American Poltergeist is a 2015 horror thriller film directed by Mike Rutkowski, starring Donna Spangler, Simona Fusco, Ashley Green Elizabeth,  Aaron Lee, Nikole Howell, Jaime Sarchet, Nicole Holland, Luke Brandon Field, and Rebbekah Vega Romero. The college friends Taryn, her brother Michael, his girlfriend Niki, Jenna and Stacey move to comfortable rooms in a house in Fall River, Massachusetts. The owner, Dianna Eastbrock, receives them and soon Taryn feels a strong connection to the house and finds herself at the center of one of the most deadly poltergeists in American history.

Positives:

• Interesting premise
• Good score
• Good editing
• Good make-up effects

Negatives:

• Lackluster performances
• Lackluster characters
• Crappy quality
• Horrible script
• Bad dialogue

Plot: The story doesn’t take it’s time to build suspense and a lot of sequences are pretty predictable. Taryn being this whole “Chosen One” is a wasted storyline that comes off as cheesy.  The ending was lackluster but it does deliver a pretty sweet twist. There is the subplot of this strained relationship between Taryn and her brother Michael that doesn’t get enough exposition. (2 out of 5)

Characters: Most of the characters are unforgettable.  Taryn is an alright character but she comes off more whinny and flat than actually interesting.  Michael and Niki have a decent enough relationship.  Michael’s character is alright but it sucks that he’s so dismissive of Taryn which makes him look like a douchebag.  Dianna is probably the weirdest character but also the dumbest.  There’s no reason for her character to be as flat as she is. (2 out of 5)

Cast: The performances are decent but nothing really memorable or standout. Donna Spangler is probably the most pronounced though she acts like she doesn’t know how to act. Really all of the other characters have nothing to them.  The cast consist of Simona Fusco, Aaron Lee, Ashley Green Elizabeth, Nicole Holland, Rich Rossi, Luke Brandon Field, and Nikole Howell.  (1 out of 5)

Visuals: Visually the film does contain a low budget quality that is quite frankly shitty.  There is a decent use of the practical effects as well as how the film shot.  The editing was actually pretty good. The Lizzie Borden costume design looks decent.  (2 out of 5)

Score: The score is actually pretty decent.  Nothing standout, but decent. (3 out of 5)

Writing: The script can be said to be uneventful.  There is so much predictability and the pacing is just horrible.  The dialogue is decent and in some areas just terrible. The characters are poorly written.  Some scenes are a waste.  The scene with Dianna spazzing out in the tub didn’t make any sense nor did it contribute anything to the overall plot or characters. There are some elements that Mike Rutkowski manages to make engaging but the film does fall flat. (2 out of 5)

The Verdict:  In the end, American Poltergeist is lackluster.  Despite an interesting premise, good make-up effects, and a pretty good score the film suffers from uninteresting characters, lackluster performances, and an exceptionally bad script.  American Poltergeist gets 2 out of 5.  It’s worth a watch but definitely not to be taken seriously.