Better than a lot of the sequels, but I guess that's not really saying much. Kind of dug the meta approach, but ultimately it's just too lazy, predictable and lacking of scares, the ending is way too abrupt and unsatisfying too.

Rebooting the franchise, Amityville: The Awakening takes a fresh look at the haunted house that terrified a generation. The story follows a recently widowed mother who moves her two daughters and invalid son to a house in the country hoping that the change will help her son’s condition, and when he starts to improve the eldest daughter begins to question whether it’s really him or if he’s being possessed. Both Jennifer Jason Leigh and Bella Thorne give solid performances, and the film has an interesting meta quality to it where both the real life events and the films exist. But the horror is rather tame and the forces of evil are limited in their power and influence (not really going beyond possession). While it gets some points for creativity, Amityville: The Awakening doesn’t have much ambition and sets a rather low bar for itself.

this movie's release date was pushed back for years, and for good reason...[spoiler]it's bad[/spoiler]

A great follow up to the original film, interesting and kept me on my toes.