is one of those early-2000s horror films that tried to capitalize on the success of better supernatural thrillers and failed spectacularly.

The Bell Witch legend is genuinely fascinating American folklore, but this adaptation manages to drain all the intrigue out of it. The reveal that sexual abuse is behind the haunting is handled clumsily, making it feel exploitative rather than meaningful. It's not scary enough to work as horror, not thoughtful enough to justify the heavy themes, and not well-made enough to recommend to anyone.

For parents: if your teen is interested in the Bell Witch story, skip this movie entirely and just read about the actual legend together. For horror fans: there are dozens of better supernatural films from this era. For everyone else: this is a hard pass. Sometimes a 12% on Rotten Tomatoes tells you everything you need to know.

Age Fit

Common Sense Media suggests 15+, but honestly, this isn't appropriate or worthwhile for anyone. The abuse themes are too heavy for teens, and the execution is too poor for adults who actually enjoy horror films.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

This is a horror film about supernatural violence and family secrets involving abuse. The story centers on a malevolent spirit causing physical harm and death, with themes of sexual abuse revealed as the core mystery. Not emotionally healthy content, with disturbing themes that would be deeply unsettling rather than modeling positive behaviors.

Imaginative

Based on the allegedly true Bell Witch legend, offering some historical curiosity about 19th-century Tennessee folklore. However, the execution is reportedly formulaic and derivative of better horror films. The period setting provides some visual interest, but critics universally panned it as unoriginal and poorly crafted, suggesting minimal creative spark.

Safe

Multiple serious safety concerns: supernatural violence including physical attacks, a death caused by the entity, and the reveal of sexual abuse as a central plot element. Common Sense Media rates it 15+. This contains exactly the kind of surprise disturbing content that would be inappropriate for younger viewers to encounter unexpectedly. The abuse themes are particularly triggering.

Enriching

Minimal enrichment value. While it touches on American folklore and historical setting, the critical consensus (12% on Rotten Tomatoes, 38 on Metacritic, 2.2/5 on Letterboxd) indicates poor execution that undermines any educational or emotional insight. The handling of serious themes like abuse appears exploitative rather than thoughtful. Not entertaining either—universally considered a failure.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Based on actual American folklore (the Bell Witch haunting), offering a window into 19th-century supernatural legends
Period setting provides some historical context about early Tennessee
Could spark interest in researching the real Bell Witch story, which is more interesting than this movie

⚠

What to Watch For

Supernatural violence including physical attacks and a death
Sexual abuse is revealed as a central plot element—heavy, triggering content
Jump scares and horror imagery that may disturb younger teens
The movie is genuinely bad—12% critic score and 2.2/5 on Letterboxd means even horror fans found it unwatchable
Dated early-2000s horror aesthetic that feels cheap and poorly executed

Conversation Starters

"Have you heard of the Bell Witch legend? Want to look up the real story together? (Spoiler: it's more interesting than this movie)"
"What makes a ghost story feel authentic versus cheesy?"
"Why do you think some horror movies handle serious topics like abuse poorly?"

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