Amityville: The Awakening

If you want a drama that takes its characters as seriously as its plot, Amityville: The Awakening is available in Australia on Hoopla, and in the US on Amazon Prime Video and Philo right now. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. 1,102 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Bella Thorne leads a cast that never overplays its hand. Start it on Hoopla whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

There is a reason Amityville: The Awakening keeps coming up in conversation. Amityville: The Awakening takes its time building the world its characters inhabit, and the patience pays off. Belle, her little sister, and her comatose twin brother move into a new house with their single mother in order to save money to help pay for her brother's expensive healthcare. But when strange phenomena begin to occur including the miraculous recovery of her brother, Belle begins to suspect her mother isn't telling her everything and soon learns they moved into the infamous Amityville house. Bella Thorne and Cameron Monaghan lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2017. What elevates Amityville: The Awakening is a refusal to let any character off the hook too easily. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Drama fans who appreciate slow-burn storytelling will feel right at home with Amityville: The Awakening. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Bella Thorne anchors a cast that never overplays its hand. The kind of drama that stays with you well after the finale.