YMMV / The Amityville Horror (2005)

• Alternative Character Interpretation: Father Callaway is supposed to be a put upon man whose faith has been shaken, but he comes across as more of an apathetic Dirty Coward. He admits that he disbelieved and did nothing to try and help Ronald DeFeo, Jr. when the young man sought him out, and after being scared by the house, he just up and abandons the Lutzes (something which Kathy admittedly calls him out on). He also neglects to accompany Kathy back to the house to try and help her get her family out of it, effectively leaving Kathy to fend for herself and robbing the character of the chance to redeem himself for doing nothing to try and help DeFeo.
• Best Known for the Fanservice: Ryan Reynolds was in peak physical condition during the film, and every discussion about it is bound to bring up him being a Walking Shirtless Scene.
• Big-Lipped Alligator Moment: The shots of Jodie hanging from a noose (even though she was shot) while George and Kathy are having sex.
• Cliché Storm: When Michael gets up to go to the bathroom, you are expecting a single cliché of either a Jump Scare or blood from the taps. Both tropes occur at the same time, followed immediately by the wind opening and closing the house's shutters rapidly. All of this occurs within twenty seconds.
• He Really Can Act: George Lutz was Ryan Reynolds's first villainous role, and he does manage to pull off an intimidating and despicable performance (though perhaps too despicable, as a fair amount of reviewers complained that it was next to impossible to find George even remotely sympathetic—even knowing that he has been corrupted by otherworldly forces—by the end, something that was unintended, going by the film's audio commentary).
• Moral Event Horizon: Narrowly averted, at least in the minds of the producers. According to the commentary, George, during the awkward dinner scene, was supposed to follow-up insulting Kathy's food with something like, "No wonder your husband killed himself." The line was removed because it was felt that it was totally unforgivable, even when stacked against all of the other things that the corrupted George does, like the wood-chopping scene with Billy and accidentally killing Harry.
• Narm:
  • Ryan Reynolds's attempt at a Big "SHUT UP!". Unfortunately, it sounds like he suddenly felt bad for screaming at the children and toned it down in the middle of it: "SSSSHHUT UP!"
  • Hell, his entire performance when he is possessed. Especially with the lines given to him ("Wacko family!") it nearly crosses into Narm Charm territory.
  • The priest wordlessly running away from the house while being chased by Kathy.
  • The writers tried their best to make the Big Bad terrifying, but it is very hard to take someone with the name of Jeremiah Ketcham seriously, especially if you accidentally think of a certain Pokémon trainer (not helped by the evil Ketcham's "Katch 'em & Kill 'em" Catchphrase).
  • The ending: when Jodie gets dragged down into the basement by Ketchum.
• One-Scene Wonder: Rachel Nichols as the babysitter, Lisa.
• Retroactive Recognition: Chelsea Lutz is Chloë Grace Moretz in her movie debut.
• Squick: Jodie shoving Lisa's finger into the bullet hole in her head.

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