Amityville Emanuelle (2023) starts with a premise that could have held promise: a young man, Gordon DeFeo (Shane Ryan-Reid), experiences terrifying visions related to his father, the infamous mass murderer, and a woman, Laura Lutz (Dawn Church), receives his ashes and begins experiencing similar supernatural disturbances. The setup ties into the notorious Amityville legacy and hints at psychological horror intertwined with supernatural elements. For a brief moment, it seems the film could explore haunting family legacies and the effects of past atrocities on the present.
Unfortunately, the promise quickly falters. The script by Geno McGahee struggles to sustain tension or develop characters in a compelling way. Much of the dialogue is awkward, occasionally straying into unintentionally humorous territory, and the acting—particularly from Joycelyne Lew (May) and Chris Spinelli (Evan)—ranges from stiff to painfully unconvincing. Even lead performances, which are slightly more stable, cannot fully rescue the material. Scenes that should be erotic, given the “Emanuelle” branding, are awkwardly staged and largely fail to generate the intended allure, further diminishing the film’s impact.
Structurally, the film suffers from pacing issues. Midway through, it introduces a seer character whose metal-adorned forehead and convoluted subplot feel more like a farce than an integrated narrative device. The supernatural elements are inconsistently deployed, and the tension dissipates whenever the story drifts into clunky exposition or forced sexual encounters. Key horror motifs, like the Amityville house itself, remain virtually absent, leaving the film feeling disconnected from the legacy it purports to continue.
On a technical level, the production values reflect a very limited budget, which hampers both the horror and erotic aspects. Editing choices sometimes create jarring transitions, and the visual effects do little to enhance the supernatural atmosphere. Despite the low cost, a more polished approach to direction and cinematography could have elevated even a weak story, but here the rawness only emphasizes the deficiencies in acting and scripting.
In short, Amityville Emanuelle offers fleeting glimpses of potential with its initial premise and ties to real-world horror history, but it is undermined by weak performances, a confused narrative, and awkwardly staged eroticism. Fans of the Amityville franchise or softcore horror may find minor points of interest, but the film ultimately fails to deliver meaningful scares, compelling drama, or genuine erotic tension. It’s a below-average entry, and one that will likely test the patience of all but the most forgiving viewers.
Jessie Hobson