Ensofter Overrated and overhyped

WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Helloturia I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.

Aneesa Wardle The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

barbaramerrell This movie is well worth your time to watch. My husband, two boys and I are amateur horror movie critics. We love them!!! We all have different taste in them also and this one was right up my alley. Low budget, but that adds to it. I screamed out loud several times. The music score is perfect and enhances the experience. Love the camera shots the director used. I asked several times if this was based on a true story, it was that believable. I watch a lot of paranormal shows and this was so much like reality, I thought it was true. Really well done with what they had to work with and anything more would have ruined it for me. I recommend this movie for everyone who wants a heart racing physiological thriller! A must watch. But not by yourself! 😱

ASouthernHorrorFan The story of "An American Ghost Story" is a typical haunting/evil spirit story, that is as common as it is indispensable in paranormal lore, so there is not anything new offered in that respect. It doesn't matter because this story like many others is as well written and on it's way to becoming a modern classic as any of the other films in this sub-genre. It is a mature, dark tale that keeps with an ominous tone through the whole film allowing for a tense apprehension for the viewer. The acting is somber, melodrama that draws you into the shadowy life of the protagonist as he faces the true error of his decision to move into the home. There is a black veil over the atmosphere of this movie almost from the start. No cheeky, campy, light-heartedness here! The story is a chilling, episodic nightmare that is executed nearly perfectly by the actors and director. The film quality and sound effects in "An American Ghost Story" are pretty tight, even with the stripped down, lower budget nature that is utilized. The film proves you don't need a massive budget or fancy effects to pull off a good ghost story. There were moments that I jumped and moments I found myself holding my breath over what was coming next. It is a truly spooky, sometimes scary film. The story plays out in an almost somber, haunting way that allows for a natural build of suspense and intensity. The further into the film you get the more creepy and thrilling it becomes. I did find the ending a tad hokey, but really there is no real way to end a ghost story, horror film that doesn't feel a bit over-done and redundant. That being said "An American Ghost Story" ends with a dark, chilling finality that is almost not an ending at all, only a break in an ongoing horror saga- to be continued-maybe. "An American Ghost Story" is an indie thriller that holds it's on to any bigger budget supernatural horror film and well worth watching. It is a mature, well written story. The acting is above the standard for lower budget horror films and the sound effects fit perfectly. The atmosphere of the film is spooky and provides an eerie tone to the film. I enjoyed "An American Ghost Story" more than I anticipated and even though the film doesn't really add anything new to the sub- genre it is still a very good addition to the horror genre. I think any horror fan and especially fans of ghost stories will enjoy this film.

dleannlugo I was going to vote pretty low not because of production, I think this movie does a pretty good job with cinematically and the writing is good.It is definitely scaryish.My problem is the acting. The acting is pretty bad. The girl-friend probably the worse but they definitely aren't A-list actors. The main character gets better and probably would be so bad if you could tell that they were ALL trying REALLY hard to NOT look at the camera - it is so obvious that the camera area is something someone trained them to never look at.A good actor can look right into the camera and never be looking AT you...they keep their line of site balanced to seem natural.Though I have that complaint, I do like the movie. Will purchase it if I can find it and will tell people good things about it.

robert-348-215552 An American Ghost Story has the foundation to be a good little horror movie. Our protagonist, Paul, rents a house with a reputation for being haunted. He plans to write a book about his experiences and fortunately for his book haunting stuff starts happening. Spoiler Alert: His girlfriend moves in with him, is the first to encounter ghostly activity and quickly moves right back out. The rest of the film has Paul chasing Tom, a mischievous little ghost and Mr. Sheets, a demonic force seen only when covered with a bed sheet - California King sized of course.If someone would have said to me "hey, take a look at this indy horror movie made by some friends for just $2k" I would have been in the right frame of mind and enjoyed the ride. I'd rate it 8 out of 10. I really appreciate the struggles Mr. Cole & Mr. Twardokus endured to get this produced. It is incredibly difficult to make a feature. Actors and crew flake out on you, gear breaks, locations suddenly change their mind and won't let you shoot there, and everybody wants money. I'm always amazed at the ingenuity and creativity of filmmakers working with little to no budget. Having said that, they need to make wise use of the resources that they do have.The main antagonist in this film is a ghost or demonic force brought to life by throwing a bed sheet over the form. In a spooky story for 7 year olds it works, but here it comes off cheesy. The original Paranormal Activity is a good example of a small budget film that never actually shows the ghost. Seeing the form in the bed which then disappears is fine, but it should have stopped there.I don't fully agree with criticisms about clichés concerning drawers opening, etc. Everything has already been done, it's incredibly difficult to come up with something entirely new in a horror movie. The ghost hunter shows on television have the same things in every episode - EVP's, orbs, EMF spikes, doors opening on their own. Same thing, every episode. So I expect to see these things in a horror movie, but I want to see them at unexpected moments with actors reacting in unexpected ways. I liked the flashlight being grabbed by the ghost, I think it is very effective and probably one of the creepiest moments in the movie.In my films just about every penny I have goes to the actors. A free actor isn't really free if they bring the movie down. If you can't afford an actor and can't find a great actor willing to work pro bono, then write that part out of the script if possible. Other parts are unnecessary. The landlord played by Jon Gale doesn't propel the story forward, is poorly acted and could be omitted. I think Liesel Kopp in the role of Stella did a good job. In fact, I'm disappointed that she doesn't stick around. She is one of the characters introduced to us that never gets developed. I think Wendy Haines as Sue is the best actor in the movie. I would have liked to see her coerced into returning to the house to help Paul solve his problems. As much as I admire Stephen Twardokus and respect his efforts, I think his acting is one dimensional. He's certainly a better actor than me, but as our protagonist his role is critical to the success of the film and should have been cast differently. Sam, the friend played by Cain Clifton is another pointless character but he has an ironic scene. He sends an email to Paul that has a jump scare photo in it. Paul calls him and complains "that was a cheap shot!" Yet that's exactly what they are doing to us, most of the fright in this movie comes from cheap shot jump scares.The lighting is very good...so good that I didn't even think about it the first time I watched the film. The tonal quality of the dialog was excellent as well.The music is good in places. Kevin MacLeod is a popular artist who allows filmmakers to use his work royalty free. I've used his work extensively. The problem comes in the scene transitions and places where the tension changes. The music is cut and pasted to fit the scene as best as possible. It sounds great in some places, in others it doesn't. The piano melody in the beginning scenes doesn't quite work. In the last half of the film long, low notes drone endlessly on and on and become annoyingly noticeable.Finally, the script has its highs and lows. Characters are introduced then fizzle away undeveloped. The mainstay of ghost hunting is electrical disturbances and recording EVPs, Electronic Voice Phenomena. This is where recordings, as most people know, can be played back to reveal ghostly voices that weren't heard at the time the recording was made. Paul tries to record them in one scene but curiously he fails. The only electronic problem is an old fashioned radio that likes to randomly come on and play static. Why he never tries to use a camcorder is puzzling. I don't think any ghost hunter nowadays would attempt it without a camera. In fact, the premise of writing a book about a haunted house seems to fizzle away as well.This could be a great little movie with some edits and a better lead actor. As it is, it's still an enjoyable flick keeping in mind it's a low budget, well, no budget indy film.